Practice Post--Wants

First off, I find your paragraphs and sentences to be very poetic, like something I would hear in M.L.A Tests about reviewing renown writers. I think your philosophy on Happiness is added on quite well with your contrasts about how people may or may not be in the emotions your feeling. And Additionally, I like how you added about how your still a high schooler and things will get better, because it measures out the ethos and pathos. Removing a form of pessimism when you read it. It's reassuring 

However, your not the only one who feels sometimes it's hard keeping a mask day to day.

Although I don't like to admit and talk about how I feel (It's a comfortability thing), I relate to how you see people as sometimes more fulfilled than yourself, and having to be a thinker that unsheathes a two edged dagger, that I really can feel the same. But Honestly, what is Happiness? the mental influx of dopamine or the response by the prefrontal cortex? I think in my opinion, as you do, that joy or a belief of a future Halcyon exists in times that are released in spurts. Yet Again, while I remain question-less, the entire pantheon of Philosophers are the right tools for the job.

Maybe these people and theories could help out and find the "Missing piece" 

Epicurus: He believed to not self indulge, hang out with friends more and not read political news. 

Zeno: Be a stoic, or get a hold of emotions that could hinder your ability to enjoy the day. 

Plato: He liked the Grind, in when you put in the hard work educationally and tolerate the changes at be, you achieve happiness. 

Lastly 

Desire theory: Buy things of have a favorite object, will equal to happiness. 

Objective theory: Do what you want to accomplish, a hobby or what not, and happiness will circulate in return. 

I hope these will help on your road towards feeling better. But I do have some questions to say regarding you and chat.

Chat: Do you hope or expect that the Happiness you have will stay, are you the type to explore what new possibilities there are in liking new things?

sdolloff26: what are things that you would accomplish or can accomplish now with meeting or completing your goal of happiness?

It surprises me to hear that you fake your smile some days. I think the way you see others is very interesting and the perspective that even though you view everyone as happy around you that doesn't necessarily mean they are. 

I think you are correct that maybe not only you but lots of people long for happiness even if they don't admit it to others. It reminds me of people who go through phases of happiness but also go through phases where they are not very happy at all. 

in the world, I think there are a lot of people who feel this way from all backgrounds, your essay made me think of how people feel this way but its not specific to just one person but anyone anywhere. 

do you ever think about if the people around you may feel this way too?

I definitely agree with your stance here, and I think you did a really good job describing it. Things like accessories and makeup can seem cute when they are trending, but more often than not, they're not justifiable purchases because they are never relevant for that long. 

One of the main issues with this sort of trend culture that I have specifically noticed is its perpetuation of fast fashion. When things go "out of style" very quickly, it's wasteful and environmentally damaging. I just threw away a jacket that was only a year old the other day because someone bought it for me when it was cool, but it wouldn't be anymore. 

I think that it's important to bring attention to the silliness of these trends because hopefully, it can open people's eyes to the fact that not only is it wasteful, it's usually not worth their money, so I'm glad that you're talking about it.

I'm wondering though if you would blame the consumer or the influencer (or both?) for this issue. Is it the consumer's fault for being influenced or the content creator's fault for putting the trend out there to begin with? I'm not really sure if it's fair to blame anyone. Also, what does this mean for the future and what do we do about it?

I find it interesting that you've chosen such a dated pant to write about but, I can understand why you would. I haven't experienced the displeasure of seeing the Capri comeback of 2024 and its definitely something I don't look forward to.

I was forced into wearing capris when I was younger and have never regretted them going out of style. I do wonder why people are suddenly having a liking for them again, in my opinion they aren't flattering, and they are typically mid-rise which is the worst rise ever. 

I do know one person that I see wearing capris leggings and that's my neighbor Laura, I spot her across the yard in her short leggings and tight t-shirts and I've always wondered if that's her real style or just her at home casual outfit, but I don't even think she can quite pull them off. 

My question for you is why do you hate capris so much? Personally, I find them inconvenient, unflattering and uncomfortable but I don't think their comeback would cause me as much rage as it seems to cause you. Would you feel the same way if they were more of a modern spin on the early 2000's bedazzled denim capris, or is any form of capri just a flat out, no?

I think that your take on social media's influence over trends is very true because everyone under the age of 30 seems to be constantly scrambling to stay relevant online. Capris specifically are especially weird because it seemed like for a while, everyone agreed that they were uncomfortable and impractical, so their comeback was pretty crazy. 

Personally, this post made me realize that I also strongly dislike capris, I had just never thought about it that hard before. As a kid, I hated wearing capris and avoided them at all costs, so I hadn't paid much attention to whether or not they were popular, but seeing you bring it up kind of rekindled those feelings for me.

I have also seen a similar discourse with jeggings, so I would be interested to see how the two overlap. I think that clothing goes through cycles of popularity, like how a lot of fashion from the 90s is more popular today, so I wonder if that sort of thing happens naturally or if social media is a catalyst for it.

After reading your post, I am also curious about how this sort of issue could be solved. Do we have to ignore trends? Do we do something to make trends stay around for longer? Is it a serious enough issue to try to change? Of course, capris are just a small part of this, but I think the larger issue of social media, fast fashion, and things like that may require attention... but how?

One aspect of the post I agree with is the certain parts of song that gain popularity randomly. Sometimes it even seems every year a different verse in a song becomes popular. I agree about the overplayed aspect as well, thats something that annoys me. I agree that its stupid how quickly songs get labeled overplayed because of tiktok

Something that made me reconsider things about myself is the people who call songs overplayed so quickly. Im quick to get annoyed with a song or call it overplayed if its trending on tiktok. I wont even watch the tiktok sometimes if that song is over it. I realize doing this is part of the reason for the dissing of listening to out of trend songs, and should realize theres a chance it could become trendy again in less than a few months.

My broader reaction to this post is how tiktok does this with everything not just music. A million people do something trendy and it only takes one person to disagree and suddenly everyones mind is changed. Tiktoks length for trends is unbelievable having some trends last less than a few days and all of a sudden everyone hates it. I think these types of micro trends are stupid because it stops people from having a mind of their own.

Do you think its good people try different things or go through song trends so quickly? is it broadening peoples knowledge quicker? is there a way to slow down the use of trending songs?

nfournier25, I agree so much from a musicians perspective, how the toxicity of listening to trendy and un-trendy music has gone too far, with additionally the destruction of platforms like TikTok. Sometimes I notice how the song "Hot To Go" by Chappell Roan, was a huge hit in the summertime and started Her career. It was literally blowing up my feed all over Instagram and YouTube shorts. But after it went famous, She was left into the void and no one really cares for her musicality since, and I really thought she was revolutionary in bringing back drum synths and a "Madonna" like look. Like I get that era's, especially the Midwest Princess era, dies down to let other peformer's to fill it in. However, it gets stupid in where people decide to treat an artist trash for being apart of an Industry that relies on overplaying and single hits, that's how you gain followers. Its really a "don't hate the player, hate the game" situation when it comes to music nowadays. For is it the companies? is it social media promoting and destroying what could be timeless music? One thing I know is that individuals can decide to break this cycle or enable the suffering of musicians and artists. And to be real, if you like it, listen to it and some other songs as well. 

But I understand how the newest music has its benefits to understand the artists and becoming up to date socially. For example, I wouldn't want to be the guy who doesn't know about Chromakopia By Tyler The Creator. Because I found a liking to how the album was produced and how Tyler's caliber has heightened from all the other works he's done. And in complements of "celebrity drama", knowing about how he explains the responsibility or being a famous star and the consequences of bearing children, resonates on level to me by knowing he's not afraid to be a bit vulnerable and connect to his following deeply.  

What I can see hear is how Andy Warhol said everyone will be famous in 15 minutes, even for stars when it comes to diss tracks and albums. Yet I do remember how people who listen to topical tracks in my opinion, are temporary conformists which don't mean anything because they are under a collective and not about who they are, which I'd rather not be a blatant consumerist. 

So How many months or days does a track have to be famous for until it's removed by society?

Has it gotten to the point that social media platforms aren't for the music and cultural progression that they say they are for

Drake and Lamar mentioned!!! I can very much relate to this as someone who closely followed that beef. I remember just waiting for the next song to drop and listening to each line so carefully so not to miss a diss. But quickly that drama died out and I never gave it another thought. I think it's wild how quickly songs cycle out of being popular and I'm sure those songs will come back into the spotlight again years down the road.

I also think this can relate to other topics such as film. Movies when they first come out become super popular and are all people talk about and then suddenly vanish and are never mentioned again. I think this type of consumerism is popular in America. Wither its music, film, fashion, etc. We gobble up what new and then the "next big thing" comes out and suddenly everyone's over it.

Did anyone else follow along with the Drake and Kendrick beef?

How do you feel about America's consumerism pattern?

I really liked the part when you called his car the "2010 little red car". It supports your idea of not being a fan of his car fetish. This seems to be something that very much bothers you which I find humorous. It is very supportive of you to put up with his dreams of owning a loud fancy car and a shiny motorcycle.

This post makes me wonder if you guys have had arguments about this topic in the past. Your guys' contrasting ideas seem to be something that could cause a divide. Both of you guys' opinions are valid and I could see both of you stating a valid argument. 

Personally I have also seen people obsess over objects like vehicles. It can seem trivial to obsess over something that isn't completely necessary for life. The amount of money that people will spend on a car just for vanity sake is absurd. If it brings joy to people's lives then maybe it's not necessarily a bad thing. It may just be difficult to understand someone's reasoning for such an obsession when you have such different priorities. 

After reading your post I wonder if you have any interest in things that make you happy that might seem trivial to someone with different interests than you? 

I find it interesting how you were able to connect the type of shoes someone wears to who they may be how that describes them and how they act. I think how you tied it to the leather jacket in the previous years shows well how people want air forces to represent them. 

this makes me remember when in middle school people started wearing Air forces and the more "popular people" had the white ones but the people who may have felt outcasted or bad or different would have the black ones. 

can aggression come from the clothes you wear? in the places where black air forces may be seen as a sign of aggression, I wonder if purposely people want their shoes to be intimidating or if some bad people wearing these shoes made stereotypes out of them. 

would you ever wear air forces? what color? do you think this says anything about you?

I would respectively disagree on your point that black Air Forces symbolize carelessness and rebellion. If you think about converse the colors don't necessarily represent who are as a person.  I do find it interesting that you've connected it to the leather jacket though.

Personally I've owned both black and white shoes, I do favor white shoes but that's only because I feel they match with more of my other clothing options, that being said I don't think when wearing my black shoes people would categorize me as rebellious, In my opinion its just stereotyping. 

Have you had any experiences that make you have this point of view. What types have places have you experienced this, was it at school or maybe out on the town?

What kind of stance do you believe comes with more colorful shoes? Does it contribute to the artsy and whimsical side, personally I believe that people who wear colorful clothes tend to be very fun, but maybe that's also a stereotype. 

I completely agree that the 'teenage experience' had been falsely defined to us from the beginning. I also envied those teenagers in Victorious and Zoey 101, and I wanted to grow up so quickly, only to realize that I should've cherished being younger when things were simpler. Going out with friends and cute clothes really doesn't mean as much as we thought it would, especially when reality is thrown directly at us. 

I have always felt like teenage life has been improperly represented in television and social media, and it is great to see that someone else feels the same way as I do, and is showing it through a great piece of writing. This makes me wonder how many other people ended up being disappointed upon reaching teenage-hood. 

I wish that there was more representation of 'real teenagers' in media, and not just actors 10 years older than the characters they are playing, and influencers more interested in creating a following online than experiencing life. We spend a lot of time fantasizing about things that we want when we should focus on now, and what we have versus what we wished we had. Living, not just wishing we were.

Does anybody know any shows/movies that more accurately represent being a teenager?

This piece resonates with me as I have a very similar experience. The shows on Teennick and Disney Channel were a huge part of childhood, and sets you up in life with unrealistic expectations. Growing up I thought as soon as I turned 16 I would have a car, perfect boyfriend, and 100 friends. I was wrong. But I only thought this way because of Zoey 101 or Victorious. These shows crush your dreams when you grow up to realize real life is nothing like them.

I can remember watching Teennick when my older sister came down the stairs yelled at me and took my remote because I wasn't old enough to watch it. I was only watching those shows because I wanted to be older and be like my sister.  I'm sure she didn't know this at the time but I was always so envious of her being older. And I think this concept is one shared by many people.

I think there are many times in life where expectations don't meet reality. Growing up just happens to be one of them. There's always going to be the version in your head and then what really happens, and the one in your head is almost always better. I think a way to avoid this is to keep your expectations low so they can always be exceeding but living that way is extremely hard.

My questions for you Isabel is would you change your view of being a teenager as a child? or would you keep the unrealistic perception? 

I agree with your statement that when we were kids, we desperately wanted to be teenagers, but now, as teenagers, we'd rather be kids again. As kids, we wanted to be way ahead of our years because of the teenagers we saw and all the fun they had, but when I see a little kid now, they seem to be having so much more fun than I ever am. 

When I was 6 I would have killed to be like the teenagers in Zoey 101, they were going wherever whenever and having the time of their lives. and seeing my older cousins who were teenagers wearing makeup, and the best of 2013 clothes, I was so jealous. 

I think most people must feel this way too, especially hearing adults talk about when they were our age. people seem to not appreciate the time their living as much when its happening,and they appreciate more when its over. 

do you think that people could start appreciating living in the now more or continue with how they view it now.

Marty sounds like such a great companion! I think it says a lot that you tried so hard to get the puppy of your dreams and continue to take good care of him even after the initial rush of having a new pet 'runs out'. Marty is such a cute name, and it's awesome that you have such a great friend after so much resilience.

I did the same thing, begging my mom for a cat, sending her messages and email threads from shelters constantly, and my pestering also resulted in getting a pet of my own. I loved hearing about the Aroma Joe's runs and long walks with your pup, for those are important bonding moments that create quality relationships. My cat used to always try to steal ham out of my sandwiches, and these memories built the formations of love and friendship I had with my little friend. Sometimes it can be hard to think about what it might be like without these animals, often hurting more than the loss of a close friend.

Outside of PetFinder, and websites like that, I also looked at Uncle Sam's, a pamphlet advertising services and whatnot, including pets. I looked here for my perfect kitten but had no luck. Even if you cannot find the perfect one online, you can try other services.

Do you have any other pets? Do you feel more connected to Marty than you do other animals or maybe even your friends? Do you think presenting your argument shifted your parent's thoughts about getting you a pet? Has anyone else tried to convince their parents to get them a pet?- What was that experience like?

Sounds like a compelling story about you and Marty, maybe we can all learn that people can be assertive for things that complete us or benefit ourselves in the long run, such as the terrier like yours. Also, it must be nice to have a lifelong animal to be by your side, for I had a cat whom I Loved most at a young age named Theodore, whom I was around with at five until he needed another place to stay, but It shouldn't take away that your favorite friend Marty is a big part of your life. 

Unlike cats, Dogs are great pets and trace back from the neolithic period, which means you are apart of a thousand year old process but also ironic for a recent dog like Terriers, known to be bred for foxhunts and small game during the 1800's. 

I once had been around terriers, I found my experiences to be aggravating, is Marty an issue at times?  

What breed is Marty, is he a Bull, Jack Russel terrier or a common Yorkshire? 

I really enjoyed hearing about your experience with getting Marty. Most kids at that age beg their parents for some type of pet and swear that they will do everything needed to take care of it but in reality, it usually ends up falling back on the parents to deal with, so I think this proves how you were better with responsibility than most kids your age.

When I was younger I also I got puppies for Christmas, and it truly is the best gift. Having a pet that I can now do stuff with like car rides is so much fun because I can take her on trips to the store, stop to get her treats, and really do anything because she's just happy to be there.

Although I didn't ask my parents for the puppies I did beg and plead for a kitten on my 15th birthday. I looked at so many websites trying to find the perfect fit for me and ended up finding the best match at the Androscoggin Humane society in Lewiston.

What are some of your favorite experiences that you've had with Marty? Does he come along with you and your friends when you go on outings?

This resonates with me because I have also found myself living the "teenage dream" vicariously through others. Being envious of the lives I see on Instagram is something I strongly agree with you on. The way you feel while you scroll through Instagram or stalk somebody's page, is something that is very relevant and authentic for many people, including myself, it resonates with me. The advancement of society has not slowed and it's a very odd part of each of our lives. I agree with your thoughts about it, it was good at first, but the expectations are hard to keep up with.

I don't ever realize that people's lives I see online, isn't what is always real life. People fantasize their lives and that is something that takes a lot of maturity to understand. And, even though you understand these peoples lives aren't real, but envy still brews inside of you is also very genuine and something I also feel. Reading this, I have reconsidered how I look at social medias. Not everything online is real. Social media has given us standards that are nearly impossible to reach. I wonder what life would be like without social media. And without constantly comparing ourselves to others. 

What if social media wasn't prominent? Would society still hold a high standard without comparing each person to another? Are people that share everything online, the good and bad, helping lessen this standard? 

I love how you expressed your commitment to Applebee, through the fact that you still go even if your friends cannot make it. Often, we do things only because our friends like it, so it is hard to tell if you truly like something or if you are doing it to please your friends. However, you make it crystal clear that Applebee is a restaurant you find enjoyable, as you make it a point to go there by yourself. This blatantly demonstrates your commitment to Applebee's no matter the situation. 

This made me realize that I love the act of hanging out with my friends more so than whatever we are doing. However, I have my own Applebees, which is Aromas, because I find myself going there even if it's by myself. It was relatable when you said you eat in the car because now that I have a car, I find myself making an Aromas stop, and just sitting in the car sipping my drink. 

As we are herd creatures, we have a natural inclination to be with other people, as being alone seems to be frowned upon in society. What happens too frequently is that we sacrifice something we enjoy, because we do not want to do it alone. However, you break this social convention by continuing your devotion to Applebee, even if you are alone. I hope more people follow in your path. Individuality is sometimes a thing we give up, to be liked or to fit in. 

Since you seem to be committed to what you love, such as sports and activities, do you ever find yourself sacrificing something you love because you do not want to do it alone? Overall, I am interested in if your devotion is resilient in other aspects of your life. Do you agree or disagree that we put societal shame on those who are alone? If so, how do we break this norm?

I agree that in society, we are constantly desiring something, ANYTHING, no matter how silly it is. The desire for a new phone, the trendiest pair of clothes, and much more. It seems that we can never be satisfied with what we have and are always envious of what someone else has.

After reading this I realized, I am guilty of this. Yikes! Whenver I see someone with a cool piece of clothing, I find myself jealous of what they have. This inevitably results in me asking them where they bought it so I can buy it for myself. However, the desire has gone down a lot since I have grown, similarly to you. I love the way you describe the feeling of suddenly maturing and coming to a realization. I felt similarly that all of a sudden I grew a brain one day and realized I did not need every single piece of cool clothing. This might also be because I have my own money and can no longer rely on my parents to buy everything I want.

The incessant desire for the coolest piece of clothing or the trendiest accessory has led to a lot of fast fashion. Big corporations have profited immensely by promoting the latest fad, even if the last item, was made popular a couple of days ago. Consumerism has become especially bad as companies have made it easy for us to buy from the comfort of our homes. Hopefully, people realize they do not need everything they see when scrolling TikTok, and come to the conclusion they might just be bored. Often, I want something new just for the sake of shaking things up. 

Now with Christmas around the corner, overconsuming is going to be especially prevalent, so what do we do this combat this? Is there anything we can do to make change or is this an inherent part of our society? 

I agree that we as teenage girls went through a time in our lives where we wanted the high end, in style clothes and accessories. I think social media also plays a part in us wanting all these things because the media portrays it so its intriguing to viewers like us. 

I realized at a young age that I don't necessary have a normal style like I don't need high end brand sneakers or jewelry. I am okay with a 5 dollar necklace of Shein. I know a lot of people who have to have the best of the best and often times they get burnt out of money because in today's day and age new things come out so often it is hard to keep up with everything new and fresh that inst a ridiculous amount of money.

A lot of big company's like to come out with new stuff back to back to intrigue their clientele by always having something "better" and "fresher" and for the younger generation it works. Between tik-tok reviews, ambassadors or even just being jealous of someone that has it, the company's knows what there doing and they know their audience.  

Knowing how business's get all there profit from big brand deals and sponsoring things to get there product out there, would you ever be up to be a ambassador and get sent PR?

I love the way you described the Christmas when you lost your bird. Although, I did not love that your bird flew away, obviously. Nonetheless, it felt like I was there on Christmas with you, watching the whole scene play out. Additionally, the growth you displayed from the first bird you had to the last bird makes me worry less about what the future has in store for you and your birds. 

I love your story because I was in a similar situation when I used to own birds. My parents did not want another dog, so they got me a bird instead. However, we were not a bird family. We did not know anything about birds, and my mum got the bird before doing research. The breed of bird we got was aggressive, so instead of getting rid of the bird, we got another one. Yikes! It went better because my mother did more research, however, in the end, we gave the birds away. 

It happens all too often that parents get kids pets they cannot handle. Most often, the parents are taking care of the animal, so if they cannot handle a pet, they should not get one. At the time, I was seven to eight years old when I got my birds; I could barely see over the counter. I find it odd that they expected me to take care of a bird when I could barely take care of myself. Is it fair for parents to get their kids a pet that they cannot handle? Is it normal to expect a kid to fully take care of a dependent, not including the monetary cost?