part 1Being a young college student myself, I know that it is hard to keep up with the always- changing beauty world. I so strongly desire to keep up with the new trends in makeup and hair, but it becomes extremely difficult when you have $36.08 in your bank account, and have to worry about meals for the next four months until the freedom of break arrives. So, that is why I am here. I plan on helping all of my college friends who want to keep up on the best beauty trends, while not starving. In my following blog posts I will develop three beauty blogs. One revolving around the best quality drug store beauty products one can buy at the lowest prices. For this blog post I will discuss what specific beauty products to look for at the drug store that have the quality of expensive top tier makeup brands, but are very affordable. This blog post will cover various beauty products like all things makeup: foundation, concealer, mascara, eyeshadow, and even some beauty products like dry shampoos. Another blog post that will be on my blog is how to look alive for class, but not over-do it with the makeup. I know for a fact being a college student myself that it can be tough waking up for those 8am classes, especially after a night out of drinking, so I want to give quick and easy makeup tips to look presentable for a day of classes. My final blog post will be about the essentials for the perfect going out makeup look. College students often look forward to going out after a long week of classes and let off some steam, so why not look great doing it? I will give the tips and tricks for the perfect makeup and hair 'going out' look! Although there are many beauty blogs out there, and some that I really look up too, mine has incorporates a fun little twist to it. I will be focused solely on beautiful quality makeup looks that fit the budget of a college student. I know personally as a beauty and makeup lover that it can be pretty expensive. Well my goal is to show how it is possible to receive these same beautiful looks on a cost effective budget. My audience will be directed mainly to college students, but not only college students. My blog may be helpful for those makeup lovers who want to look like they're wearing all the new best beauty products, but do not want to spend the cash. My blog will lean towards a younger feminine audience particularly around the college age, but men who are passionate about makeup and beauty are always welcome! Part 2 Into The Gloss: Into The Gloss is different than most of the other sites I researched because it does not have one sole blogger, instead the page has a series of author's or bloggers who put out different blog articles daily. I believe this is because of the size of the blog. It was started in 2010 and has grown immensely since then. I like that the blog has mostly articles, but there is the occasional video or interview spaced in their to break up the content a bit, and keep the readers interested. This blog also has a commercial aspect to it. At the top right corner of the blog there is a link you can click on that takes you to "Shop Glossier". On this site you can purchase their lip products and various beauty products like moisturizers and primers. The site's main purpose is health and beauty, not just makeup because at the top there are tabs to take you to Interviews, Makeup, Skincare, and Hair blog posts. I would say that the audience for this type of blog is feminine, and even more specifically women of early 20s because of the advanced techniques and products that they talk about.
theFashionSpot: Like Into The Gloss, theFashionSpot is a large compilation of various blog posts by various bloggers. It seems to have a very large audience because there are several blog posts that are written every day in each section of the blog. This brings me to the blog set up which I really liked. The website is really easy to navigate. On the home page there is a horizontal row of tabs that take you to different parts of the website. For example there are Style, Beauty, Celeb, Fashion Week, and Community tabs. Clicking on them will allow you to narrow the blog down to the specific purpose. Obviously I clicked the Beauty tab, and was brought to a page with various blogs by publication date. I really liked how each subsection had kind of a key to direct readers. On the right hand side you are able to choose tabs that are in that specific section. The Beauty tab has sections for: Trends, Tips, Tutorials, and Products. This makes it a lot more comfortable as a reader to navigate such a large site. Similar to Into The Gloss, this blog is mainly dedicated to a feminine audience, but I would say specifically late teen to women in their 30s because of the tips and trends that the blog provides. The Budget Beauty Blog: I really love this blog! This blog is the most similar to what I plan/hope to accomplish with my Niche Blog. On the About page it is very clear that Jen, the author of the blog, has a lot of experience in the fashion and beauty world to establish herself as a successful beauty blogger. It said she worked for 5 years as a fashion merchandiser, and 4 years at Sephora. She has also been blogging since 2009, and began solely as a budget drug store review blogger, but has since moved towards both budget and high-end beauty products to attract more of an audience. Her previous experience says to me as a reader that she is very credible and knows her stuff. I really like the layout of her blog. It makes things easy to find as a reader because it is separated by Reviews by Brand, Holy Grail Products, and New in Beauty, which is how I would separate my topics if my Niche Blog continued. In her About bio Jen mentions she is now a stay at home mom, and specifically addresses her audience as women "who love both a splurge and a bargain." I also really liked the use of hyperlinks in Jen's blog. For example, I checked out the Holy Grail Products tab and found links to all the products websites she was talking about, so the reader can learn more about a specific product or even purchase them. Rose Shock: Rose Shock is a beauty blog that I found. Rose Shock is a blog that does not focus solely on makeup trends and looks, but it talks about all things beauty (hair, makeup, glasses, trends, etc.) One thing that I really like that Rose Shock does that I want to do in my niche blog is provide pictures of the products I am talking about. For example, it talks about a specific product, and after provides a photo of the actual product for readers to see. I feel like this is helpful for the reader who might be searching for a specific product to know what it looks like/ what the packaging looks like. Rose Shock's author Tanja, is a 21 year old from Finland. The blogs are both in Dutch and English for readers to understand. Because of all the different trends and tricks she posts about I would say her specific audience is someone who wants to try new things or switch up their look everyday. Tanja also provides links to her Facebook and Instagram account at the top of the page for readers to check out, because I believe social media and blogging go hand in hand nowadays. Sam Schuerman Beauty and Lifestyle: The first thing that caught my eye on Sam Schuerman’s blog is the layout. I just really love the layout and design of this blog. It is pink and girly and everything flows really nicely together. She has different tabs like ‘Mommy Youtube Channel’, ‘Beauty Youtube Channel, and ‘Daily Vlogs’, etc. Her blog is more so of a video Youtube blog rather than written reviews of products, but I like how detailed her reviews are, so I plan to kind of follow in her footsteps in the detail aspect. Although the blog fits all beauty lovers, I would say Sam's blog's audience is for the older beauty lovers because she has Mommy and Me sections, and also home decor sections. Although her blog is an individual it does have a commercial aspect to it because it has a tab dedicated to her designed notebooks for sale. Life With Me: Marianna, the author of the blog Life With Me, was a TV host turned life-style blogger. I really enjoyed how different the beauty tab of her blog is. The set up is not in traditional horizontal tabs, but in square photos the reader can click on for more information. It provides how-to tutorial videos for a visual aspect of her blog, along with various articles. I would say her audience is a diverse group of beauty lovers. I say this because there is such a wide range of blog posts that can relate to women of various ages. For example, there's a blog post about Red Carpet Looks, and then another blog post about a beauty blender vs. a silicon pad. She's in The Glow: Similar to the first few blogs I researched, She's In The Glow is a blog run by a variety of bloggers. What is different from those blogs that I am happy that She's In The Glow did is provide a tab of what they call "Glow Girls." Under this tab provides a picture and description of each of the bloggers on the site. This helps get to know who you are reading and their credibility. A majority of the Glow Girls are extremely qualified. For example, Clémence von Mueffling has worked with big brands like Clarins and Dior, and has family that worked for French Vogue. She's In The Glow also has a commercial aspect I'm assuming because of its large size and audience. You can purchase all things beauty related from this site. One thing that I really liked about the set up of this blog is that it is separated into different categories like The Lips, The Face, The Eye, The Skin, etc. This makes it easy for the reader to navigate such a large site. Miss Maven: Miss Maven is a beauty inspired blog. This blog provides various subsections for the readers like Hair, Makeup, Skincare, and tutorials. I like how each blog post has a picture as like a cover photo so the reader has an idea of what that blog is about, I plan on doing that with my Niche Blogs. I also like how the tutorials come with a video, because I know first hand to learn how to do proper makeup techniques it is easier to watch them be done than to read about it. One thing I do not like about this blog is the inconsistency in blog posts. Miss Maven will post a blog than not post another for a few months. I feel like in the blogging industry it is important to stay relevant and up to date with all postings to keep an audience. Her audience seems to be more of the high-end beauty spectrum including expensive brands and tools. Katerina Beauty: Kat does not say much about how she became a beauty blogger other than she just has a passion for it. She says she is 20 years old living in Australia, and most of the products she reviews on her blog are Australian brands. I would say because of her age and the mainly Australian brands her audience would be young Australian females. Her blog seems to be more of a product review blog which readers who are new to makeup are sure to love. It guides them on what products to buy and what ones to not buy. I like how Kat provides large quality pictures of all the products she reviews. Again, it provides the reader with a visual and clarity about what product is being reviewed. Kat also provides makeup tutorials on looks and everyday makeup. I really like that this is included because videos along with blog posts seem to break up the content and give the reader something different. I would use this technique in my own blog. Beauty in the Bag: Beauty in the Bag is a blog started by a mother-daughter duo in 2008. Mother, Wendy Lewis, is the author of 11 beauty books, and has been featured on and in the New York Times, New York Post, CNN, etc. Her daughter Eden was the Marketing Manager for a skincare brand called MD Complete. So, between Eden's social media and marketing aspect, and her mother's beauty knowledge it is no wonder that Beauty in the Bag has grown and blown up the way it has. This blog's content is a little bit different than the others because it provides links and details on skin care professionals, facialists, colorists, surgeons, and much more who are "Beauty Gurus." The blog also provides a plethora of makeup, skincare, and hair reviews providing a lot of variety for the reader. The site has a commercial aspect to it because they do 'Gorgeous Giveaways' to their subscribers. The audience for this blog would be more adult females because of the "Beauty Guru" aspect of it dealing with surgical procedures involving beauty. Based on my research, I am going to change my name from Beauty on a Budget to makeup because I have learned that beauty deals with all types of things like hair, skin, health, and not just solely makeup like I had envisioned. I also really loved the blogs that had photographs with products and just pictures that had to do with the blog topic. Pictures along with text makes the whole blog post more appealing to the reader. I hope to do three blog posts for my Niche blog revolving around makeup. The first being high quality makeup looks for low cost. This will include the best drug store finds and different dupes for expensive makeup products. The next will be guided for a college student. More of a how to look alive without really trying kind of post. This will include a guide to the effortless makeup look. And finally my last post will be the perfect going out makeup look for the college student or young adult. My audience will be young college students who want the best looks while still being able to afford their ramen noodles. I hope to embody a young, fun, energetic, and humorous voice when writing these blogs to grab reader's attention!
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![]() Connecting with people. To me, that’s what social media is about. It grants us the ability to reach out, follow, or friend-request people that we may not talk to or see on a regular basis. At least that is how I view it, and that’s how I viewed it the day I first came into contact with social media. I remember it vividly. It was August 2009 and my best friend and I had just come home from her beach house at Long Beach Island. We had spent late nights on the beach and met some cute boys who happened to be her neighbors. Each night there we would manage to sneak out (which wasn’t difficult because her grandma was upstairs and severely hard of hearing), and once we were out we met the boys on the beach to hang-out until the wee hours of the morning. “C’mon let’s just go, my grandma will never wake up, what else do we have to do. It’s summer time!” I can hear my best friend Becca whispering to me as we lay in our beds at night. I thought, ok, what could it hurt. She’s right. We don’t have anything else to do, or school to wake up for in the morning. We did this every night until it was time to go back home to start the new school year. I remember feeling so sad to go home because that would mean our late night beach adventures would come to an end, and I wouldn’t see the new friends we made until next summer. Inevitably we began our drive home. Of course me being the boy crazy pre-teen that I was, I couldn’t stop pondering of ways to keep in contact with the boys we had met. Yeah, we all had these lame (at the time were super cool) flip phones that we got 200 something texts a month on, but that wouldn’t be enough. Eventually we pulled up to Becca’s drive-way and dragged our sluggish bodies out of the car. Becca lives up the street from me, so I was in no hurry to lug my bag down the street to my house. I wanted to enjoy my last day of freedom, or summer with my bestfriend. We walked down to Becca’s basement to find her older sister Mel in the computer room. “Hey Mel, what’s up?” Becca said. “Nothing much, just rearranging my top 8. How was the beach?” “Top 8? What’s that!” I peeped walking into the room. “First of all, you two aren’t old enough to have one, but it’s something you can do on your MySpace profile. Kind of like your best friends, but they’re on your profile so everyone can see who they are.” Mel said. “Oh! I’ve heard of it. Let’s create one so we can see if the neighbors have profiles!” I said like I had just struck gold. “No, mom would not be happy if I made one, and neither would yours Lindsey.” Becca said. Me being the rebel I always have been I went ahead and created a site. I was so fascinated just by looking at Mel’s site. There seemed to be so much you could do on a MySpace site, but my priority at the time was to get in contact with the cute LBI boys. It seems so silly when I think about it now because I wanted to create the site for such a miniscule reason, but now it has opened up the doors for all of the future social media sites and my journey with digital literacy that my life is so revolved around today. Becca and I sat there as we watched Mel navigate her MySpace. There was so much more than just a profile with friends. It allowed users to change the background/theme of your site, add theme songs that friends could hear when they viewed the site, pictures, videos, comments, and statuses. It was like we had dove into a whole other digital world that our flip phones couldn’t bring us to. “Does Mom even know you have one Mel?” Becca asked condescendingly already knowing her answer. “No, but I’m a teenager and I don’t need Mom’s permission for every decision I make” Mel said. I nodded my head slowly agreeing with Mel. “Yeah! We’re basically teenagers Bec. Let’s do it. C’mon you would sneak out at night, but can’t create a harmless MySpace page.” I said. Becca insisted that we just go back upstairs and watch some tv. I heard Mel come upstairs and leave to hangout with her friend down the block, so this was our opportunity. I eventually convinced Becca to create a site with me, (now looking back, wow was I such a good friend resulting to peer pressure), but it was too exciting not to. We basically just discovered a whole new world. We crept downstairs and quietly shut the computer room door. I created mine first, and I remember the excitement about personalizing it was overwhelming. Even though it was a site for connecting with others, it also allowed myself and others to express themselves. For example, it allowed me to set a theme song, have a personalized theme page, photos, and of course my top 8 besties. I eventually found the neighbors with the help of Becca after she decided to create a page. Myspace also had a tool that allowed us to message the boys and talk without having to worry about running out of messages for the month on our flip phones. “Wow this is pretty cool” Becca said playing around with all the different features. “I know! Make sure I’m number one on your top eight” I said. I was not aware of it back then, but Myspace opened up my social media door, and it has not been shut since. Social media plays such a huge role in mine and many other’s lives on a day to day basis it is kind of crazy. It connects people that may have never been connected, keeps families and friends in touch, and has become a huge social norm in today’s society. Before MySpace the only way to really keep in contact was e-mail or text messaging, which at the time was still a big deal, but this opened the connection door so much wider. Not long after MySpace came the creation of Facebook which is a worldwide site that is used by millions of people multiple times a day. Facebook is like the evolution of MySpace with bigger and better features, games, articles, pictures, and obviously most importantly adorable dog videos. But really, sites like MySpace and Facebook allow people around the globe to do things that they would have never thought possible with the click of a mouse, and this is not the end for social media’s involvement in digital literacy. It is constantly growing and changing everyday with the latest updates to sites like Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, Kik, and so much more. All of these sites offer a different way to engulf the world in technology, and there’s no way we can turn back now. I have a few ideas for what I could possibly use for my digital literacy narrative. When I think of my first encounters with digital literacy I automatically think of my first cell phone. The cell phone has and still does have a huge impact on the digital literacy in my life. I could also use my first encounters with social media. Social media took the digital literacy world by storm, and still does to this day. I could use my first experiences with sites like Myspace, Facebook, or Instagram. Finally before all of this was possible for me I used Aol.com and Aim messenger to chat online with my friends. I believe this was a jumpstart to the other digital literacy worlds mentioned. I'm excited to explore each of the ideas and see which will work best for my digital literacy narrative!
As the world neared the end of the millennium, both mobile phone networks and the Internet continued to expand on a global basis at an unprecedented rate—a fact not lost on the participants in the study. And while such growth continued to favor many of the wealthy industrialized countries, cell phone networks, the advent of prepaid calling cards, and mobile phone plans had begun to link populations in other countries as well. ![]() What had seemed like a huge expansion in mobile phone networks and the Internet at the time may seem small compared to the impact it has on today's society. Today the internet and mobile phones seem to have consumed the lives of everyone around the globe. I know I can say they have been a huge part of my life growing up. Both cell phones and the Internet now cover a majority of the digital literacy I use today. Just in the past 6-7 years since getting my first cell phone it is amazing to see how mobile phones have evolved. I remember in the 7th grade being ecstatic to get the latest, coolest, hip flip phone the EnV. It had a front screen and a full keyboard inside when it opened horizontally. The full keyboard should've been a hint to how big the texting world would get. It even had access to the Internet, which was a huge deal (even though you had to pay by the minute). I personally did not use my phone to connect with others across the globe, but I did in fact use it to chat with my friends about anything and everything, because now I could with the touch of my fingers. To me, the EnV phone represented the start of the digital age. From then on the phones only got faster, smaller, touch screen, unlimited data. The expansion of mobile phones and the internet is still rapidly growing today. It's so weird to me to think of the time where the Internet was not automatically connected to my phone and google was not at my fingertips. But now it is, and with the touch of a finger I can send a message across the globe, or to my roommate in the student center. The internet and mobile phones have granted us that wish! Rhinegold In summation, Rhinegold explains the importance of accepting digital literacy into our culture. Social media and a plethora of online activities is making it hard to ignore. Rhinegold explains how powerful digital literacy and social media tools like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook can be if we accepted them and used them with intelligence. He explains that right now we’re using the internet for pointless activities that give us viruses, however if we used it for productivity the opportunities it serves us are endless! Digital Literacies can leverage the Web’s architecture of participation just as the spread of reading skills amplified collective intelligence five centuries ago. Today’s digital literacies can make the difference between being empowered or manipulated, serene or frenetic. ![]() I chose this quote because I feel like it does a good job summarizing what Rhinegold’s purpose for this article was. He explains throughout the piece that if we use the tools we have at our fingertips to our advantage it can be as powerful as the discovery of reading was. Basically our whole education system is based upon reading, so for him to say that is very powerful. He also hints that those that take advantage of all that digital literacy has to offer will swim and those that do not take advantage of its benefits will sink. ![]() Barton and Hamilton Me of all people, a literacy studies major, one would think that I am a master of all things literacy. While reading Barton and Hamilton’s article on situated literacies I found I definitely am not. When I think of literacy from all my studies and readings I think of it as generally one sided. Barton and Hamilton made me realize that literacy can be thought of as being a set of practices. When they say practices it is not meant in the same way as if I said “I’m going to soccer practice tonight!”, it is used to describe the different ways everyone can view and interpret literature. For example instructions to change a flat tire are not the same written in the same literacy practice as a novel, or a textbook. One is read informatively and the other is for enjoyment. Or the other way around, someone may enjoy learning about the mechanics of changing a tire and totally dislike reading novels. It’s all about how people’s perspective, history, culture, and upbringing. Now that this has been brought to my attention I am realizing that I fall into these literacy practices without even knowing by hanging out with the friends I socialize with, how we socialize, and all things in between. For example my sorority, a social group I am in, practices similar literacy. We uphold a similar set of ideals, morals, and characteristics and tend to portray them in a similar way. The most frequent use of this literacy is through social media like our Twitter and Instagram sites. Through these sites we can express the true meaning of our sisterhood through prints like pictures, and digital literacy through the captioning a tweets sent out. This is instantly what came to mind when I read Barton and Hamilton discuss the literacy practices that connect people to each other. |
AuthorHere you can find my responses, thoughts, and even questions on assignments from my Writing With Technologies course at Rowan University. Archives
March 2017
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