Entry 9. Pros and cons of social media application

      One of the most important advantages of social media is certainly the speed and efficiency in which it allows communication between people. For example, in the 2013 protests which took place in Turkey, social media played a vital role in communication. Many of the protesters were young men and women, students, and they organized the protests using social media. The plans of where and how the protests would take place spread through social media accounts rapidly, staging some of the biggest protests that Turkish people had witnessed in the country's history. This is a great example of how social media can be used for change and for public mobilization. Similar examples took place during the Arab Spring and other incidents across the world. Social media has given people, especially the new generation which is very computer savvy, a new and effective instrument to come together for issues they believe in

Entry 8. How useful are online self assesstment tests

        Self-assessment tests are helpful tools for our learning more about ourselves, such as our interests, values, talents and skills. The tests also include a list of possible careers for our personality type, based on aspects of us that match aspects of these jobs. Assessment tests can’t determine the best career for us but we can use the suggestions as a guide in our job search. There are a variety of tests available for different aspects of your personality. For instance, you could select one designed to determine your values, one to test for your work style or another for discovering your interests. You can find self-assessment tests in books on career guidance or you can take a test online.

Entry 3. Listening podcasts and applications

      A podcast is a series of digital media files either digital audio or video that is episodic; downloadable; program-driven, mainly with a host and/or theme; and convenient, usually via an automated feed with computer software. However, many podcasts are episodes of shows you could also hear on the radio, with all the production values you’d expect. Others are just a group of friends sitting around a microphone, or using Skype, talking about a subject they’re passionate about. A lot of popular podcasts are somewhere in the middle: conversational at times, structured at others. It’s an entire world, really. For me, it’s the perfect companion for cleaning the house or cooking a meal, and many use podcasts to make long commutes more interesting.

YULDUZ USMONOVA.

Yulduz Usmonova (Russified form: Yulduz Usmanova) (Uzbek: Yulduz Usmonova, Юлдуз Усмонова) (born December 12, 1963) is a well-known Uzbek singer and actress.^[1] She has achieved widespread fame in Uzbekistan, other parts of Central Asia, and more recently in Turkey. Usmonova has also acted in a number of Uzbek films.

Yulduz Usmonova was born in Margilan in the Ferghana region^[2] of Uzbekistan. Her parents worked at a silk factory. She studied music at the pedagogical institute in Margilan.

She was discovered by Gavharxonim Rahimova after singing at a Women’s Day show. Rahimova helped to open many doors for Usmanova. After being introduced to professors from the Uzbekistan State Conservatory, she prepared under their guidance. She studied vocal, and then later became a popular singer in Uzbekistan after independence in 1991. She became famous throughout Central Asia and later in Turkey and has released songs in many languages, such as Uzbek, Uyghur, Turkish, Russian, Tajik, Arab, Kazakh, and Tatar.^[3]

As Uzbekistan’s most popular singer, she has regularly appeared in concerts and has released several albums. She is known for her vocal opposition to the practice of lip-syncing in "live" concerts which is widespread among (younger) singers in Uzbekistan. She is one of the few artists remaining who always sing live when in concert.

Yulduz Usmonova has served in the Uzbek parliament.

In 2008, Usmonova emigrated to Turkey citing dissatisfaction with political involvement and the incident that happened on May 13, 2005 in Fergana (also known as the "Bloody Friday in the Fergana Valley"). However, in her own interview Yulduz Usmonova cites the problems with the control of the state in Uzbekistan over where a singer is allowed to sing. She mentions that the Uzbek government obstructed her from performing in Turkmenistan, with which Uzbek officials had problematic relations over border issues. After migration she launched a successful career in Turkey, scoring hits with such singles as '"Beni kovma kalbinden", "Dünya", "Yalan" and "Seni Severdim," the latter being a duet with the famous Turkish singer Yaşar. Yulduz Usmonova's daughter Nilufar Usmonova is also a singer.

ED SHEERAN.

Edward Christopher Sheeran, MBE (/ˈʃɪərən/; born 17 February 1991) is an English singer, songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actor. He attended the Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford as an undergraduate from the age of 18 in 2009. In early 2011, Sheeran independently released the extended play, No. 5 Collaborations Project. After signing with Asylum Records, his debut album, + (pronounced "plus"), was released in September 2011. It topped the UK and Australian charts, reached number five in the US, and has since been certified seven-times platinum in the UK. The album contains the single "The A Team", which earned him the Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically. In 2012, Sheeran won the Brit Awards for Best British Male Solo Artist and British Breakthrough Act. "The A Team" was nominated for Song of the Year at the 2013 Grammy Awards, where he performed the song with Elton John.

His second studio album, x (pronounced "multiply"), was released in June 2014. It peaked at number one in the UK and the US. In 2015, x won the Brit Award for Album of the Year, and he received the Ivor Novello Award for Songwriter of the Year from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors. His single from x, "Thinking Out Loud", earned him two Grammy Awards at the 2016 ceremony: Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance. In May 2016, x was named the second-best-selling album worldwide of 2015.

Sheeran's third album, ÷ (pronounced "divide"), was released in March 2017. The album debuted at number one in the UK, the US and other major markets. The first two singles from the album, "Shape of You" and "Castle on the Hill", were released in January 2017 and broke records in a number of countries, including the UK, Australia and Germany, by debuting in the top two positions of the charts. He also became the first artist to have two songs debut in the US top 10 in the same week. By March 2017, Sheeran had accumulated ten top 10 singles from ÷ on the UK Singles Chart, breaking the record for most top 10 UK singles from one album. His fourth single from ÷, "Perfect", reached number one in the US, Australia and the UK, where it became the Christmas number one in 2017. In April 2018, ÷ was named the best-selling album worldwide of 2017.

Sheeran has sold more than 130 million records worldwide, making him one of the world's best-selling music artists. Two of his albums are in the list of the best-selling albums in UK chart history: x at number 20, and ÷ at number 34. An alumnus of the National Youth Theatre in London, as an actor Sheeran has portrayed a recurring role on The Bastard Executioner,and in 2019, he will appear in the Richard Curtis/Danny Boyle film Yesterday.

SAMI YUSUF.

Sami Yusuf is a British singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer, and humanitarian, born in Iran.Yusuf gained international attention with the release of his debut album, Al-Mu’allim, in 2003. Now with over 34 million albums sold, he performs at venues around the world.The BBC, CNN, ARTE,FRANCE 24,Reuters, Time, Rolling Stone, and Music Weekare among the media outlets that have covered him and his work. His seventh studio album, Barakah, was released in 2016.

In recognition of his humanitarian work, in 2014 Yusuf was appointed United Nations Global Ambassador for the World Food Programme.

RIHANNA.

Robyn Rihanna Fenty (/riˈænə/; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, fashion designer, and actress. Regarded as a pop icon and one of the most influential contemporary recording artists, she is known for embracing various musical styles and reinventing her image throughout her career.

Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the US in 2005, when she signed with Def Jam Recordings to pursue a music career. She earned significant recognition following the release of her first two studio albums Music of the Sun (2005) and A Girl like Me(2006), both of which were influenced by Caribbean music and peaked within the top ten of the US Billboard 200 chart. Rihanna's third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad (2007), incorporated more elements of dance-pop and catapulted her to greater stardom, establishing her status as a sex symbol and a leading figure in the music industry. Its international chart-topping single "Umbrella" earned Rihanna her first Grammy Award, winning Best Rap/Sung Collaboration.

Rihanna extended her fusion of pop, dance and R&B on her next four studio albums, Rated R (2009), Loud (2010), Talk That Talk (2011) and the Grammy Award winner Unapologetic (2012). All four releases incorporated experimentation of various musical styles and consolidated Rihanna's international chart success, Unapologetic being her first number-one album in the US. The records spawned a string of chart-topping singles, including "Rude Boy", "Only Girl (In the World)", "What's My Name?", "S&M", "We Found Love", "Diamonds" and "Stay". Her eighth studio album, Anti (2016), showcased her control over artistic creativity after her departure from Def Jam. It became her second US number-one album and featured the chart-topping single "Work". Besides solo materials, Rihanna is a prolific featured artist, having collaborated with such musicians as Drake, Eminem and Calvin Harris to similar success.

Having sold over 250 million records, Rihanna is one of the best-selling music artists worldwide. She has earned 14 number-one singles and 31 top-ten singles in the US, and 30 top-ten entries in the UK. Her accoladesinclude nine Grammy Awards, 13 American Music Awards, 12 BillboardMusic Awards, and six Guinness World Records. Forbes ranked her among the top ten highest-paid celebrities in 2012 and 2014, and Timenamed her as one of the 100 most influential people in the world twice (2012 and 2018). Alongside a successful music career, Rihanna is well known for her involvement in humanitarian causes, entrepreneurial ventures and the fashion industry. She is the founder of nonprofit organization Clara Lionel Foundation, cosmetics brand Fenty Beauty, and fashion house Fenty under LVMH. In 2018, the Government of Barbadosappointed her as an ambassador with duties promoting education, tourism and investment.