Introduction

 Hello All!

My name is Cydney Berdell, and I am now in my second year of teaching for the Chicago Public Schools. As someone born and raised on the south side of Chicago, I am currently employed as a teacher in the same South Side neighborhood. Specifically, I spent my childhood in the Walker-branch and Woodson Regional Libraries of the Chicago Public Library system. I concluded that I wanted to earn a master's degree in library science at some point in the future because I would eventually like to leave the classroom but continue to work with marginalized children and community members. One of my favorite things about the Chicago Public Libraries is how they offer unending support, resources, and materials to the community they serve. At 25 years old, I belong to that peculiar group known as Gen Z, which takes social media somewhat seriously while also appreciating the little things in life, like spending time with loved ones, being outdoors, and even having a hobby (I was a girl scout from 7 to 16 years old). Having said that, I can state without reservation that I think my relationship with social media is strange. I had an Instagram account while I was in high school, but I deleted it because I never wanted to use it. If it makes any difference, I do not have my own personal Instagram account but do have access to one. I don't use Snapchat very much, but my fiance and mother-in-law have this streak going where I upload videos of our baby boy or, you might say, vlog my life. There was a time when Twitter was my favorite app. Now I still think it's the best app since people seem to have more deep discussions on Twitter and because the platform has its own brand of comedy that only Twitter users can grasp. Facebook is great, but I try not to post there too much as I think it's just another strange app. At the same time as I find it entertaining, I also find it really overwhelming; when the latter becomes the former, I remove the app and give myself a breather. In one sense, social media is a powerful tool for our society; after all, how else would we ever get a glimpse into someone else's life? On the other hand, I worry that it might lead to envy when users see someone else's seemingly perfect life and fail to realize that it's all just a photo or video clip and you know the story behind it or will never know. I guess what I can conclude is that I enjoy privacy but I also think within moderation social media isn't all that bad and is essential within our society. After all we do live in a digital age....

Here is my Facebook profile :)