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Video of the Day: WestJet Christmas

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If you haven’t already watched this fantastic YouTube video, you are missing out on one of the most popular Christmas videos this year. WestJet impacted many passengers by allowing them to wish for anything for Christmas from Santa. Once they asked Santa for their present, the WestJet staff shopped quickly for the gifts at Best Buy and Crossiron Mills. Passengers asked for a TV, tablet, camera and the Samsung Galaxy, to name a few. As WestJet passengers wait anxiously for their luggage to come down the baggage carousel, a present comes down for each family/person flying with WestJet. Tears of joy came from many and the importance of Christmas was reflected in this video. Whether this was a promotional campaign, or for the love of spreading the Christmas joy, many received presents they dreamt of getting. Now you can watch WestJet Christmas and share the Christmas joy to all your friends and family!

 

WestJet_FlashmobIN

My favourite Christmas traditions

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Yes, it’s that time of year again. The time where malls are crazy, radio stations play Christmas music incessantly and bratty children can be heard begging for toys from miles away. This may seem like a cynical way to look at the most marketed holiday known to the western world, but don’t get me wrong, I’m not dissing Christmas in any way. I love it as much as the next person, but the weeks leading up to that one special day that truly annoy me. Perhaps it’s just anticipation. However, there are some holiday traditions that I just love.

Baking

Ah, the smell of cookies and squares fresh from the oven is just… mmm. I love trying out different recipes, and of course, baking treasured family favourites.

Source: warehousefabricsinc.com
Source: warehousefabricsinc.com

Carolling

As much as I dislike Christmas music as a whole, I really like hearing carollers and choirs singing. It’s not those overplayed recordings that you hear year after year and it just has a way of putting you in the Christmas spirit and making you feel all warm and fuzzy.

Decorating the tree

This is a big one. It’s that one time during the year where you get to pull out all of those special ornaments that have been sitting in storage for the last year, reminisce and create your home’s holiday ambiance. I just love going through boxes of decorations and just trying to remember where they came from and figuring out where they’d look best.

Christmas TV specials

I’m a sucker for Christmas shows. Sigh. Don’t you just love the cartoons that you used to watch year after year? I have a soft spot for Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer, A Charlie Brown Christmas and Home Alone. It’s sad to say that I have never seen A Christmas Story, so I intend to fix that this year.

I forgot my phone: Can you take the challenge?

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Recently while I was browsing around YouTube I came across a very thought provoking video called “I Forgot My Phone.” Have a look:

As you can see from this short video, the title seems to be a misnomer, seeing as how a least one person in each segment of the video has their phone with them. This video to me brings up the issue of the social disconnect with people ever since phones have been introduced to society. Instead of calls or talking directly to each other, we text, and face to face communication has been reduced. Not only that, I believe that phones have reduced our sense of living in the moment, because we are sometimes too busy recording something to actually enjoy the experience. I personally think that if you aren’t viewing it with your own eyes, then you aren’t really experiencing it. I certainly think that it’s true that social media allows people to get connected, however I think that the best relationships are made face to face and not through other means of communication. Not only that, but according to this article, phones can even affect your sleep.

Considering how today’s socializing consists of a lot of connections through phones, I propose a challenge to you: Don’ t use your phone for one day. Just for one day. Instead of texting, snapchatting, messaging or whatever you do with your phone, don’t use it.

Instead, try to talk to people more, socialize. See if you can learn something new, instead of always being so glued to and dependent on your phone. Maybe your look on your life can change, who knows?

10 weird facts

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These statistics may not all be true, but

  1. It takes only a mere seven pounds of pressure to rip your ears off. 
  2. The average amount of sesame seeds on a McDonald’s Big Mac is around 178. 
  3. The odds of being killed by space debris is one in 5 billion. 
  4. A shark is the single fish capable of blinking with both eyes. 
  5. Almonds, P. amygdalus, are a part of the peach family.  
  6. Approximately 150 people are killed by falling coconuts per year. 
  7. Around 40% of women have thrown their shoes at men at least once. 
  8. We are born with 300 bones in our body. When we reach adulthood, we only have 206. 
  9. A jiffy is a unit of time measuring a hundredth of a second. 
  10. There are 293 different methods to make change for a dollar.

 

Find more fun facts and statistics (which may or may not be all true) at:

http://all-funny.info/weird-statistics

www.rcasteel.com/strangethings/stats.aspx

Starting a sourdough starter

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Is it time for another bread post? Of course it’s time for another bread post, and thus, I present to you, the Concise and Incomprehensive Guide to Care and Maintenance of Your Sourdough Starter.

Start!

I used Peter Reinhart’s pineapple juice method, however, mixing together flour and water and setting it on the counter is enough.

I keep my sourdough starter at 100% hydration for a couple reasons: the first being that it simplifies calculations, such as if I’m adapting a particular recipe to sourdough and want to maintain the same formula.  Secondly, having a wet sourdough starter rather than one at the consistency of bread dough makes it much easier to feed; you can stir rather than knead in additional flour and water.

A quick summary of baker’s math is probably in order.  Percentages are useful in a number of ways: depending you can adjust hydration as necessary for your desired bread, instantly predict how a particular recipe will turn out, and convert a formula to any quantity you so desire.

IMG_7746
This is Bartholomew, flat and lifeless as in typical fashion

Care and maintenance of your starter

Typically you want to double your starter with every feeding.  You might also want to triple or quadruple it, but I find myself usually with too much, not too little.  Needless to say, add an equal mass of water and flour.

IMG_7752
A few bubbles indicate life

The degradation of your starter

Feeding once a week is the attainable goal for most casual bakers—but even after a week your sourdough starter is noticeably less active, and will likely have collapsed (unless it’s mine, in which case you cannot even tell if it’s alive).

Two weeks, it will still be fine, only turning soupy as the gluten begins to be consumed by the yeast, after most of the starches and sugars are gone.

A month, the layer of pale-yellow alcohol forming on top will become apparent.

Another two months more there will be a thick layer of alcohol on top, and likely some mould lining the inside of the jar and on the surface.  The starter itself, below all the mould and anaerobic fermentation byproducts will be completely flat and thin, and may have turned slightly grey.

IMG_7755
Notice how “soupy” this starter is compared to the usual consistency of a 100% hydration sponge

Reviving your starter

Empty out the jar, preserving, in some manner or other, what you believe has probably not had contact with the mould, separately.  Wash out the jar thoroughly, then return the starter, now at least quadrupled or more in weight with new flour and water.  Allow it to sit out for a day to get it started again, before returning it to the back of the fridge for another couple of months.

Through personal experience, I’ve found sourdough starters to be very forgiving in this manner.

 

A third part to this bread series will be coming—and perhaps this time it will actually be about making bread?

 

Ombre glitter: A winter-wonderland on your nails

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IMAG0489I go crazy about any holiday. Or season. Or anything that entails a specific mood or something of that sort. So, when you combine a) my favourite season, with b) my favourite holiday, and c) my birthday, you get a very festive me.

Along with decorations and music and baking and all the traditional spirit-building rituals, I love to paint my nails to reflect the holiday. Ombre has been trending lately, and glitter is one of my many obsessions, so I combined the two, to get… winter-wonderland nails!

If you’ve got solid colour nail polish and some glitter nail polish, that’s all you need to get the look.

  1. Apply a solid colour (blue is perfect if you’re going for the winter-wonderland style) to all of your nails. Let dry.
  2. Apply a light coat of glitter polish to 3/4 of each nail. Let dry partially.
  3. Apply another coat of glitter polish to the top 1/2 of each nail. Let dry partially.
  4. Apply a thick coat of glitter polish to the top 1/4 of each nail. Let dry completely.
  5. Optional: Put clear polish on the tips of your nails, then sprinkle with glitter dust.
  6. To protect your masterpieces, apply a clear top coat to your nails.

I stuck to silver and blue to create a snowfall style, but experiment with other colour combinations too! Some ideas: gold and black, red and green, blue glitter on white, etc.

IMAG0491

Now, I fully understand if my instructions are completely incomprehensible. So here are some more professional, knowledgable tutorials from around the web:

The tutorial closest to what I did on my own nails: http://thebeautydepartment.com/2012/12/new-years-nails/

Four different ombre variations: http://ellesees.blogspot.ca/2012/08/how-to-ombre-nails-4-ways-including.html

A tutorial to do a glitter ombre where you use different colour glitters: http://cuegly.blogspot.ca/2013/03/diy-ombre-glitter-nails.html

 

Top 5 presents for the tech geek: cameras

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A picture can say a thousand words. Cameras are not only effective presents, they tell your gift recipient that you genuinely care about making memories in life and capturing every bit of his/her experiences. The type of camera, such as a DSLR or a more compact device, totally depends on the person that you are gifting for. If they want something more professional, opt for the DSLR. For everyday use and efficiency, try a regular digital camera. With that established, here are my suggestions for the top five cameras for this holiday.

  1. Panasonic Lumix LF1 ($499.99)- This handy device is equipped with full HD video and the Panasonic’s power O.I.S image stabilization to ensure sharp and precise photos every time.
    A classic design that will make anyone smile this season.
    A classic design that will make anyone smile this season.
  2. Samsung NX300 ($649.99)-Not only does this camera have full HD video, it also has Wifi, which means you can actually share high resolution photos instantly.
    The camera's flip screen makes it easy to take photos from every angle.
    The camera’s flip screen makes it easy to take photos from every angle.
  3. Ricoh GR ($796.95)-What I love about this particular compact camera, is the look. It differentiates itself from its peers, with its supreme vintage vibe. The camera also has a 3-inch LCD screen, allowing for vivid and clear screen time for you to observe what you are photographing.
    Its modern design with a retro twist, makes this camera a gift that stands out among the rest.
    Its modern design with a retro twist, makes this camera a gift that stands out among the rest.
  4. Nikon D600 ($1 659.95)-This is not just any DSLR, the Nikon D600 has a much larger size sensor than most DSLR cameras. It is also high-powered, to make your loved one’s photographing experience the best it can be.
    The frame of this impressing DSLR, is significantly less expensive than the majority of its competition.
    The frame of this impressing DSLR, is significantly less expensive than the majority of its competition.
  5. Canon PowerShot SX280 HS ($199.99)- The newly improved Canon PowerShot is the first camera ever to have the Digic 6 Processor, which basically entails that this camera will provide you with the best quality photos you can imagine. The camera has a 20x zoom as well. But the price is compensated for its lack of battery. Before you buy, just consider the battery life.
    A true bang for your buck. This compact camera delivers on quality photos.
    A true bang for your buck. This compact camera delivers on quality photos.

    If you missed my last feature on the top five presents for the tech geek, smartphone edition, click here.

Christmas presents I dreaded as a kid that I now long for

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When I was little, the only thing that ever made an appearance on my Christmas list were toys, toys and oh, even more toys. I had absolutely no desire whatsoever for anything else and all other non-toys that I ended up receiving, went straight to the back of my closet. The last few years, however, I’ve been digging through my closet, in hopes of finding some of the Christmas rejects from long ago.

 

1) Socks and Underwear

There's little worse than disappointing Christmas presents

Upon opening the annual bulk pack of socks and undies, my first reaction was wondering what on earth I did wrong wrong to deserve them. Unfortunately, as I grew, so did the price of these undergarments and I’m ecstatic when receiving any amount of either one.

 

 

 

2) Books

“But mom, I don’t wanna read. It’s so boring!” said my former, ungrateful self, as I tore off the wrapping of yet another box series. I now have over $2,000 worth of books on my wish list and am wondering were my box series are now.

 

3) Clothing

What use were new clothes to a 9-year-old? I would have much rather had a new doll or train set instead.  This year, clothes are all that seem to be on my mind and I definitely wouldn’t mind even getting some new sweatpants.

 

4) Soap

Although my first thought when receiving soap is never “oh golly gee! I just adore soap and can’t wait to use it!” I do appreciate a nice bath bomb much more than I did as a little kid. Especially now that I now know the necessary amount needed for a standard bath and don’t use the whole bottle in one use.

 

I really wish I had learned to enjoy these simple Christmas gifts when I was smaller, since they aren’t as common now that I’m older.

 

Surreal photographs by Korean artist JeeYoung Lee

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Within the confines of her tiny 3 x 6 meter studio, South Korean artist JeeYoung Lee spends painstaking amounts of time creating and perfecting vibrant and colourful dreamscapes that are based on her own dreams, experiences, and memories, as well as mystical Korean fables–all without the use of Photoshop. Here is just a sampling of her amazing photographs.

Treasure Hunt

art 9

Nightscape

art 3

My Chemical Romance

art 2

I’ll Be Back

art 5

Resurrection

art 4

Nightmare

art 10

Last Supper

art 7

Panic Room

art 1

The Little Match Girl

art 6

Black Birds

art 8

Source OPIUM Gallery and mymodernmet

Home schooling vs regular schooling

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I think we’ve all come across this topic before; would you rather learn at school, or at home? Many people say that it is more beneficial for children to be exposed to the world around us, and learn as a whole. Others argue that the public school environment is unsafe, and makes children more vulnerable. Today, I’ll be exploring these two learning methods, and I’ll give my personal preference as to which system I think is better.

So what do I think about regular schooling? First and foremost, the learning environment at school is far more important than the educational aspect. One thing to consider is that we are exposed to the world around us. Furthermore, we are able to interact and socialize with other children, who we can closely relate to, and whom we share many characteristics with. But at the same time, they are so different and unique. Many become lifelong friends, who support us and help us grow as individuals. Although there are several positive things that lay within the regular schooling system, there are many problems as well. Many parents are scared to send their children to school because they are picked on and targeted on a daily basis. Being around also children can also negatively influence your children. Your children are also exposed to explicit subject matter, and as soon as you know it, your little angel has turned into a devil. Since school also takes up a disproportionate amount of our lives, friends become our family, and we tend to grow further from our real families. None the less, there are several ups and downs to the regular schooling method.

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What about home schooling? There are several ways we can benefit from this learning method. Although we are not able to socialize as much, we aren’t as exposed to any explicit matter. We also have more time to spend with our families. We are able to learn at our own pace, and make time for ourselves. We can use methods that suit our learning needs. Since there aren’t 25 other kids in the classroom, your parents can give you detailed feedback and help you improve in your areas of weakness. I also feel that teachers at school don’t really care about you, or how much you learn. Your parents, on the other hand, want you to be successful human beings, and would do anything it takes to reach that level. I also feel that there is less pressure learning at home, and you can make time for other things in life. In spite of the fact that I attend a charter school, I would rather be learning at home.

So whether its at home, or at school, keep in mind that its all about personal preference.

5 things to do in Calgary this winter

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The weather has been absolutely freezing lately! With temperatures dropping below minus 30, I know that going outside is the last thing we want to be doing. However, instead of holing up in your blankets all winter, here are some fun ideas for you to get out there and embrace the chilly snow! (We do have several more months of it.)

5. Winter Sports

Calgary has a lot to offer in this area, with skating rinks opening up both indoors and outdoors. Perfect grounds for snowboarding and skiing include WinSport Canada Olympic Park, Nakiska, or Sunshine Village. Many places offer lessons for beginners, and don’t feel shy about being the oldest one there. You can never be too old to try and learn something new (unless you’re at risk of busting a hip), and knowing how to ski or skate is a valuable skill when you live in Calgary.

http://www.visitcalgary.com/sites/default/files/winsport_winter-2013_web-4.jpg

4. Once Upon a Christmas

If you’re not really the sporty type, Heritage Park has a special event every winter called Once Upon a Christmas. Here, you can enjoy visits with Santa, take a look at the petting zoo, play snow games and snow-painting as well. Although it is geared towards kids, there’s no time like the present to rekindle your inner youth. One of my favourites is the Kid’s Only store, where nothing is over $20 and you can shop without any parents looking over your shoulder. Passes for youth are $13.00, up to and including 17-year-olds, so get going! If you aren’t into the whole scene, taking a stroll around Heritage Park is not a bad idea either.

https://www.heritagepark.ca/_images/event-headers/OUAC_content_header_photos.jpg

3. Explore Downtown

Although it is cold, with the proper amount of clothing, taking a walk downtown isn’t so bad. Exploring the Plus 15 walkway is something that I’ve never done, but would love to try. Attractions in downtown are tight-knit with one another, so if you get cold, you’re never far away from a dainty bistro or family-run bakery to warm you up. Calgary is a very safe city. Our downtown area isn’t very dangerous, even at night. Fun places to go would be Stephen Avenue, Olympic Plaza, The Core and the Devonian Gardens, Chinatown, plus so much more. I would highly recommend getting to know the city. You may even end up finding some last-minute Christmas items.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/cms/binary/7982242.jpg

2. Zoolights

Everyone loves the twinkling, sparkling lights that are associated with Christmas time, so why not immerse yourself in the dazzling lights at the zoo? Zoolights is available all December and is the perfect event to go to with your friends or to take a special date. Tickets are only $12 for a wonderful night of special features and performances. It’s all the cost of going to the zoo but with an added bonus.

http://wpmedia.blogs.calgaryherald.com/2011/12/dsc_05272.jpg

1. Volunteer

December is about Christmas, and although as a society we’ve strayed, Christmas is a time for giving. There is no better present than your time. It really makes someone’s day when they know that you’ve taken the time out of yours for them. Inn From the Cold, Salvation Army, The Mustard Seed, and food banks all around Calgary are in constant need of help. A simple donation of an old jacket would do as well. The whole point is to think about those who are less fortunate, especially in this time of harsh weather. We might be warm, but many aren’t.

http://urbanchristiannews.com/ucn/boy-giving-food-to-homeless-man-THANKSGIVING.jpg

Get out there and have some fun. Life is too short to waste a moment.

Favourite first world problems #2

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Yep, this week brings another round of first world problems! In the humorous way they are presented in “My Grandma follows me on Twitter” by Craig and Marc Kielburger, they never get boring. Let’s jump right in.

#18

I’m procrastinating going to the dentist because I haven’t flossed and I don’t want a lecture from the hygienist.

FYI:

17% of Canadians avoid dental visits due to cost. Of those who do go to the dentist, 16.5% decline recommended care because of costs.

#20

My waitress substituted my penne for rotini, my alfredo for rose, and my Portobello for shiitake like I asked, but she put my orange vinaigrette on the salad instead of on the side. There goes her tip!

FYI:

55% of all full-time wait staff make less than $20,000 per year, working long hours, holidays and weekends.

#21

I’m trying to text my friends while I’m driving, but I keep getting green lights.

FYI:

Almost 3/4 of Canadian commuters drive along, and 8 out of 10 car accidents are caused by distracted driving. How about carpooling?

#22

I had to buy an extra bag of cheezies to get to $5 so I could use Interac at the corner store.

FYI:

On average, businesses pay $0.19 for each Interac purchase, and between 2% – 4% of the total sale for every credit card purchase.

#23

Someoen truned off my word processers spell-cheque, and now I realize I type vreyporly and have forgoten hwo to spel. (It was pretty hard to copy this down, my computer kept spell-checking all the words…)

FYI:

Boosting the literacy skills of Canadians with the lowest comprehension could get 84,000 people off social assistance and save $500 million a year.

#25

Someone is knocking on the stall door, but I can’t seem to trip the motion sensor on the public auto-flush toilet.

FYI:

While Canadians collectively flush one trillion litres of clean water every year, 2.5 billion people worldwide live without adequate sanitation facilities.

#26

My hair gets too messy when I cruise top-down in my convertible.

FYI:

No one sees your mob under a bike helmet. And when you remove it, they’re too busy checking out your healthy body with the fitness-level equivalent of someone 10 years younger, your happier mental state, your lower triglycerides and blood pressure, and your two-year-longer life expectancy to notice your helmet head.

#29

I empty my bank account every months on clothes every month to keep up with trends.

FYI:

Recent immigrants and people with troubled lives often struggle to get good jobs because they lack decent interview clothes.

#30

My parents don’t get me. They think I’m always on Facebook and uploading photos to Instagram. There’s so much more to me and my life!

FYI:

You’re not only one whose unique attributes may go unnoticed. There are numerous First Nations contributions to contemporary society, such as canoes, the medicine in painkillers like aspirin, and growing practices for foods such as corn, beans, squash and potatoes.

Hope you enjoy these problems!

To Joey’s or not?

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I have visited Joey’s several times and it has been because of the positives of this restaurant and even further this franchise.

Positives:

-Delicious food

-Well attentive service

– Fair pricing

– Accommodate for food allergies

-Friendly staff

-Large menu

Negatives:

The only Negative I could think of would be that they do not take reservations.

As an appetizer, many things are superb. My top choices are the Chili chicken, the Lettuce wraps and the cheeseburger sliders.

As a main, I recommend their steaks as it seems to be their specialty with quality varieties of the steak and many different spices and flavours.

And to end your meal I would choose any of the deserts, as they are all good.

I would rate this restaurant:

 5/5 Food

5/5 Service and Accommodation

4.5/5 Atmosphere

4.85/5 Overall

I recommend Joey’s Restaurants to people looking for a higher end dining experience without an insane price.

Why you should know your sleep cycles

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from [http://www.hypnotherapy-bristol-thornbury.co.uk/clock%20picture.jpg]

Can you recall the days that you wake up completely exhausted? It’s usually due to lack of sleep. There are also days in which you sleep in, past the sufficient amount of time, and still feel tired. On the other hand, you sometimes hardly sleep at all, yet you wake up feeling refreshed.

Humans have sleep cycles. Knowing your sleep cycle will help you manage your time and find the most efficient and beneficial sleep hours that will rest your mind and body. There are two common sleep cycles, REM (rapid eye movement) and NREM (non-rapid eye movement). The first of both these cycles generally run 70 and 100 minutes; the latter cycles are about 90 to 120 minutes. Approximately at the end of each cycle, your body will be close to wakefulness.

Just because you would feel awake after 90 minutes of sleep, in order to experience the wonders of sleeping well, you would need to sleep around seven to 10 hours. However, the benefits of sleep can be achieved with a variety of multiple sleep cycles.  Check them out here:

http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/07/13/alternative-sleep-cycles-7-10-hours-is-not-needed/

Typically, you would want to set your alarm for multiples of 90 minutes. You can try out the bedtime calculator from:

http://sleepyti.me/

Good night, sleep tight ☾

The impact of technology on learning

Albert Einstein once said, “I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots.” Myself and many others agree that that day is now upon us. Over the last 50 years or so, technology has evolved in such a drastic way that it has completely changed the way we learn and how we view education. I hear stories from my parents of how they didn’t have calculators until they were in high school. This make me think how much more difficult learning would be for us today. Contemporary youth have access to really great tools that only came to be in the last generation. We have Internet access, electronic books, educational videos and interactive activities that I’m sure that students in the 60s and early 70s would have thought were miraculous.

Source: blog.edmodo.com
Source: blog.edmodo.com

For someone who uses technology and modern educational resources less than many other teenagers, I can confidently say that although technology is a great resource for students, we don’t need to work as hard or take the time that past generations had to. Heck, how many of us are still going to the library to do research? Instead of talking face-to-face, we send texts and emails, which in my opinion has greatly delayed or reduced the socio-psychological development of young people. Not to say that technology is all to blame, but it has certainly enabled these problems to develop in a relatively short time period.

I’m certainly not implying that we have all fallen victim to this plague that seems to be sweeping over much of the developed world, but it appears that a lot of our generation has. Our learning styles have changed so that instead of using technology as a tool to facilitate learning, we have developed a dependancy on it. Nomophobia is the fear of losing one’s mobile phone and most of us have that fear because we’ve developed such a reliance on our phones to keep our lives in order. Some of us don’t even know what to do if we ever lose access to it (I’m proud to say I’m not one of those people). Schools, including my own, have started to implement policies with regard such devices so that they can be used as a classroom tool.

But as convenient as it is to have my iPod to quickly Google information I may need on the spot, all it’s doing is contributing to the laziness of my generation.