Advertising

 Over the past few years, I have noticed more and more advertisements on the internet that are from or relate to sites that I have recently been on.  For example, the other day I was visiting the online Tommy Hilfiger store, and my following trip to Youtube produced a Tommy Hilfiger advertisement. This occurred multiple times over the next few days on Yahoo, Google and Youtube. This seems to occur quite often with other sites that I visit such as Best Buy, Amazon or Dick's Sporting Goods. For me, I have only ever had retailers pop up in the advertisements, nothing else relating to other sites I had visited. To my surprise though, I have even seen the exact item I have been looking at in the advertisements. One day I had been looking for some new shoes on Amazon and shortly after an  Amazon advertisement popped up with the exact pair of shoes I was looking at in the advertisement. This has happened on multiple occasions, so it wasn't just a coincidence.  

When I first saw these advertisements, I was shocked that these sites which were not affiliated with one another had information about my history on the internet. I read an article that Google was starting to do this, so I just figured it wasn't a big deal. If anything it may seem like a convenience to some, a direct  link back to their online store with the specific item already picked out. But the more you ponder the idea of privacy and the internet, the more you start to despise this method of advertising by Google, Yahoo and other big name sites. If anything, it can be compared to peer pressure. The constant advertising of items that you may have decided not to purchase being brought back up and constantly being thrown in your face between every Google search and before every Youtube video.

It's insane that this is even allowed by the government, you would think that they would want to be the only ones allowed to spy. But in the world that we live in, where a 30 minute TV program is only about 20 minutes long and the commercials take up the rest, it's not surprising. I am sure that it is an incredible tool to those doing the advertising and marketing. It's no longer hit and miss with advertisements, at least not most of the time, because you are simply advertising previously visited sites. In the end, I don't believe this type of advertising should be allowed, because it treads all over our privacy and freedom. It's bad enough the government is allowed to spy, but that's for our safety. Allowing these marketing businesses to spy on us is simply unconstitutional. 

Technology, For Better or Worse

Throughout the 21st century, technology has continued to grow and evolve. At the beginning of the century, the only common form of computer was the desktop computer. But here we are fourteen years later and there are all kinds of different computers such as smartphones, laptops and tablets. As technology continues to progress, more and more devices will be thrust upon us for better or worse.

In my lifetime, the improvements to computers and technology have benefited me greatly. I hear all kinds of stories from the older generations of having to write papers and only being able to use encyclopedias from the library. In the world we live in now, I still use encyclopedias to write papers, but they are available for me with the click of a button. I am also able to skip through the process of having to flip through the book, by just searching my topic in any of the well known web browsers. Not only do I have access to encyclopedias and books online, but I also have access to millions of articles and web info. My life has been made drastically better when it comes to school work, because of the internet.

With the other improvements to devices such as cell phones and now even tablets, I have the ability to access the internet from anywhere. Smartphones are especially great and almost a must need for those that are capable of affording them. Since wifi isn't necessary to use a smartphone, you can use a smartphone anywhere that you have signal, which in today's society is almost anywhere near some sort of civilization. Anything of importance can be accessed such as weather, news, email or just simply getting in touch with a family member or friend.

Which brings us to the problems that technology has caused in the world. With the growing use of smartphones and just cell phones in general, has come the issue of those that don't know when is the correct time to operate such devices. In the world we live in, almost all teenagers have a cell phone and use the texting option of communication. Texting is a great way to communicate with one another, but there is a time and place for everything, and driving is definitely not one of them. And it's not just teenagers getting caught texting while driving but some adults too. Texting and driving has taken many lives and has become a major issue in our society. Cops are starting to crack down and tickets can be given to those caught texting and driving, but it's still not enough and many more lives will be affected by texting and driving.

Technology and the internet seems to be a great gift to the world. I know it makes my life a lot easier and better. The only downside to technology is when us humans find a way to use it irresponsibly. 

Biographical

My name is Ethan Fesperman and I am a sophomore here at Lenior-Rhyne University, and I am majoring in finance. Last year as a freshman, I started out as a pre-medical science major. But after a couple biology classes and a few average grades, I switched to finance. I had previously taken a business and an accounting class, which I enjoyed, so I switched my major last spring. I am originally from Statesville, North Carolina, which is just 20 minutes away. I have lived there all my life and I attended West Iredell high school.

While in high school I did take one computer class when I was a sophomore. The class covered the basics of Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint. I have not taken a computer class since and rarely do I use Excel, but I have used Word and Powerpoint since, on a regular basis. My goal for this course, other than passing it because it is required, is becoming more familiar with and more proficient at using Microsoft Excel. Since I am in the finance field, I believe a proficient understanding of Microsoft Excel is a necessity. Also I hope to learn the other ins and outs of the computer, which I am not familiar with. Because I am sure there is a lot. 

I have not played any sports since high school, but I do currently have a job at a local golf course. Because of the cold weather, I only work on weekends, so it shouldn't have any impact on my schedule for the next month or so. But as we progress into spring, I usually start working on  Wednesday and Friday afternoons around one or two, so I would only be available during the morning hours. If anything of importance came up, I can easily change my work schedule. School is of most importance and always comes first.

Some of my hobbies and interests are baseball and golf. I played baseball throughout my life, until the 11th grade. Then I switched over to golf. I was able to get a job at River Oaks golf course, which was the golf course my high school team used and it is about 15 minutes away from campus. It's a pretty awesome job and it comes with great perks, like free golf. Even though I am done playing baseball, I am still a big fan of the sport and my favorite team is the Boston Red Sox. And no, I am not a bandwagon fan because of their recent World Series success, but I have actually been a fan since I was young, around age 7 or 8. I am also a fan of Chelsea Football Club, also known as soccer. That is pretty much all.