After watching/reading articles on boys being forced into a masculine persona where a boy's upbringing makes him afraid to share feelings, a different view on the Charlie Hebdo attacks, the German pilot who crashed his plane, and the power of the social media Yik-Yak, I felt the ones that most resonated with me was the one on boys and Yik-Yak.
I tend to disagree with the author that we are doing boys of the world an injustice by giving them a stereotypical "man." The article portrayed boys as constantly hearing the words, "Be a man." While at one point in a young boy's life, he probably will hear these words, the article makes it seem as if this is the only phrase a boy will hear in his early life. Also, it is not a bad thing to act like a man would. Depending on the context, acting like a man could be acting like a gentlemen, or standing up for principles that you hold dear. I feel a common misconception is that people find the phrase "Be a man" to be sexist. I disagree because the phrase is used to inspire young boys, not single out women. Every kid dreams about the day when he is all grown up and is an adult. From personal experience, whenever I was told to be a man it made me feel grown up and more responsible, which is not a bad thing.
Shifting topics, I found the Yik-Yak article to be extremely interesting. The power of language is truly shown in this article as specific examples of language being used were shown. The effects of simple posts on a social media website were truly eye opening. I feel the creators of the app are very intelligent and will be able to succeed in making the app less intimidating. I agree that something should be done to halt the degrading posts this app contains, and I feel confident that a solution will be reached as the problem is being taken very seriously.
The key to using language is to use it responsibly. Language is a very powerful tool. As the cliche saying goes, "The pen is mightier than the sword." If this mighty weapon is not taken seriously and with responsibility, then the world will be in serious trouble.
Laith, I liked that you brought up the different contexts of what it means to be a man, since in today's society the perceptions of many common phrases and beliefs are being challenged. Many people jump on the idea without taking into account the general response to the phrase, and it was good to see you supported your stance well. Also, nice closing. It made the posting seem more authentic.
ReplyDeleteLaith, you brought up the phrase "be a man" and I agree with you in the fact that some can make that phrase out to be sexist, but it all depends on the context. Also, another interesting topic you brought up was the article about the Yik-Yak app. The effects of anonymous posts can indeed be eye opening and I am glad you brought that to our attention. Very nice.
ReplyDeleteLaith,
ReplyDeleteThe article on "Be a man" also drew my attention and I had a slight disagreement with the creator of the article by overlooking a lot of things. I thought you defended your opinion on the article very well and used strong evidence in your talk about the app Yik-Yak.