How Students Use Social Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

How Students Use Social Media - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that social media has emerged as an inseparable facet of modern day civilization, playing the role of a communication channel and a source of updated information irrespective of cultural, geographical, political or economic divergences. Technically, social media is often regarded as an advanced form of communication system engaging multiple participants at both the ends of decoders and message encoders. Owing to its increasing influence on the regular activities of human lives through the elements such as virtual communities, business networks, and societal contexts, children and adolescents are also becoming progressively addicted to the use of social media for various purposes. There are various features of social media that are identifiable in relation to its usage among students like, the enhanced scope of informal communication in the global context through internet and accessibility to uncountable technological features. At the same t ime, it enables simultaneous freedom to access mischievous contents which are traditionally restricted to a general platform. From a critical point of view, it can further be argued that these features act as a strong driving force to increase social media usage among the populaces. Recent studies have depicted that the utilization of social media, especially amid the youth, who can also be categorized as students, has increased by a significant level over the past few years.  ... Current Trends in Social Media amongst the Student Population Recent studies (e.g. Kwak et. al., 2010; Lenhart et. al., 2010; Valenzuela et. al., 2009; and Bull et. al., 2008) have depicted that the utilization of social media, especially amid the youth, who can also be categorised as students, has increased by a significant level over the past few years. This particular alteration in the social context can be observed due to various reasons. For instance, a majority of the schools and colleges nowadays are facilitating their students with online educational training programs, rendering due significance to the inclusion of social media. This inclusion is operating at times, as a communication channel, and at times this operates as a source for obtaining relevant information regarding an ongoing issue (Simonpietri & Rose, 2011; Mintel Group Ltd., 2012). According to the report published by Mintel Group Ltd (2012), it has been identified that currently there are 76% of internet users w ho have access to social media with the help of their host devices such as tablet computers, smartphones, laptops and desktops among others. The group comprises around 16% of students who are recorded as regular users of social networking sites through mobile devices. It was further revealed by Shafique et. al. (2010) that in the USA itself, 78.9% of female students tend to access social media sites more frequently in comparison with the male students. In the year 2009, approximately 79% of the total college students in the USA were recorded to use various social media sites such as Linkedln, MySpace, Twitter and Facebook quite frequently in their daily lives. Shafique et. al. (2010) also stated that the students use social media for myriad reasons. Among

Self-Portraits. Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Self-Portraits. Journal - Essay Example Additionally, I do not need to be responsible to anyone or share my practice with anyone; I do not need to dress up, put on make-up, I just need to capture the uniqueness and individuality of me. I choose to do a self-portrait so that I can capture and paint my subject matter as best as I can and as no one else as ever done before. Painting a self-portrait helps me in expressing certain aspects of myself and identities, far beyond the surface of physical appearance. 2. Describe â€Å"your† artistic choices in composition: use of color, space, etc. I consider color to be the most ungovernable and essential element in painting, therefore, when choosing the under painting, the first thing I usually do before I start painting, I am always weary of the color that I will use. I prefer creating a gray scale using Raw Sienna starting at white and mixing a small amount of the preferred color into white; this creates various tones of color. Using burnt amber and ultramarine blue, I mix the black color. Using twelve square scale gives me enough values that I use in painting the self-portrait (Bartel, 2010). As noted earlier, I prefer raw sienna; this is because, it helps in setting charcoal such that, it acts as highlight, which allows for the under painting to be visible through the final paints layer surface; and also, it does not smear into my painting. The colors I use are more affluent and brush strokes are more prominent In order to portray illusionistic form, I borrow the smooth, fine technique utilized by Rembrandt in his paintings (Bruyn, Wetering, & Rijn, 2005). In some areas of my self-portrait where I have used paint with tactile quality, I employ the technique of rough treatment of highly multicolored paint surfaces so as to allow for the portrayal of illusionist form (Albert, 2003). In order to suggest space, I again borrow a technique of leaving large white spaces employed not only by Rembrandt, but by Titian, as well. In addition, I also use of intr icate webs of line in order to get an effect of rich dark tones (Bruyn et al., 2005). Primarily, I am able to create dramatic effects by using shadow and strong contrasts of light, which is an emulation of Rubens’ baroque style. Having read, seen and become familiar some of Venetian art, my use of brushwork is more expressive; and I have developed a tendency of putting figures in parallel to the picture plane. 3. Explain what the portrait represents about â€Å"you† (as the artist.) This self-portrait depicts or represents a happier, although it looks a bit serious, the smile on my face, the look in my eyes, and the grim in my face shows a comfortable, happy, and free soul. The most important thing to note about this portrait is that, it is a unique representation of the real me; I have not in any way attempted to conceal the imperfections on my face, therefore, it leaves very little to be imagined. Apart from accurately representing the physical and emotional uniquene ss of my face, this self-portrait also invites the spectators to study and analyze the techniques I use. For instance, on close inspection of this portrait, anyone familiar with Rembrandt’s work will notice that, my face emerges from the movement of the brush and that my hair is as a result of carefully measured work. 4. Explain â€Å"your† choices of subject with regard to at least three other specific pieces