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"Panting for Breath"

I found the article written by Stefanie Krasnow very strongly written, including some really great points. I was surprised by the statistic reporting that teens in the US spend 7 hours on a screen each day. It was also a little shocking to realize that the whole notion of individuals being constantly connected and online is something that only began happening in the past 5 years-- as a society, we have completely adopted this new technology into our everyday lives. A strong point she makes about the downfalls of the internet is when describing it as "electronic cocaine," every ding, tweet, or ring promising a social, sexual, or professional opportunity. However, the article seems to contain some biased language against this new technology. Krasnow writes that the internet allows us to "feed our virtual egos" and "bury ourselves," while stating that high internet use can lead to possible cycles of mania followed by depression. As stated, I think the article is very strongly written, appearing to be extremely negative towards the potential effects of this technology despite its countless clear benefits.

"Speaking in Memes"

This article is highly relevant considering the approaching elections. Nathan Jurgenson offers interesting perspectives, including the thought that memes have a role in influencing political narrative. Seeing countless memes posted by friends daily proves their impact on our lives-- they're highly accessible and publicized. However, I never really looked at memes as a way to be more involved in politics in ways other than voting. What memes people post can tell a lot about what they think and find funny, and the fact that memes themselves are so mainstream now shows that in general, politics today are highly criticized and memes are a way to translate that criticism. I liked the footnotes the author placed stating "If you don't remember the binder jokes from 2012, that's exactly the point." It took me a while to remember the exact joke and that really does prove the idea that memes are powerful yet trendy, "burning bright and fast."