Chapter one in our textbook gives helpful advice to what we are currently working on this week because we are getting started. The first few pages discuss how to approach writing with confidence, and to think of writing as a conversation; this week we have begun brainstorming topics for our research paper, and because we are allowed to select topics of our liking this allows us to begin further research with confidence. Writing a research paper on a topic you find interesting automatically increases your chances of writing a successful paper because you’re invested. Often, when joining in on a conversation, it is human nature to listen to what others have to say and build thoughts off of one another, same goes for research. This week as I browsed many different articles and websites I came across different information about my topic, and while writing my paper this new information will let me build off of other peoples thoughts and come up with new ideas. Chapter one explained a lot of useful tips for getting started on the research paper and it displayed a great timeline which will come in handy as the week progress.

• Technology and how its effecting "family time"- On countless occasions I have witnessed the effects that technology is having on "family time." At dinner the other night I saw a family of four sitting in complete silence all on their phones/Ipads. Eventually the parents put their devices down, and when they told their children to do the same its as if the world had come to an end. They began to throw a fit; all over a piece of technology. 

• Female body image and the influence of mass media- For years T.V commercials, movies, magazines etc; have brainwashed females old and young that a certain image is how they should look. Recently Dove has been releasing countless commercials, which are not aired nearly enough, that praise natural beauty and self love.

• Sports helping inner city youth stay out of trouble-  NFL players have voiced their stories about growing up in inner cities where drug and gang violence surrounded them. A few of our fellow Seahawks are among some of those. Richard Sherman grew up in Compton where gang violence and drug use are high but managed to graduate high school with a 4.2 GPA, excel in football, and eventually work his way up to getting accepted into Stanford University and continue his football career. Along with Richard Sherman, is running back Marshawn Lynch who grew up in Oakland and faced the same issues Sherman did. Lynch has now put together Family First Foundation for  the inner city youth.

During high school I was assigned many topics that were unexciting. While writing about the topic I made sure to thoroughly follow the rubric , but even then I noticed it was not my best work because I was nit invested. Reflecting on that now, I would find ways to get excited about the topic, possibly trying to relate it to something that I did find exciting.