We are living in a time where algorithms are constituting our world and somehow its controlling our activities. In my paper I’m going to discuss episode 5 of Ways Of Hearing where Krukowski explains how online corporations like amazon, spotify, facebook and others use algorithms to collect our information and present specific ads to us on our devices. By the use of algorithms, they have gained the power to take control of our choices. The algorithms use our history to find out the things we like or have been searching for. Then they recommend and advertise products specifically to us based on our likes and searches. Also in this episode  Krukowski shows the difference between online shopping and shopping in physical stores. I’m going to express my opinion about his statement and try to illustrate it with some of my experiences.

The development of technology has made our lives easier. At the same time it has trapped us. It made us forget our surroundings and time. It trapped us in such a way that we lose track of time. A couple of days ago I had an online homework and it was time based. The due time was the same day at midnight. I thought it wouldn’t take me long to finish the task so I started to watch a show on Netflix on my phone. I didn’t realize that one and half hours passed by and I didn’t have enough time to do the homework. I panicked but I still somehow finished it. At the end of the day I realized how technology compels us to lose the track of time.

This is a photograph taken by Thomas Hoepke. In this picture we can see a group of people are relaxing and enjoying their leisure while the world trade center is burning behind them. In the first episode of Berger’s Way of Seeing, we have learned how images can manipulate our thinking process. When we look at this image the very first thing we notice is the tragic event. It raises a question, how can these people be so happy and not even care about the world trade center burning. This picture shows two opposite stories. First, the tragic event which affected so many people’s lives.  Second, people do not care about things which are not related to them.

Berger reflects on how pictures depict someone’s wealth in the second episode of “The Way of Being.” We find this phenomenon in our day to day life through social media. We see how people show off their possessions through images and post it on social media. Its not only celebrities but also ordinary people who cannot resist themselves from showing off things they own.

The image above is from Berger’s The Way of Seeing. This picture is not only about two men who are standing, but it also illustrates the possessions in their surroundings. The man in the left is wearing an expensive fur jacket and holding a sword. The carpet they are standing on also depicts wealth. The image itself shows the power of wealth.

 This is a picture of a contemporary Celebrity who is showing off his jewelry to depict his wealth. Gold and Diamonds have always been considered the possessions of wealthy people.

 Cars are another way that wealthy people show their wealth. From this photo, we conclude that the woman must be very wealthy because of all the expensive cars in her surroundings.

People show their wealth through images. They do not take photos of themselves, instead they take photos of their possessions in order to show them to others. This is what Berger explains in his video.

From the very beginning of civilization, women were depicted as an object of sexual pleasure for men. Berger reflects on this idea on his second episode of “The Way of Seeing.” We have observed this depiction since European oil paintings to modern day advertisement. Women have always been portrayed the way men want to see them. Their beauty depends on how men judge them. It is to be believed that a woman must have what men consider to be a perfect body in order to be “BEAUTIFUL.” It requires them to have a slim figure with pointy breasts and a skinny belly. If a woman is fat or has cellulite on her body, nobody will like her. Nowadays companies use pictures and videos of nude women in order to influence their male customers. Berger also explains how the nude European oil paintings of women were used to appeal to the male spectator. By these means, we can see that the tradition of depicting women in a way that is sexually appealing to men started a very long time ago and still exists today.

WE ALL ARE BEAUTIFUL

STOP BULLYING!!

Blog Post #1

A couple of months ago, I found a page related to children around the world while I was scrolling through my Facebook account. I saw a picture of an African kid who was starving to death. He was so skinny that his bones were clearly visible. He was sticking out his hand hoping to receive some food. His condition was so miserable that I couldn’t stop tears from coming down my cheeks. I felt so sad with the cruel reality. It left me with a thought that there are so many people around the world who waste food knowingly. On the other hand, there are thousands of kids in other parts of the world who are starving to death. I have many pages in my Facebook that post about food. I think that is why I immediately thought the child needed food. He also had no clothes or shoes. I am not sure if he even has any shelter. But because of all the food posts on my Facebook, my immediate thoughts were regarding his hunger.