As I was reading chapter four Learning and Literacy in Participatory Culture in a Networked Era by Henry Jenkins, Mizuko Ito, and Danah Boyd nothing was really standing out to me that I really wanted to discuss or mention. Then, I got to the statement “I don’t think that inoculation or abstinence helps people cope with the contemporary media ecosystem,” and I really focused on “I don’t think that . . . abstinence helps people cope” (Boyd 109). That statement made me think about how I feel at times. Sometimes, I feel like not being on “social media” would make my life less stressful, and I contemplate removing myself from Facebook. Then, I think about its capabilities, the remarks I hear people make, and my personality. They all give me a reason not to leave.

As I continued to read, I was also interested in the discussion about the student who was interested in Batman. I believe at one point or another we all probably had experiences similar to that student. There are just classes that talk about subjects out of our interest or classes like we mentioned in a classroom discussion that we do not care to contribute to for several reasons. But like the chapter mentioned, it takes discussing an unexpected topic or a topic of interest to turn all that around.

And as I continued to read chapter five Commercial Culture, a particular line caught my attention. Danah says, “In this same vein, there was a lot of creative output that wasn’t even seen as labor at all” (137). This line shocked me especially because of how we value creativity today. Danah’s statement made me reflect on a comment I made earlier. As I write more and more of these blogs, I feel as though thinking of a reaction is hard. At times, I find myself not knowing what to say and that makes completing the assignment difficult. Although I think a summary is hard as well, I know for some people they consider that to be their strength and creativity is where they need help. I really just think it depends on the person, but I consider myself to be creative and at times I still struggle.