Dear whoever, 

Now is the time where we begin our evaluation. The effectiveness of growth provides an infant transformed into a very young adult. Our 13 years of forced education in many ways was needed, but in many ways was disastrous. Some may absolutely disagree with a validated opinion. But, the normal, average person, who doesn’t live a fairytale life may have gone through some unrecommended trauma. 

It’s so odd how everything was once unknown to us. Then, soon all you think about is how you know too much. Those basics we were taught no longer are the basics we should be informed of. The education system of grades K-12 continues to disregard the real issues developed as human beings. Our emotions continue to be unexcused excuses. Our attendance is so personal that space is suffocated. Our teachings turn into sitting for 6 hours doing nothing. 

Sometimes, I miss those basics. But, then I realized nothing was very simple at all. The separation has always been there, we just didn’t notice when it occurred. Those small-minded cliques continue to succeed. Straight from a movie, those of popularity and athletics consist of only being recognized. Only those chosen by biased and favoritism will be seen and the rest are unheard. Although a lot of this is personal, it can be told through the mind of a vanished independent. 

I, for one, am relieved for these last four days. In no way, as it spins through my mind, have the years been worth the living. The pain, the anxiety, the insecurity, the opportunities, the confusion, the bullying, in no way was necessary to go through just to get a piece of paper at the end of the month. Honestly, with every bone in my body, I hope I forget at least these past four years of living like they never existed. If it were my choice, I wouldn’t have put myself through this. I would’ve done my entire life differently if I knew how this is where I ended up by the age of 18. The negatives haunt entirely over any list of pros. 

All I feel is eagerness. Eager to give the middle finger in the halls to every person I despise. Eager to never be bumped and touched in the halls. Eager to never walk through a human intersection accident. Eager to say goodbye to dreadful memories. Eager to escape the financially greedy city that I live in. Eager to be vocal about learning what I choose to learn. Eager to finally have control over my life and what I do. Eager to make my own decisions that need only my input. Eager to not tell everyone where I am and what I’m doing every second. 

These may not all come to an end. But, I know they definitely won’t be enhanced. I will not miss a thing, a person, a class, an activity, or a surrounding. I have no doubt about it. That’s all I have to say about graduating this month. That’s all I have to say about the last day of school this week. 

13 years have gone by

4745 days we went through

2023 is the class we achieved 

Practice to results

Now we’re 18. 

Sincerely, Mia Elmoo-how-is

**early release was my favorite class period**

Here is some of the work done!

Here is the most recent uploaded YouTube video. It will update every time I post something new!

Instead, this meeting will take place on April 3. I’ll be bringing a ton of canvases and acrylic paint. What does feminism mean to you is the aim of this project? It doesn’t matter if it’s about equality, accepting people in all shapes and sizes, or the beauty of a woman’s offering. Anybody interested in participating in the contest can upload a photo of their canvas to be considered for the $10 Chick-Fil-A gift card giveaway for the best voted canvas via a google form. I reasoned that by doing this, we might truly appreciate each other’s artistic endeavors and ultimately have a little fun!!

I now would like to present the winning canvas…

To begin, I made a little presentation for us to go through. A Remind to join to get notifications for those who might forget one of our meetings. Also, the dates of the meetings and what each of them will involve us doing!

There cards were so cute! I was pleasantly surprised how into it they all got. Also, around 20 people showed up with me promoting Feminist Club with a singular instagram account one week prior. So it was a really cool moment for me to take in on the success. Here are some of the cards made!

Put on a Show

  When we were toddlers, we didn’t care whether somebody was watching to criticize us. We produce a mess by eating with our hands and run around in diapers. People stop by to remark on how adorable and cute we are. But in actuality, we are who we genuinely are at the moment of birth. This is exactly where acting takes me. I am completely at ease with how I speak and what I say, and I have no interest in what people are saying about me. 

  As a little girl, I always danced and played these acting games. My cousin and I would play the part of superheroes who were having their superpowers stripped away as we sprinted across my grandma’s enormous yard. Perhaps I was rehearsing a talent show dance with my best friend. Or I would write my mother a forty-item Christmas list pleading for a karaoke machine so I could belt out the songs from Frozen. My mind, body, and soul belonged in the arts. I used to like performing for other people when I was this age. It kindled an inner light in me even more when it persisted in elementary school. On a daily basis, I sang and danced around the kitchen with my curly brown pigtails and reenacted the Disney Channel original movies.

  Things shifted when I got to middle school. Drama amongst friends became regular. My insecurities were heightened by “mean girls” at school. Assignments became useless and unclear. I became someone other than myself by imitating my older sister’s appearance and preferences. I distanced myself from my family because of what I believed from my dad. I was so worried about what people thought of me that nothing I did was for myself. My sadness worsened as I transitioned from middle to high school. 

  Miserable in high school, I walked through the halls as anyone but myself. I listened to emo rock music that I hated, wore disgusting mismatched black clothes, and tried to be like everyone around me in a new, stuck-up, and wealthy town. However, anytime someone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I repeatedly said “an actress.” My father kept repeating to everyone how I imagine and dream but don’t take steps to make those dreams come true. He was correct. I got lazy and fearful. I lost my voice and spark. I lost my youthful vulnerability.

  In my junior year, something stood out to me. I wanted to feel like myself again, my bold and vocal self. I joined drama classes and decided to audition for the play. All of a sudden, I changed. I had never felt more alive.  I got one role, then I got another role in two other plays, then a role in the musical, then a role in my current play. I did an acting camp in front of cameras. I spoke in classes and made myself known. I showed my individuality and said what others were afraid to say. My independence began to feel less lonely. Now, my creativity feels regenerated. All I look forward to now is being challenged by a role that I can dive myself into one day. My inner child is still alive and well. It never left; it just got lost for a bit. Finding my identity was the biggest challenge. But when I realized I’m an actress who hopes to share a story on that big screen, I could continue to dance in the living room with no concern about the stares I would receive.

5 psychiatrists

4 antidepressants

3 therapists

2 mentalwards

1 life 

No hesitation, numb expression

Home all evening, same spot

Make sure to smile to dad

Pretend to pack lunch

But really packing pills

10 citaloprams

9 prozacs

8 ibuprofens 

7 effexors

6 zolofts

Grab a full glass of water

Lay in bed comfortably

Pick up 2 handfuls

Swallow without thought 

It’s finally the end, it’s done.

I spend my days in silence

Glares and comments to my sides

Popular girls and popular men

They criticize everything

Gym class they stare at your ass

Or make fun of the fat on your body jiggle as you run

Laugh how you complain to throw a ball

You answer a question and they call you a know it all

They say you’re vulgar and to chill

When it’s them overreacting like a toddler

Because it was just a “joke”

But how long do these “jokes” last?

Splashes of water on my ass

The uncomfort

Offensive tone that makes me run to my seat

Male teachers agreeing with their boys

A dominance like no other 

Makes us fearful and attacked

Male are no friend of mine

Past, present, and future

Time machine, currency, or psychic abilities

The time you are born and the time you die

All significant moments in time

Blindly following a rewarded leader

Stone weapons to metal ones

Smart weapons and nuclear bombs

Johnson and Trump impeached

Bubonic plague and COVID-19

Vietnam and Ukraine

Princess Diana and Michelle Obama

Romeo & Juliet to Tony & Maria

Slavery now known as BLM

Rest cure delusion is medicated and real

History speaks for itself 

Imagine candy land coming to life

Or a fiesta everyday celebrating not being alive

Will it be dark and gloomy?

Pink fluffy clouds and sunshine?

Do unicorns live there?

Or mermaids? Bigfoot?

Is it made up of our fantasies and dreams

A button that makes any dish you want become real

Giant sundaes like in sharkboy and lavagirl 

Perfect bodies naked and free

Rollercoasters with no waiting lines

Food falling from the sky

No wars, no crimes

Do we get to look down and see who misses us?

I can’t tell if that is selfish or simply evil

Face is too dry

Face is too oily

Eyebrows are over plucked

Eyebrows are bushy

Nose is like Pinocchio

Nose is like Voldemort’s

Lips should be injected

Lips should be natural

Skin is ghostly

Skin is blackface

Body is hourglass shape

Body is anorexic

Teeth are bucked

Teeth are crooked

Facial hair is hideous

Facial hair is attractive

Hands are elderly

Hands are soft

Ribcage is wide

Ribcage is non existent

Ping pong cup sized hail

Dreary 6:30 am morning

Eye boogers and pink shot eyes

Doorknob slowly opens

Sneaky footsteps and missing objects

My mom in a robe

Jeans and a belt on the couch

Cigarettes, candy, and pop all suddenly bought

There was a larger visual from so little

My older sister was aware too

It was gloomy the whole Spring 

A kiss every morning before leaving

Every night at 10 pm he appeared

Every morning at 6:30 am he disappeared

Braided hair with a stench of marjuana

Disliked confrontation

He was hidden

He was kept

He was secretive

All I knew was the tan minivan in my driveway

It’s considered a holiday to some

Occurs once a year

Parties are usually thrown

Slowly gets higher

Not sure?

A bittersweet celebration of age 

Lifeless day of rebirth

Stacks kept of useless cards

Tomato cheeks bursting

Have an idea yet?

All to some to none sticks blown

Googly eyes surrounded

Anxiety of incorrect expression

Worry for everyone’s satisfactory

Wanna take a guess now?

The artist who was physically abusive

Only thought of ancient ways of teaching

He had the most control in his hand 

Soon he kissed my mother good night and hopped into bed

At 3am he was dead

Just before I was born the queen of cooking had to go

She had 5 beautiful children

All fit and energized with routine

Everyday she had to clean clean clean

She was the most liked 

and it’s a shame her time was short cuz she was a delight

Down the line was a religious angel

Her power and warmth could cure anyone

She had a of variety talents, specifically with baking cookies

Her bubble baths and back scratches were so dreamy

The packs of cigarettes for years did her no good

Down the line she goes with all at her feet

Last but not least is one I know nothing of

Not the most family oriented

Not the most wanted to remember

He left this world of recent, I was able to meet him

I saw a kind heart through a phone

Instantly my dad was there 

All that is left for me to wonder is who is next?

I sit in the sunlight for hours around my pinkalicious room

Eventually I ask someone to play with me, but they all sigh and go

It’s dead silent when I’m not talking

Somehow there’s a new babysitter each week

I always seem to ask myself,  “Why can’t I be like the girls down my street?” 

Circled around me is Brownie Bear, Strawberry shortcake, and Barbie

But one stands out to me and has it all

Barbie has several houses, a boyfriend, cars, and tons of family and friends

I can’t even understand why she has all this time for me

Yes, imagine having all this wealth but, imagine having all of those people

It’s more bearable when we are in the mini hot tub and 40 acre closet

All are welcome no matter who you are

The hours spent in this magical room consumed me daily

It seriously was just Barbie and Me and our Life in the Dreamhouse

Hi! Welcome welcome welcome… okay I’ll stop saying welcome. I’m super excited to upload an official first YouTube video! It’s been a dream since I was a little girl. This first video was low stakes, obviously not the best quality on details due to my lack of editing experience. But, there is so so much more to come in 2023. I have a billion ideas. So stick around if you trust me, which you should!!! See you hopefully next week. 🤍 – Maya

Follow My Socials:

INSTAGRAM @mayaelmo1 / SNAPCHAT @mayaelmo17 /TIKTOK @mayaelmouha

Proposition: Technology has worsened the quality of human life. The addiction to technology has increased the likelihood of mental health disorders, provided availability for negative learning processes, and exposed individuals to multiple safety risks.

In a conducted experiment, 70% of these participants expected to feel depressed, helpless, and panicked if their phone went missing. When all of the material we need for our assignments is available online, why not cheat? Personally, I even find it to be so much easier to just copy and paste with ctrl-c and v. Our technology has grown so endlessly over history and we humans have used these tools under our influence in ways of destruction. When I was younger, I mastered cursive and handwriting, performed mental or written math, played outside, and established physical connections with others. Now, it almost seems as though the simpler route was chosen, and a lovely routine was gradually disturbed. Technology has worsened the quality of human life. The addiction to technology has increased the likelihood of mental health disorders, provided availability for negative learning processes, and exposed individuals to multiple safety risks. Learning barriers and manual skills continue to decline. Minors are exposed to vulnerability and explicit content. The attention put into our phones, can start to rely on others feedback to define our own self worth.

Studies have shown the amount of disorders brought upon from using and surrounding oneself with technology. According to a research published in the International Journal of Child Health and Human Development, 30 percent of the 1,500 children who spent more than three hours online had depression. Among other mental problems caused by computers is a new type of stress called “smartphone stress”. It is caused by notifications (or their absence). Sufferers are in constant anticipation of a message or e-mail. The popularly used phrase, FOMO (fear of missing out), is linked directly to intensive social media use. It refers to a situation when a person is flooded with content of friends, colleagues, or even influencers doing exciting things while their life or activities seem mundane and somewhat worse. It is especially harmful at a young age, as even though people are aware that the content they see is just a set of highlights of someone’s life, it leaves them feeling lonely and lacking on a subconscious level. Chronic Smartphone Stress is a newly discovered problem of digital usage, wherein constant notifications and interactions with the digital tools is establishing new stress-fear memory pathways in the brain. The part of our brains that normally deal with higher level thinking shuts down under such fight-flight states and costs us brain power and time. A study of teenagers aged 15–16 found that those engaging in digital media for longer times had an increased chance of developing symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Social media is not only home to the majority of online bullying, it is also often criticized for providing an idealistic view of reality, making people feel insecure, lonely, isolated, or jealous when comparing their lives to those of the people they follow. Whether family and friends, celebrities, or ‘influencers’, those glossy photos and happy captions provide an unrealistic picture of what happiness and success look like.

Continuing the evaluation, education has now become a regularized way of ignoring basic skills and being conditioned intellectually. In a survey, around 60% of respondents claimed that it hampered students’ capacity for critical thought and homework performance. While analytical and critical thinking abilities appear to be declining, plagiarism and cheating have increased. This is endangering the capacity for thought in the next generation. Additionally, 76 percent of educators thought that the internet was conditioning children to look for quick solutions, which was causing them to lose focus. A lack of critical thought regarding the origins and value of information, as well as an inability to “mine for data,” might result from quick access to information. Accordingly, individuals who multitask excessively have a propensity for skimming instead of in-depth reading and analysis. This leads to problems with focus. Dexterity is reportedly another area that has suffered from increased technology use. With so many people using computers and tablets and machines replacing craft in many areas, the fine manual skills connected with handwriting are reportedly disappearing. As a result, a large portion of the population may lack the manual abilities required for some occupations. The manual abilities we are beginning to lose can be developed by keeping your hands busy with anything tangible, such as sewing, painting, creating models, carving wood, or cutting paper.

Overall, Individuals are more exploited as a consequence of the loss of privacy. Due to the prevalence of explicit content online, youngsters who have unrestricted technology access will inevitably be exposed. Most sites that don’t display this don’t offer any form of age blocks, meaning kids could easily view them. Also, children can easily be manipulated by malicious individuals online into sending explicit images of themselves. These individuals can use your kids as a source for your financial and security information. 39% of teens admit to have sent sext messages, and almost half of the teenagers have received digital messages containing nudity. Cyber-bullying is just one area that contributes to a poor outcome from technology when it comes to emotional and mental well-being. The offenders use text messages, social media, forums and any other messaging platform available to them to reach out to their target. A Florida University study in 2017 found that 34% of school students had been the victim of cyber-bullying at some point in their lives, with 17% experiencing it within the past 30 days. Today it’s easier than ever before to find someone’s personal information. The borders of privacy have been blurred significantly via the use of social media, tracking cookies and opaque privacy policies.  Information obtained in this way can be used by hackers for a wide range of schemes and scams, leaving internet users vulnerable to phishing, hacking, and virus attacks.

Of course, technology has a variety of benefits and has changed the world infinitley. Don’t people get congratulated on less honorable work? Isn’t it practically daily these days that a new millionaire influencer joins the ranks of those who post dancing videos on tiktok? The complete origin of going out to work in some sort of space, and working your hands raw or introspective thought. This has long since been lost and replaced with the notion that working from home is better because it requires no effort. How much of our time is taken by electronic devices though? Students and teachers both educate themselves through virtually or on a device. Every night, most individuals lose hours of sleep from staying up to watch TV or get distracted on their phones. Hours of screen time is being used and the light is forever stuck to our eyes. Do we have a better attention span compared to before we used technology? Switching our attention between social media, smartphones, tablets as well as TV, radio, or other media harms our ability to complete simple tasks – something that is correctly recognized by 67% of the public. In early 2021, one study even showed that over-reliance on technology has shortened our attention span from twelve minutes to five minutes. People who are online an average of 5 hours a day have trouble remembering people’s names. Technology has had the tendency to increase our absent mindedness.

The entirety of technology is an extremely controversial topic. It’s expected for hostility from how regularly used it is. But, we have summarized some important factors that negatively turn into problems. First, the horrible mental health disorders that have been established on our people. Second, the learning barriers between generations are now severely declining from benefitting. Lastly, the outrageous lack of privacy and information that is widely exposed. Technology reliance has raised the likelihood of mental health issues, allowed for a negative educational process, and introduced people to a number of safety concerns. In our world, we have the beautiful advantage of being able to practice the expectations we set for ourselves. Let’s dive back into the routine drilled in us from our youth. The beauty in hard work, the amazement of the outdoors around us, the basics we can consume. Choose to utilize technology in a healthy way, but engage yourself in the quality of life you can live. Ask yourself, is technology used, or abused? 

 Works Cited 

Lakshmi. “Negative Effects of Technology and How to Overcome Them.” Mobicip, 1 Feb. 2021, www.mobicip.com/blog/negative-effects-of-technology.

Howells, Natalie. “Technology: A Positive or Negative Influence on Society?” Medium, 5 Jan. 2022, medium.com/@natalie_2231/technology-a-positive-or-negative-influence-on-society-ab91057f1934.

Paterska, Patrycja and EL Passion. “Positive and Negative Impact of Technology on Society – elpassion.com.” El Passion, 26 Nov. 2021, www.elpassion.com/blog/positive-negative-impact-of-tech-on-society.

Team, Kidslox. “Top 5 Negative Effects of Technology You Don’t Even Suspect.” Kidslox, 13 May 2022, kidslox.com/guide-to/top-5-negative-effects-of-technology-you-even-dont-suspect.

Porter, Alfonzo. “The Problem With Technology in Schools.” Washington Post, 28 Jan. 2013, www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/therootdc/post/the-problem-with-technology-in-schools/2013/01/28/cf13dc6c-6963-11e2-ada3-d86a4806d5ee_blog.html.

Erinfolami, Keyede. “6 Negative Impacts of Technology on Children (and What You Can Do).” Make Use Of, 15 Oct. 2021, www.makeuseof.com/negative-impacts-of-technology-on-children. Accessed 9 Feb. 2023.