About Me

-

Hi everyone! My name is Seraphina Naefke. I am a sophomore studying English and Education with a minor in History at Oregon State University. I am originally from Redondo Beach, California but currently reside in Corvallis for school. I took public speaking my freshman year and while I can't say I loved it I did learn a lot. When communicating I primarily use Snapchat and Instagram. In my free time I love to go to the beach and surf. An interesting fact about me is that I have three older brothers and recently became an auntie!




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Social media

-
Image
            I think the internet has completely changed the way we form opinions and talk to each other. It used to be that we heard about major issues from the news or maybe a teacher or parent. Now it feels like opinions come at us nonstop through TikToks, tweets, and Instagram stories. To me, this makes everything feel faster and more intense. Public opinion can shift in a matter of hours, depending on what’s trending or who posts what.      Social media doesn’t just share ideas, it sells them. The way something is said matters just as much as what’s being said. I think that’s why people care so much about aesthetics and tone. Pearson et al. (2021) say that persuasive messages work best when they connect emotionally with the audience, and I definitely see that all the time. Posts that go viral usually tap into feelings like anger, pride, or hope. To me, that kind of emotional pull is powerful, but it can also be manipulative if we’re ...
Read more

Social Semiotics in Visual Communication

-
Image
     Have you ever looked at an ad and thought, Why did they choose this picture? That question lies at the heart of social semiotics, a method used to analyze visual communication. Developed from the theories of linguist Michael Halliday and expanded by scholars like Gunther Kress and Theo van Leeuwen, social semiotics examines how images communicate meaning within cultural and social contexts. It’s not just about what we see, it’s about how and why we see it that way. Just like body language in a conversation, images carry unspoken cues that shape our understanding. This method is especially important in a world flooded with political campaigns, social media, and corporate branding, where visual choices aren’t accidental but highly strategic. Social semiotics looks at how placement, size, and direction influence meaning. For example, an image placed at the top often represents an ideal or abstract concept, while one at the bottom conveys something more real or practi...
Read more

Kirschner and some of the myths associated with Prensky's findings.

-
Image
 As a college student navigating the very “digitally native” world we’re said to thrive in, I find Marc Prensky’s digital native vs. digital immigrant divide to be both insightful and limiting. In his 2001 theory, Prensky argued that those born into the digital age “digital natives” have fundamentally different brain wiring and learning styles than older generations, or “digital immigrants.” At first glance, this seemed like a useful framework to explain why my generation is so comfortable with smartphones, social media, and online tools. But looking deeper—and especially through Paul Kirschner’s critiques—it’s clear the theory may be doing more harm than good. Kirschner, in The Myths of the Digital Native and the Multitasker , directly challenges Prensky’s claims. He argues that the idea of “digital natives” being naturally adept at technology and multitasking is a myth. Research supports this: just because we grew up with tech doesn’t mean we inherently know how to use it for eff...
Read more