Ireland Mayne

Current media, such as social media, influence people to overconsume products like water bottles, beauty products, and clothing. According to Webster's dictionary, overconsumption is excessive consumption or use of something . Many social media apps now feature integrated 'shops,' allowing users to purchase items promoted by their favorite creators. This seamless shopping experience makes it easier for users to discover and buy products while scrolling through platforms like Instagram and TikTok.     Image source   While these in-app shop features on most social media platforms can lead to overconsumption, they also offer significant benefits. Many platforms allow users with a business license to sell their products directly. This helps small business owners expand their reach and enables them to promote their shops nationally through ads and videos, connecting with their target audience more effectively. This also presents the risk of larger companies exploiting sma...

Stardew Valley  is a video game developed by ConcernedApe, available on PC, Mac, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices. In this game, you inherit a farm from your grandfather and take on the role of a farmer. You can grow crops, raise animals, and even adopt a pet, like a cat or a dog. The game moves through the seasons—spring, summer, fall, and winter—each offering different activities and challenges.    Image source    Building friendships with NPCs (non-playable characters) in the town is an important part of  Stardew Valley . As you gain friendship points with the townspeople, you unlock more areas, events, and even the chance to start a relationship with one of them. These connections add depth to the gameplay and make the town feel alive.    Image sourrce The game also includes various quests, one of the most significant being the restoration of the town’s community center. By collecting and donating specific items, players work to bring the c...

The hashtag, represented by the symbol (#), has evolved from a simple number sign to a powerful tool for categorizing content and engaging audiences on social media. After reading the article Understand the Versatility and Necessity of Hashtag Activism , I learned that the hashtag was first introduced in 2007 by Chris Messina. It quickly rose to prominence on Twitter, now rebranded as X.    Source Image  The hashtag is used to categorize and organize content on social media platforms, making it easier for people to find and follow topics of interest. By adding a hashtag to a word or phrase (like #TravelTips or #WorldCup), users can link their posts to a larger conversation on that topic. The hashtag quickly became prominent on all other social media apps. One use of the hashtag is hashtag activism allows people or organizations to spark a widespread discussion through social media, whether they want to fight for or support a cause. This type of hashtag has sparked and am...

Slanted reporting often manipulates facts or selectively omits information, leading readers to form biased opinions without a full understanding of the issue. News outlets engaging in this practice may emphasize certain viewpoints while downplaying or ignoring counterarguments, skewing public perception. By subtly injecting bias into coverage, slanted reporting frames stories to align with specific political agendas rather than presenting a balanced perspective. This type of reporting can shape narratives that favor certain groups or ideologies, ultimately eroding the audience's trust in objective journalism.  After reading the article  The NY Times’ Shoddy, Slanted Reporting of NRG’s California Valley Solar Ranch, Clean Energy Stimulus & Subsidies  I gained insight into how the NY Times employs slanted reporting in some of its articles. Using dramatic language to describe their claims made me reflect on how news outlets often rely on sensationalism to emphasize their...

The Bluespotted ribbon tail ray is a striking species of stingray, named for the vibrant blue spots that cover its body They are often confused with the blue-spotted stingray which has a more angular disc and a slender tail. The blue-spotted ribbon tail rays are a mesmerizing creature inhabiting the sandy bottoms of the Indo-Pacific Ocean. Like other rays, it uses electroreception—a specialized sensory ability—to detect and precisely locate prey. A diet of Bluespotted ribbon tail rays consists of eating animals that are under the sand like worms, shrimp, crabs, and small fish.  Unlike most rays, blue spotted ribbon tail rays will rarely bury themselves completely, though they sometimes will to ambush prey or when they migrate in large groups to shallow, sandy areas .    Image source.    The bright blue spots running the length of the Bluespotted ribbon tail ray serve as a warning to predators, signaling the presence of its venomous barb at the tip of its ta...

The sand tiger shark (Carcharias taurus) is part of the Odontaspididae  family.   They are called   Carchariidae, gray nurse shark, and sand tiger. There are three species of sand shark: Sand tiger shark, smalltooth sand tiger shark, and bigeye sand shark.    Image source     The sand tiger shark is found in the northwestern and the east-central Atlantic Ocean. The smallmouth sand tiger shark is found in the Indian and Pacific oceans and the bigeye sand tiger shark can be found in the west-central Atlantic Ocean. This species of shark is known for their pointed snout and larger mouth full of teeth,  their front row of teeth are large and sharp then slightly decreasing in size towards the back rows of their teeth.   Image source The sand tiger shark has 5 gills on each of their sides but the slits do not go up to their head.  Sand tiger sharks are large with stocky bodies that range in length from about 2.25 meters (7.4 feet) in  C. ...