“Anti-Social Media”

Hey! Welcome to my first update on the Anti-Social Media. In this update, I wanted to talk about what I’ve been up to lately.

#### What I Was Up To

I GOT ELECTED AS THE UNDP STUDENT AMBASSADOR COHORT 4!

This may sound like an over-exaggeration, but I am more than happy to have been accepted as a student ambassador. I even got my reference letter from Shuhuan Lyu. May this position open new doors to my horizon.

Even though my daily life is quite simple these days, I started going back to the gym, and I am resolute regarding my fitness goals.

I also attended the 59th ASEAN Day and met with many ambassadors. Even though my task was to introduce our "ASEAN Studies in Türkiye - 1" book to the guests, I was mostly content with the food they offered (it was an open buffet introducing dishes from all the ASEAN countries). I was lucky enough to meet and talk with the Turkish assistants at the Thai Embassy in Ankara. Maybe talking with them and physically experiencing the atmosphere sparked my interest in the MOFA? (Also a note: the current Thai ambassador is a incredibly considerate person; he asked whether I had eaten multiple times!)

Announcement to my fans: I am returning to the arts! I am currently doing watercolor and sketching. I also mastered Figma, so I can vectorize nearly everything (I say "nearly" because I don't know every plug-in not yet, anyway!).

I am going to the Turkish Central Bank for a two-day introductory visit. I missed İstanbul! I don't know if it will be easy for me to explore the Anatolian side, but we will see.

#### What I Have Been Thinking Lately

I feel like the current focus on AI is misleading. The real focus will be on the physical infrastructure, which will highlight data centers more than the cognitive part of the technology itself. We are producing more data than we realize, and as a user and a small node in this network, I don't even know my own value. We need to learn more about how we, as nodes, play into this game.

I also think media consumption is too accelerated, and we are "prosuming" only because we produce data with every step we take. I feel like not everyone understands the immensity of the media we consume and how deeply it affects us as a whole. Maybe the real deal is not just having access to the internet and social media, but understanding how the media is shaping us and how it will eventually numb us completely.

The process of looking at an object or a scenery, seeing the vectors, and understanding the lighting is a real game-changer. When I started vectorizing with the pen tool (to curve shapes into the exact mimicry I wanted to achieve) it led me to look at real-life scenery and understand how to "vectorize" it. It is quite similar with watercolor; you learn how to simplify the vibrant colors you see into basic hues and strokes. Everyone should try to mimic nature!

Developing your body and shaping it is incredibly challenging. This is a long-run process that you cannot speed up. The only benefit (other than achieving your dream body) is that you understand your body and your movements better outside of the gym. You start noticing it when simple actions become challenging, like taking a shower and struggling with basic arm movements, or feeling your muscles tighten when you aren't moving.

Note: Data is not just the Excel spreadsheets we see at work, nor is it just a binary string. Even the single image you post on your story or your Spotify listening streak is a data point, and powerful data visualizers will map your whole life with those few fragments of data they have!

#### Songs I Recommend

I couldn't betray my music library, so to top my list, I have to include Cage the Elephant - "House of Glass", since it is a track I resonate with and feel deeply personal about.

Rone - "Megaptera Novaeangliae" is a really cool track that features whale sounds and underwater SFX. The song has a great electronic instrumental backing, too.

Still Corners - "Static" is a good one. Bae Eylül recommended it and told me the song reminds her of me (announcing her sentiment to the whole world!), but I enjoyed the music nonetheless.

Lastly for this edition, I want to introduce Jungle to you! I believe everyone should know this band -- why are they so under the radar here? You can suggest you to start with their song "Back on 74" and listen to the whole album, or explore their other stuff.

#### Article Highlight

After Dr. Sırma Altun recommended this article to me, I was quite shocked, since it was not the type of literature I expected to find interesting, but here I am featuring it. Joscha Abels' article titled "Private Network Realignment: State Strategies Versus Market-Driven Globalization in the Subsea Cable Network" is absolutely worth looking at. I am building my interest in infrastructure IPE (International Political Economy), and this piece introduced another level of depth to the field. If you know nothing about the subsea cable network, please check this work out. While reading it, you will feel like you are exploring a Turkish soap opera!

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