Reading response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 25

Reading response - Essay Example Such portraits provided a chance for an individual to self-express and self-seek (Rosen 866). However, there has been a drastic change in form of self-expression. The change has occurred through emergence of numerous social sites. The most common social sites are listed as MySpace and Facebook. The sites offer an opportunity for the viewers to look at individual life as well as offer comments on such life expressed through online community (Rosen 866). As a result, the author notes that these sites are used by individuals mostly to get attention. On the other hand, the author provides a history perspective of the online social networks. These networks are shown to change and emerge as time progresses. The earliest online social networks are listed as the Bulletin Board systems said to have started in 1980,s (Rosen 867). The network provided a platform for users to send public messages, send and receive private messages, as well as exchange of software (Rosen 867). However, more pronounces social sites emerged in the 21st century. Such sites include Friendster, MySpace, and Facebook. The sites attracted millions of uses in this era. Other social sites are expected to emerge in the future. On the other hand, social sites are shown to play various roles in the society. First, the sites have been shown to provide an opportunity for those that make it in life to get attention. Moreover, the sites have also laid a platform for advertisers to market their products such as record labels and film studios (Rosen 868). These sites are also shown to play a significant role in politics. Politicians are shown to use sites to enlist followers and express their policies. Additionally, the author offers a comparative analysis of the popular social sites. The most popular are shown to be MySpace and Facebook. The sites are shown to be simple in setting online identity (Rosen 869). On the other hand, majority of Americans are shown to be a heavy

Art as a Form of Creative Expression Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Art as a Form of Creative Expression - Essay Example The most interesting thing about art is that it is culture-specific and it tells its own story from a certain cultural perspective. People belonging to different cultures use art to express themselves and it shapes their behavior. For instance, sculpture or paintings can be used to express the way of life of a group of people who share the same culture and values. In most cases, people who belong to a particular culture identify with a particular type of art. The same applies to music and dance. The type of music played by people belonging to different cultural groups varies from place to place since they have different cultures. In order to understand the culture of other people, this can be simply done through the consumption of their art products. The other important aspect about art is that it is a unique creation of something that depicts the lives of the people involved. Music, for example, is used to communicate different aspects of the life of a certain group of people. The m usic genre of people belonging to a certain group is shared by all members and it usually communicates important messages about the way of life of these people. Art can also be regarded as a form of entertainment in different sectors of society. Through music and dance, people are entertained while at the same time learning something very important about the way of life of a certain group of people.  Just like any other academic subject, it can be seen that art is learned and the courses offered to differ depending on the type of art being taught at a specific institution. Art lessons can be offered through different stages and individuals can choose the area of specialization from a lower level. There are also colleges and universities that offer various professional qualifications in art studies. Art is widely recognized as a professional qualification in different sectors of society. It is a source of livelihood for many artists who engage in creating different artifacts. As su ch, there are various measures that are put in place in different countries to protect the work of the artists so that they can enjoy the benefits of their creativity. Copyright laws are enforced in different countries so as to protect the products of the artists. This is also meant to ensure that the artists continue to be creative if they are assured of getting rewards from their hard work. Ownership of artifacts is very important since this helps to prevent unscrupulous people from enjoying the benefits of other people’s work. This also helps to develop the art industry which is seen as a source of employment in different societies. The welfare of many individuals is improved through the creation of different artifacts that in turn are used as a form of expression by different groups of people. Basically, it can be concluded that the understanding of art is very important since it has a bearing on the lives of people in different societies. Art is culture-specific and it h elps to distinguish one group of people from the other. Art is also used as a unique way of creating a cultural identity among different people.