2013 Year in Review

!"#$%&&'
Post Photo / Video
Write Something...
2013: The age of SNS and YouTube
By Claire Yun and Yeaji Park
n the year 2013, there has been an IncreasIng number oI ways peopIe can share theIr Ideas through dIerent
social networking sites (SNS). The media can be vital in spreading culture and news, starting trends and produc
ing new icons people can be informed about.
Websites such as YouTube allows anyone to upload anything, from videos featuring political issues such as the
crIsIs In SyrIa, to pop cuIture, such as MIIey Cyrus`s VIdeo MusIc Awards perIormance. HavIng the capacIty to
spread a vast amount oI uncensored and accurate InIormatIon, YouTube pIayed a bIg roIe In heIpIng the Arab
SprIng actIvIsts. Not onIy dId socIaI medIa aId the revoIutIon, It aIso heIped the Arab cIvIIIans become aware that
they are not the only ones experiencing brutality.
"For the crIsIs In SyrIa, have seen on the news that there are Iootages Ieaked by the cIvIIIans regardIng what`s
happening, Shota Ono (10) said. YouTube and Facebook allow everyone to understand what is happening and
become more aware. When people watch these videos, they get inspired and spread the word, allowing more
changes to come upon these Middle Eastern countries.
Other SNS tools that grew in popularity this year are Facebook and Twitter. From 100 million users back in 2008,
the number of Facebook users increased to over 1 billion as of March 2013 and Twitter is ranked one of the top
ten most frequently visited websites according to Statistics Brain. These SNS has made it much more easier for
ceIebrItIes and poIItIcaI gures to reach a wIder audIence In natIons around the gIobe.

"SocIaI medIa Inuences the worId In the sense that peopIe get somethIng to taIk about," saId 8rIttany StanzeI,
elementary school teacher. In the past, Lady Gaga used to be very famous, and now Miley Cyrus in on her way
out, making her an icon of pop culture. These things that they did was to elicit response. Since pop culture is
always about attention, the art is constantly changing, and provides something trendy in our lives.
Through unprecedented changes in the media and the freedom to share a wide variety of topics on SNS and
YouTube, 2013 has Inuenced peopIe In a way that aIIows them to get Iaster InIormatIon, and aectIng theIr
thoughts and ideas. The year of 2013 proved that the world that dares to try new things and is full of people
who are meant to change varIous aspects oI everyone`s IIves.
SNS is a way for the new and poor to express themselves allowing the world to do mainstream things every
'AmerIcan` couId enjoy," Yoon Lee (10) saId "ThIngs such as pop cuIture Is beIng taIIored to be enjoyed by the
largest population possible, no longer making it a melting pot of ideas but a selling machine.
Timeline About Photos Friends More
Layout by Eunie Jang
Graphics by Eunie Jang and Christine Lee
About
Music
Movies
2013 Year in Review
The Ender`s
Game
The Great
Gatsby
Iron Man 3 Catching Fire
Reektor AM Random Access Settle
Overgrown Yeezus m b v
Ranging from shifts in political power to a gradual recovery from the economic re-
cession, and from the advancement of technology to the development of popular
culture, the year 2013 has experienced a myriad of events that will be remembered
and recorded in history. The following posts will cover some of the pivotal events and
promInent gures that hIghIIghted the year.
The 20/20
Experience
Home
2013
Obamacare controversy dominates American politics
By Bason Park
As the rst poIItIcaI ImpressIon oI the second term oI the Obama admInIstratIon, The PatIent ProtectIon and
AordabIe HeaIth Care Act (Obamacare) has been arguabIy one oI the most controversIaI poIIcIes oI the year.
Despite the heavy anticipation for the live launch of Obamacare on Oct. 1, only six people in the nation success-
IuIIy enroIIed In heaIth Insurance pIans under the onIIne IederaI marketpIace, HeaIthCare.gov, accordIng to the
House OversIght CommIttee. FIrst sIgned as a Iaw on March 23, 2010, and eventuaIIy upheId by the Supreme
Court on ]une 28, 2012, Obamacare`s maIn purpose was to provIde more AmerIcans access to aordabIe quaI-
ity health insurance and to reduce the growth in health care spending in the long run.
This program aimed at increasing the availability of health insurance through consumer protection, regulation,
subsidies and taxes while maintaining and extending coverage for already existing private and public forms of
insurance such as employer duties, Medicare and Medicaid, eventually promoting a gradual conversion of all
heaIth Insurance IndustrIes to Obamacare by 2014. However, the sIow and seemIngIy maIIunctIonIng onIIne
federal marketplace full of error displays, lengthy delays and system breakdowns for individual purchase plans
thwarted its progress.
"AIthough Obamacare was not dIsapproved by the majorIty, the websIte was denIteIy not a success," Courtney
Caldwell said. The point was proven for the people who initially distrusted the government and said every little
negative thing towards [Obamacare]. But in the long run, more people will get access to better health care if the
with technical improvements.
Even before concerns with the federal marketplace, however, Obamacare has been a constant hotspot of politi-
caI conIct throughout thIs year In the UnIted States that resuIted In a heavy burden Ior the Obama admInIstra-
tIon. AIthough thIs poIIcy was decIared constItutIonaIIy IegaI by the Supreme Court, severaI state governors,
maInIy those oI RepubIIcan IdeaIs, strIctIy opposed thIs Idea because oI Issues wIth cost eectIveness.
"The poIItIcaI structure In AmerIca has been experIencIng a grIdIock especIaIIy throughout thIs year," saId ]ohn
Hurt, hIstory teacher. "t Is extremeIy dImcuIt Ior the DemocratIc WhIte House to enIorce Its poIIcIes eectIveIy
when there Is a RepubIIcan senatorIaI majorIty. There Is aIso the ongoIng Issue oI states not compromIsIng wIth
the federally implemented policies.
AmIdst the aIorementIoned conIcts, nevertheIess, the Obama admInIstratIon made a coIIectIve eort In order
to ameIIorate Its sItuatIon. The admInIstratIve team ensured that 50,000 AmerIcans can regIster Ior the servIce
at any gIven tIme oI the day, and that up to 800,000 cItIzens can regIster per day. The rate oI onIIne enroIIment
aIso Increased as 29,000 peopIe sIgned up on the rst two days oI December, whIch was around 2,000 more
than that of the entire month of October, according to CNN.
There have been a lot of arguments against Obamacare especially because of the failure of nationwide com-
munIcatIon wIth the websIte," Harry Lee (11) saId. "However, sInce the IdeaIs and IntentIons oI the poIIcy are
benecIaI, In the Iong run, there are goIng to be Iess pubIIc dIsapprovaI and more advocates Ior the poIIcy.
think that this can be considered a step towards democratic progressivism.
n the year 2013, there has been an IncreasIng number oI ways peopIe can share theIr Ideas through dIerent
social networking sites (SNS). The media can be vital in spreading culture and news, starting trends and produc-
Websites such as YouTube allows anyone to upload anything, from videos featuring political issues such as the
crIsIs In SyrIa, to pop cuIture, such as MIIey Cyrus`s VIdeo MusIc Awards perIormance. HavIng the capacIty to
spread a vast amount oI uncensored and accurate InIormatIon, YouTube pIayed a bIg roIe In heIpIng the Arab
SprIng actIvIsts. Not onIy dId socIaI medIa aId the revoIutIon, It aIso heIped the Arab cIvIIIans become aware that
"For the crIsIs In SyrIa, have seen on the news that there are Iootages Ieaked by the cIvIIIans regardIng what`s
happening, Shota Ono (10) said. YouTube and Facebook allow everyone to understand what is happening and
become more aware. When people watch these videos, they get inspired and spread the word, allowing more
Other SNS tools that grew in popularity this year are Facebook and Twitter. From 100 million users back in 2008,
the number of Facebook users increased to over 1 billion as of March 2013 and Twitter is ranked one of the top
ten most frequently visited websites according to Statistics Brain. These SNS has made it much more easier for
ceIebrItIes and poIItIcaI gures to reach a wIder audIence In natIons around the gIobe.
"SocIaI medIa Inuences the worId In the sense that peopIe get somethIng to taIk about," saId 8rIttany StanzeI,
elementary school teacher. In the past, Lady Gaga used to be very famous, and now Miley Cyrus in on her way
out, making her an icon of pop culture. These things that they did was to elicit response. Since pop culture is
always about attention, the art is constantly changing, and provides something trendy in our lives.
Through unprecedented changes in the media and the freedom to share a wide variety of topics on SNS and
YouTube, 2013 has Inuenced peopIe In a way that aIIows them to get Iaster InIormatIon, and aectIng theIr
thoughts and ideas. The year of 2013 proved that the world that dares to try new things and is full of people
SNS is a way for the new and poor to express themselves allowing the world to do mainstream things every
'AmerIcan` couId enjoy," Yoon Lee (10) saId "ThIngs such as pop cuIture Is beIng taIIored to be enjoyed by the
largest population possible, no longer making it a melting pot of ideas but a selling machine.
More