Michael Flynn – Intro to Multicultural Literature

Head in the Social Media Clouds

Most of us have experienced it

Social media can make us feel good about ourselves

But its air of substance is too often just an illusion

Some of us give ourselves too much credit in general

Admittedly, it is difficult for me to swallow,

As I am guilty of everything I have mentioned.

I chose to speak about an article called Head in the (Instagrammed) Clouds by Isabel H. Evans. This article is about how all of us are basically brain washed by social media. The author makes some good points about what social media is doing but is also targeting everyone like we have the same problems. Although social media can be addictive and time consuming, some people have made their careers off social media. Also, this article speaks about how Instagram distracts you from painfully boring situations as if it is a bad thing. Social media helping us out of these situations is not a bad thing, older people just have it in their minds that us younger people being on our phones is so bad for us. We are constantly told that social media is ruining our social skills because all we know is typing and not speaking to people in real life. I don’t think this is true because it really just depends on your personality and how you are raised. Social media does not affect your social skills or your ego in my opinion. Egotism is a common term used in this article. Just because some people care about likes on a post, doesn’t mean it eats them alive at night, it only matters for that certain moment and then is forgotten about. Social media is not mind controlling and is not changing our lives in a negative way. Although it affects everyone in different ways, it should not be looked at in a negative manner any more than a positive one.

“My fear of that anger taught me nothing. Your fear of that anger will teach you nothing, also”

In The Uses of Anger by Audre Lorde, the anger of African American women is the main focus. Lorde speaks widely about the topic of women holding in their anger instead of letting it be heard by others. Anger should never be held in because in the long run it is not helping you in any way. Lorde explains it more thoroughly in this quote: “My fear of that anger taught me nothing. Your fear of that anger will teach you nothing, also.” (287). Lorde is trying to explain that if you keep everything in and aren’t able to let it out and share with others, you will not accomplish, learn, or make a change in anything. Her story is an alternative, another way of teaching people how to deal with racism/sexism in different situations and circumstances.

Lorde speaks out, not only on African American women dealing with racism but also the way white women react to it. She tells a story about a time when a white child saw an African American child in a stroller and said “Oh look, Mommy, a baby maid!” the mother continued to shush the child but did not correct her in any way. This is one of the reasons why racism still goes on today. When the children are not reprimanded or educated on racism at a young age, they will still think it is not a problem when they grow up. “We have been raised to view any difference other than sex as a reason for destruction…” (282). This quote is true in the fact that people were raised racist and violent looking for differences to scrutinize people for, but I do not agree with how she says “other than sex”. I think plenty of people see the difference in sexes and use it to downplay women and many people have been raised to think so. I think its interesting how the narrator says this even though most of this excerpt is about black women being oppressed and holding in all of their anger because of it.

Lastly, Lorde speaks on how women were raised to deal with this anger. Basically they were raised and taught to not standup to people because of how they were treated back then. Shutting up and holding your anger in does not help anyone in any way. Lorde states “No tools were developed to deal with other women’s anger except to avoid it, deflect it, or flee from it under a blanket of guilt.” (283). Like stated earlier, women back then were told to just listen to the man, who was known as the higher up because of sexism, which still exists today but not to the same extent. Lorde is speaking on that in saying they never knew anything else besides to avoid their anger and keep it in because it would not help if they let it out. I agree with her statement in the fact that, this is how it was back in her day. Women today have become independent and are now able to stick up for themselves in any situation, especially a racist situation.

Questions:

What do you think Lorde would have comprehended differently if she was living in the world today while writing this piece?
Lorde emphasizes a huge point that holding in your anger and frustrations will get you nowhere. Do you believe that you should always speak out about your anger and frustrations, or is it sometimes better to keep it to yourself?

Hey, I’m Mike

Whatsup everybody, my name is Michael Flynn from Staten Island NY and I am a transfer sophomore majoring in criminology. I had a really bad experience at my last school and hoping that Cortland will treat me well. Some of my hobbies are playing baseball, video games and listening to music. I mainly listen to rap and I am a huge JCole fan. I am looking forward to getting to know all of you while becoming a better reader and writer.