The Things That Bug Me
1. The fact that good, quality pillows are so expensive
WHY it exists: Pillows are critical in providing proper support and alignment, and preventing neck and shoulder pain as we sleep. The price tag is usually dependent on the materials used in the pillow. While cheaper, less supportive pillows may be filled with polyester or synthetic down, a more expensive, supportive pillow may be filled with real down or latex memory foam.
2. Speed dips
WHY it exists: Speed dips prevent cars from speeding down a road and keep driving speeds down to a safe speed.
3. The massive markup of food and drinks at the airport
WHY it exists: The airport has significantly higher operating costs than most other places. Products are shipped in small quantities, delivered at off hours and have to go through several security screenings.
4. Nonstick pans that start to stick over time
WHY it exists: When you have a lack of knowledge about how to prevent sticking, such as avoiding using cooking sprays and using high heat, it can make it easy to ruin your pan over time without realizing.
5. The lack of a bus routes from campus to 13th Street Apartments
WHY it exists: Although it is a 25 minute walk from the heart of campus, 13th Street Apartments is technically within walking distance from the university. The buses are needed for students who live at apartments that are not within walking distance to campus.
6. Slow interstate drivers on I-10 who insist on staying in the left lane
WHY it exists: Many drivers are not aware that on the interstate the left lane is a passing lane, which should only be used to pass slower moving traffic. Slow left lane drivers are a safety hazard because faster drivers must change lanes more often to weave back and forth around them.
7. The extremely narrow parking spots in the Rawlings parking garage near the University Auditorium
WHY it exists: This parking garage was designed to fit the maximum amount of cars possible, so that more people are able to park on campus.
8. The noisy neighbors that live below me that enjoy blasting loud music
WHY it exists: The people that live below me do not realize how loud they are being. They are just trying to enjoy their free time by playing music. They don't realize that we can hear the music and feel the vibrations from our apartment above them.
9. When people at Disney World hold up an already long line for a ride because they want to capture EVERYTHING on camera.
WHY it exists: It is very expensive to take a trip to Disney World and many people come from all over the world to visit. They may not be able to take such an extravagant trip again, so they want to try to document every moment so that they can remember it forever.
10. Movies where the dialogue is very quiet, but the music is very loud so you constantly have to adjust the volume
WHY it exists: Movies sound different in a movie theater versus at home in a living room. The audio is mixed in such a way to have high dynamic range. A movie theater is a quiet environment where no other sounds are competing for you attention, whereas at home there are many more noises to compete with.
11. Avocados that never ripen
WHY it exists: Many factors can affect how an avocado will ripen. It must be harvested at the right time because if it is picked too soon or stored in cool conditions it will have a low oil content and never fully ripen.
12. Small items delivered by Amazon in huge cardboard boxes
WHY it exists: Amazon's goal is to most efficiently fill it's delivery trucks before they leave a fulfillment center. In some cases, small items are assigned a larger box in order to fill the space in the truck and avoid packages moving around and getting damaged.
13. Plastic packaging for fresh fruits and vegetables
WHY it exists: Fruits and vegetables have their own natural protection, but produce travels long distances from fields to storage facilities before it is packaged, transported, and distributed to stores. Plastic packaging is necessary in keeping the produce safe as it is being transported over distances, and it prolongs the shelf life.
14. 'Natural Flavors' in packaged food and drinks
WHY it exists: Natural flavors are added to food and drinks to enhance a specific flavor. Food scientists can extract substances from certain plant or animal sources and modify it with chemicals to create the flavor they want, and simply call it 'natural flavors' on the nutritional label. They start with a natural flavor source and can mix together hundreds of different chemicals, preservatives, and solvents, and then use it as a flavor enhancer for a snack or beverage.
15. 'Influencers'
WHY it exists: Society places value on being popular or known. People have realized that they can make a lot of money by being trendsetters in specific categories. Social media has helped them gain access to a large audience, allowing them to persuade people.
16. Finding the right foundation for my skin color and tone
WHY it exists: Many factors affect how foundation looks on your skin. Everyone has different undertones and skin values. What works for one person's skin will not work the same way for another person's skin. As it oxidizes and adjusts to your skin it looks different than when you first apply it to your skin. And the lighting at the store when you are swatching different foundations is different than the lighting at home in your bathroom or bedroom.
17. Diet culture
WHY it exists: Subliminal messages are spread by influencers and health professionals on social media, and by food and drink companies that place value on losing weight and being thin. It exists to promote dieting, clean eating, excessive and obsessive exercise, or any behavior that encourages weight loss. It exists as a way to sell you expensive products labeled with words like "superfoods" or "clean."
18. No women directors nominated for an Oscar this year, despite historic number of women directing films
WHY it exists: Women, especially women of color, are heavily underrepresented behind the scenes in Hollywood, outnumbered in the director's chair by 20 to 1.
19. People who insist on buying brand new books instead of used books
WHY it exists: Some people love the smell of new books and the experience of picking them out at a bookstore. Some also prefer to keep books in pristine condition, making sure not to crease the spine or let the cover get worn out.
20. People who hate musicals
WHY it exists: Some people do not like musicals because their taste in TV and film tends towards realism. Many of these people make the argument that, “In real life, people don’t just suddenly break into song and dance.”
Reflection:
WHY it exists: Pillows are critical in providing proper support and alignment, and preventing neck and shoulder pain as we sleep. The price tag is usually dependent on the materials used in the pillow. While cheaper, less supportive pillows may be filled with polyester or synthetic down, a more expensive, supportive pillow may be filled with real down or latex memory foam.
2. Speed dips
WHY it exists: Speed dips prevent cars from speeding down a road and keep driving speeds down to a safe speed.
3. The massive markup of food and drinks at the airport
WHY it exists: The airport has significantly higher operating costs than most other places. Products are shipped in small quantities, delivered at off hours and have to go through several security screenings.
4. Nonstick pans that start to stick over time
WHY it exists: When you have a lack of knowledge about how to prevent sticking, such as avoiding using cooking sprays and using high heat, it can make it easy to ruin your pan over time without realizing.
5. The lack of a bus routes from campus to 13th Street Apartments
WHY it exists: Although it is a 25 minute walk from the heart of campus, 13th Street Apartments is technically within walking distance from the university. The buses are needed for students who live at apartments that are not within walking distance to campus.
6. Slow interstate drivers on I-10 who insist on staying in the left lane
WHY it exists: Many drivers are not aware that on the interstate the left lane is a passing lane, which should only be used to pass slower moving traffic. Slow left lane drivers are a safety hazard because faster drivers must change lanes more often to weave back and forth around them.
7. The extremely narrow parking spots in the Rawlings parking garage near the University Auditorium
WHY it exists: This parking garage was designed to fit the maximum amount of cars possible, so that more people are able to park on campus.
8. The noisy neighbors that live below me that enjoy blasting loud music
WHY it exists: The people that live below me do not realize how loud they are being. They are just trying to enjoy their free time by playing music. They don't realize that we can hear the music and feel the vibrations from our apartment above them.
9. When people at Disney World hold up an already long line for a ride because they want to capture EVERYTHING on camera.
WHY it exists: It is very expensive to take a trip to Disney World and many people come from all over the world to visit. They may not be able to take such an extravagant trip again, so they want to try to document every moment so that they can remember it forever.
10. Movies where the dialogue is very quiet, but the music is very loud so you constantly have to adjust the volume
WHY it exists: Movies sound different in a movie theater versus at home in a living room. The audio is mixed in such a way to have high dynamic range. A movie theater is a quiet environment where no other sounds are competing for you attention, whereas at home there are many more noises to compete with.
11. Avocados that never ripen
WHY it exists: Many factors can affect how an avocado will ripen. It must be harvested at the right time because if it is picked too soon or stored in cool conditions it will have a low oil content and never fully ripen.
12. Small items delivered by Amazon in huge cardboard boxes
WHY it exists: Amazon's goal is to most efficiently fill it's delivery trucks before they leave a fulfillment center. In some cases, small items are assigned a larger box in order to fill the space in the truck and avoid packages moving around and getting damaged.
13. Plastic packaging for fresh fruits and vegetables
WHY it exists: Fruits and vegetables have their own natural protection, but produce travels long distances from fields to storage facilities before it is packaged, transported, and distributed to stores. Plastic packaging is necessary in keeping the produce safe as it is being transported over distances, and it prolongs the shelf life.
14. 'Natural Flavors' in packaged food and drinks
WHY it exists: Natural flavors are added to food and drinks to enhance a specific flavor. Food scientists can extract substances from certain plant or animal sources and modify it with chemicals to create the flavor they want, and simply call it 'natural flavors' on the nutritional label. They start with a natural flavor source and can mix together hundreds of different chemicals, preservatives, and solvents, and then use it as a flavor enhancer for a snack or beverage.
15. 'Influencers'
WHY it exists: Society places value on being popular or known. People have realized that they can make a lot of money by being trendsetters in specific categories. Social media has helped them gain access to a large audience, allowing them to persuade people.
16. Finding the right foundation for my skin color and tone
WHY it exists: Many factors affect how foundation looks on your skin. Everyone has different undertones and skin values. What works for one person's skin will not work the same way for another person's skin. As it oxidizes and adjusts to your skin it looks different than when you first apply it to your skin. And the lighting at the store when you are swatching different foundations is different than the lighting at home in your bathroom or bedroom.
17. Diet culture
WHY it exists: Subliminal messages are spread by influencers and health professionals on social media, and by food and drink companies that place value on losing weight and being thin. It exists to promote dieting, clean eating, excessive and obsessive exercise, or any behavior that encourages weight loss. It exists as a way to sell you expensive products labeled with words like "superfoods" or "clean."
18. No women directors nominated for an Oscar this year, despite historic number of women directing films
WHY it exists: Women, especially women of color, are heavily underrepresented behind the scenes in Hollywood, outnumbered in the director's chair by 20 to 1.
19. People who insist on buying brand new books instead of used books
WHY it exists: Some people love the smell of new books and the experience of picking them out at a bookstore. Some also prefer to keep books in pristine condition, making sure not to crease the spine or let the cover get worn out.
20. People who hate musicals
WHY it exists: Some people do not like musicals because their taste in TV and film tends towards realism. Many of these people make the argument that, “In real life, people don’t just suddenly break into song and dance.”
Reflection:
Overall I enjoyed coming up with my bug list. In the very beginning I would think of one thing that bothered me and it would lead me down a rabbit hole of similar problems. To avoid making all of my bugs centralized on one theme, such as traffic, I started just thinking of a few bugs everyday for about a week. In that time I traveled out of town and talked to different people that I don't see regularly, which helped spark new ideas.
I recently started listening to NPR's podcast How I Built This with Guy Raz, and this also helped me as I was coming up with my list of bugs. On the podcast Guy sits down with different entrepreneurs who have built the world's most well-known businesses. Some of which have become integrated into our lives, from Dippin' Dots to Yelp to Instagram. A foodie myself, my favorite episodes are the ones where he sat down with Lara Merriken of LARABAR, Stacy Brown of Chicken Salad Chick, Stacy Madison of Stacy's Pita Chips, and Bill Creelman of Spindrift.
I found that listening to these episodes also helped me as I was compiling my list of bugs because I could see that each of these stories shared the same overarching theme: they noticed a problem and wanted to solve it. If it were not for that problem and the passionate pursuit by those trying to solve it, these businesses would not exist. Both listening to this podcast and coming up with my own list of bugs, made me realize that at the core of every business is the opportunity to solve an existing problem.
Hi Grace!
ReplyDeleteGreat points! I never considered why certain things that irritate me, like substances that stick to non-stick pans, actually occur. Although there are many things in life that bug us, really delving into why these bugs occur and how we contribute to them, can help us see things from a different perspective. I love how you incorporated common issues from all walks of life, and the podcast that helped you come up with some of these seems really interesting! I'll definately check it out and awesome job on the assignment! Something that really helped me to create my list was talking to my friends that go to other schools, this gave me insight on some differences between different bugs in certain areas and shared universally accepted annoyances.
Great post grace! The bug you mentioned that I agree with the most is the too small parking spaces at the Rawlings garage. I lived in Rawlings last year and had to park there almost every day. It was super annoying having to try to squeeze my car into the tiny spots. Even when I was able to squeeze into the spots, I would have the two cars next to me very close and leave no room. I also hate when people drive really slow in the left lanes on the highway also. I relate to that every time I use the highway. I usually have to just go around them and curse under my breath.
ReplyDeleteHi Grace,
ReplyDeleteReading your blog reminded me of many daily bugs and I connected with almost all of them. I recently upgraded pillows and now understand how much comfort actually costs! Airport food, while necessary are usually terrible and drinks are so costly yet you cannot bring liquids through security. Social media is now a large factor in our everyday life and we have altered our lives because of it. Thank you for your honestly I enjoyed reading your post.
Hi Grace! Your bug list was great! I was really impressed with how you found bugs from completely different areas of life. I had a tough time finding bugs that were different from each other and remembering them for long enough to write them down. I can relate to the fact that foundation never matches my skin tone. It's so frustrating but seeing and identifying these problems or "bugs" can open our eyes to ways we can fix them. I found my bugs to be mostly annoyances that I notice immediately from my senses such as certain sounds or smells, but I liked how a few of your bugs were more of ideas than physical issues.
ReplyDelete