Clay's Blog

I myself have taken note of the fact that there is a whole generation of people coming of age that have never known a time before cell phones and Facebook. For myself, being on the cusp of this generation (born in the late 80's), I was glad to have grown up without a cellphone and to have only a very basic internet, having been free of the social media that is so pervasive today. It seems obvious that this leap in technology between generations has left some people in the digital-dust, but does that mean that the new generation has innate abilities older generations could never have developed? Even though that might seem like a reach, one has to admit that the general experience the younger generations are getting is vastly different than those who came before. But, does that mean they fundamentally carry out cognitive tasks differently? That is the argument put forth by Marc Prensky. Since the early 2000's when he coined the term "digital natives" and "digital i

 Knapp's Relational Model Hello everyone, this week we are going to be taking a look at a personal relationship of mine as it relates to one of the stages of Knapp's Relational Model. Fair warning: somewhat disturbing images and topics are briefly discussed, but no extremely graphic images.  If you've ever wondered just what are the mechanisms of creating, maintaining, or even ending a relationship, Knapp's Model may be interesting for you. Created by Mark Knapp, a professor from the University of Texas, born in 1938, the model breaks down relationships into 10 steps in 2 stages: coming together and growing apart. Each stage differs in approach, outcome, and duration.  As a young person coming originally from a small town in America, the idea of growing apart from your friends seemed so strange at one time. Why would we ever look at each other differently? What could we ever disagree about so badly that might cause one person or the other to just cease contact? Before a

  Do different social networking sites offer different benefits and drawbacks?     Social media has infiltrated our lives and our lives have infiltrated it. There is a whole generation coming-of-age that didn't know a time before the internet, smart phones and social media. There is an expectation to share, to broadcast your life, to make intimate details of your life known to anyone who clicks on your profile, and the way you choose to do so is up to you. There are countless platforms but only a few that garner the attention of the majority of people, and they each offer a different way to share about yourself. I would have to say that the benefits and drawbacks are pretty similar no matter which platform you use. Lets take a brief look at a few of the biggest: Facebook, Instagram, and Reddit.  Facebook: This platform has made it easy for people to stay in touch online and find people you know. This is great for family and friends, and allows people to share photos, videos, and de

Hello everyone, my name is Clay Gerling and I am originally from Las Vegas, Nevada. I currently live in Winnemucca, Nevada, a small town north of Reno. It is so cold here I don't think I'll ever get used to it after growing up in the nearly uninhabitable Southern Nevada Desert. I am working towards my horticulture degree with the goal of working in the legal cannabis industry. I previously ran a small business growing aeroponic herbs and veggies and selling them to restaurants in Las Vegas. After the initial COVID lockdown in 2020, we had to close shop and sell our house. Around that time my wife and I had our first baby, a boy we named Dean, after my father. Since then my wife has completed her Social Work Masters Degree and is starting her clinical internship hours. I am so proud of her and am so happy to be a new dad! (Although I do miss sleep). (photo of my one of my aeroponic garden units growing chard) Most of my online communication happens at work, although I will admit