Tech-savvy Toddlers

When I first got an iPhone I suddenly realized how far we’ve come in the evolution of technology. I can’t imagine life without my iPhone, nor could I ever get a different phone ever again. Currently my iPhone contains 51 apps- because if I need to look for a good restaurant in my area, or want to listen to free Pandora music, or want to convert length to distance, or want to hang a picture up straight on the wall, or want to learn Italian, or want to watch you-tube videos, or want to find my way by a GPS- There’s definitely an app for all of that. The iPhone has influenced a revolution in technology and telecommunications. It has become one of the most popular and best selling cell phones on the market.

Not only do adults use the iPhone- now it has become a popular toy for you children, especially toddlers and preschoolers. I was reading the New York Times the other day and read an article called, “Toddlers’ Favorite Toy: The iPhone.” The article talked about how more and more parents are using the iPhone as a “tool to mollify a fussy toddler.”

So what does a toddler do with an iPhone? Well, there are plenty of apps for that! Many iPhone apps on the market target preschoolers, which are usually labeled as “educational.”

There’s the app “Read Me Stories-children’s books,” which is a talking picture book, every day teaches your child new concepts, new words and how to say them. There’s the “Toddler Teasers: Shapes,” which asks the child to tap on a circle, triangle, or square. The Pocket Zoo, which streams live video of animals at zoos around the world. There’s also baby flashcards, which teaches how read and spell. The number of apps that are aimed at young children grow tremendously, everyday.

It seems iPhones are a great educational tool for young children, especially those in early learning development. However, this new “toy” is also stirring up some controversy many people. According to the New York Times article, “Along with fears about dropping and damage, however, many parents sharing iPhones with their young ones feel nagging guilt. They wonder whether it is indeed an educational tool, or a passive amusement like television. The American Academy of Pediatrics has long advised parents not to let their children watch any TV until they are past their second birthday.”

Sure, the iPhone is a favorite toy for many kids, but now the iPad is becoming the “it” accessory for young children. In the media, we see more and more children of celebrities playing with iPads. Even the daughter of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, Suri, was spotted playing with her own iPad.

Suri Cruise and her iPad

Although iPhones may act as a quick way to pacify fussy kids, I don’t know if it’s exactly the best thing for them. Personally, society is already disconnected in terms of human-connection; due to the dependency and addiction we have to technology. It seems unhealthy and unnatural for children to be technology buffs at such a young age. I think parents shouldn’t always rely on the iPhone to keep their children quiet and distracted. I’m not opposed to children using it, but they should not be playing with them for long periods of time. 

The Search For A Perfect Halloween Costume

Since Halloween is approaching, my three roommates and I were trying to figure out what we’re going to be this year. This is our senior year of college so we want o make our last Halloween here epic. We are all pretty creative girls, however this year it seemed difficult to come up with the perfect clever and original idea. I spent hours googling “famous foursomes,” yet nothing really jumped out at me. I was going to have to rely on my own imagination for this one.

The first idea I came up with was "Ghostbusters," since I haven’t seen many girls dress like that for Halloween; however, my roommates were opposed to the idea because they wanted to be something more feminine. One of my roommates came up with the idea of being Barbies, but I argued that it has been done before, and it’s a bit too feminine. Some other ideas were: the Spice Girls, the girls from “Sex and the City”, and Disney princesses. One of my roommates even suggested that we should dress up as the Beatles, but I couldn’t imagine wearing a Moptop wig for the entire Halloween weekend.

Just as we were about to give up, my friend was flipping through the TV channels and landed on the western channel. Suddenly a light bulb lit up above my head… How about cowboys and Indians? Except we’d be cowgirls and Indians! When I told my roommates, they were completely thrilled. Sure, it’s not the most original idea, but it just seems like it would work!

A Passionate Cook

The sweet savory smell of chicken, mushrooms, green peppers, olive oil and delicious spices filled my house yesterday. My roommates call me “Chef Bree”, come dinner time. I have always loved to cook! It’s funny because I never really follow recipes, but I’ll look through cookbooks for inspiration. It’s so much fun to be creative and experiment with different combinations of ingredients and spices when cooking. In addition, it’s also very relaxing and therapeutic for me.

When I was little, my mother would be cooking dinner and I always wanted to cook too. I didn’t really care what I was making or if it was edible by the time I was finished with it- I just wanted to mix, stir, and pretend I was a chef. These days, I still enjoy the whole mixing, cutting, dicing, mincing, stirring, etc., and this time the end product is edible and tends to be rather delicious! (Not to brag or anything).

I’m a huge fan of the Food Network. My favorite chef on that network is Guy Fieri because he's like a rockstar chef, and makes cooking look cool! Plus, his recipes are easy and scrumptious. I’m also addicted to the show "Top Chef" on Bravo. Just a couple of weekends ago, they had a "Top Chef" marathon on, and I literally sat on my couch for 8 hours watching every episode.

Last night, I decided to make a huge feast and I wanted to make something I never made before. I found this DELICIOUS recipe for chicken cordon bleu. Usually I don’t follow recipes exactly, but with this dish I had to because the directions were very particular. I was inspired by a spinach, asparagus and goat cheese salad I found online, and I made my own dressing. In addition I made a fantastic risotto and mushroom dish, which was inspired by a recipe I saw in my roommate’s Rachael Ray cookbook. Finally for dessert, I made an old fashion batch of Pillsbury brownies with powdered sugar sprinkled on top. It was a feast to remember! 

The "Billy Elliot" Experience

Last weekend I went home to NY to see the Broadway show, “Billy Elliot”. I sat in the audience and watched a 13-year-old sing like an angel, dance like Mikhail Baryshnikov, and act like an experienced Broadway actor. Yes, you can say I felt a tad bit threatened by such talented youth.

The story takes place in a small mining town in England during the 1980s. One day after boxing lessons, Billy, played by Peter Mazurowski, stumbles in on a ballet class, and discovers he’s got a natural talent and passion for ballet. Eventually, Billy’s beautiful talent inspires his family and whole community. It's a story of passion, hope, and acceptance.

The music was fabulous, fun, and beautiful; you can’t expect anything less when the songs are written by the legendary Elton John. The cast was brilliant and extremely talented. This may sound strange, but one of my favorite parts of the show was listening to everyone’s heavy British accent. There’s something contagious about British accents; I cant tell you how hard I had to fight the urge to speak in a British accent for the rest of that nice.

I’ve been to many Broadway shows in my life, but “Billy Elliot” was definitely the best Broadway experience that I’ve had. Throughout the show, I felt somewhat involved in Billy’s life. When Billy talked to a figment of his beloved deceased mother, I cried like a baby. When there were quick witty moments of humor, I laughed out loud. When Billy’s father was livid after finding out his son has a passion for ballet, I was scared for poor little Billy. And, during the moments of triumph and happiness, I was sincerely overjoyed. Not to sound like a complete advertisement, but “Billy Elliot” is a must-see Broadway show, so get your tickets now people!

The Facebook Frenzy

It’s what we look at when we’re bored during classes. It’s what serves as our procrastination for doing homework. It’s the only place we can somewhat stalk our exes, friends, and friends of friends without being totally creepy. It’s the only website that makes us wonder how we just wasted the last four hours looking at tagged pictures of ourselves and friends. Yes, I’m talking about the social media site- Facebook- otherwise known as the addiction of most college kids. It’s hard to remember the days before Facebook since it’s become such a huge part of this generation’s life. This social network has allowed us to stay connected, reconnect, and make new connections with all our friends.

We turn to Facebook when we want to showcase our lives so that others can stick their noses in our business. The typical college student’s Facebook page contains collections of pictures and videos that document the raging parties they have attended and some proud and not so proud drunken moments in their career. Unfortunately, I’ve known many people who have graduated college and their own controversial Facebook media came back to haunt them when they applied for jobs. According to an article from The Greater Lansing Business Monthly, “the number of employers using social media sites to screen job applicants numbers in the thousands. Those who search social networking sites to obtain information about job applicants readily admit that they have made hiring decisions based on what they saw on those social networking sites, largely to the candidate’s detriment.” Because of many employers screening applicant’s Facebook pages, I’ve seen many of my friends change their Facebook account names, so businesses can’t find them under their first and last name.

College kids aren’t the only users of Facebook- many parents, even grandparents, are getting their own Facebook Pages, too. In fact, and unluckily, my own mother decided to join Facebook. I regret the moment I hesitantly accepted her Facebook friendship. The other day, which was a Wednesday, my Facebook status said I was going to a party with my friends. Later that night, I saw my mom left a comment on my status which said: “Going out on a Wednesday?! Briana, you should not be partying during the week!” I’m thousands of miles away from home, and yet my mother can still see what I’m doing and yell at me for it. Thanks Facebook!

So what’s the story behind this social media site that even President Obama has joined? Well, the tell-all story is in a movie that just came out, called “The Social Network,” which I am anxious to see. Jesse Eisenberg plays the Facebook founder-and former Harvard student- Mark Zuckerburg in the story about money-hungry and backstabbing nerds and conflicting truths behind Facebook. Also starring in the film, Justin Timberlake and Andrew Garfield. This Facebook movie has sparked some controversy, concerning how valid the film actually is. However, the movie has been getting great reviews, including Entertainment Weekly- calling the movie, “the Must-See Film of the Fall.”

Facebook has changed the way we connect and communicate with other people.It has its pros and cons. In my opinion, Facebook has started somewhat of a social media revolution, and I honestly believe people will find many different and useful purposes for social media sites. I think Facebook has more to offer than just being a website where you can creep on your friends and display pictures of your neighbor's keg party.