Friday, April 17, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Journal Entry #4
Media is a part of my everyday life. Before taking this class, I never really thought about how much I am affected by media and technology. The minute I wake up to my alarm clock on my cell phone, I am using media. Then, I go to my computer and turn it on and check to see if I have any messages. After class, I will go on the Internet, or turn on the television. I am constantly texting friends or family from my cell phone, or checking my email to see if I have any important events coming up that I should know about. Where would I be today without media in my everyday life? I can't even begin to imagine what I would do each day if I didn't have a computer, television, cellphone, or Ipod. One day, I forgot my cell phone back in my dorm room when I went to work. I only worked for three hours and I was having cell phone withdrawls. I was going insane without being able to text message people. Just the fact of having my cell phone with me, even if I didn't use it, felt reassuring. Another time I had to suffer without media was when I didn't have Internet for three days here at school, because I got "kicked off the Marist network" because of downloading music. I wasn't able to log onto the internet for three days, until I went to talk to Resnet. This felt like the longest three days of my life. I wasn't able to check my e-mail, talk to friends on AIM, or go on the Internet. It felt so weird to not be able to see what was going on with everyone else's lives due to Facebook status's and away messages on AIM. It was during finals week, and a snow storm was due for the morning of the last day of finals. I wasn't even able to check the homepage to see if finals were cancelled or not, which really bothered me. Luckily, my housemates were in the same class as me and could inform me. It sounds selfish, but without media, I don't know what I would do. I can't imagine what the people who can't afford computers or cell phones do on a daily basis--probably more important things than I do. They are probably harder workers due to their lack of technology. I feel that technology is making people lazy. I know that instead of going to the library to check out books, I simply use the internet to find sources and articles. I feel that without the use of technology, people in general would be more intelligent and motivated. In general, without media and technology, our lives would be greatly affected in many ways. I am grateful for living in such a highly technological world.
Journal Entry #3: Happiness Machines
The Century of the Self: Happiness Machines (Part One) is a film that portrays the rise of philosopher Sigmund Freud's dynasty. Freud is a well known philosopher who is known for his many theories in religion, psychology and philosophy and his creation of pyschoanalysis. His theory of the Self is about the power and understanding of our "self". The film portrays the story of the social world and mass consumption. It explains how the all-consuming self is created and what has made humans such big consumers. We now live in a society where we are consumed with media and other such things on a daily basis. This contrasts from Freud's days, when media wasn't available on a daily basis. The movie shows how Freud's theory of psychoanalysis changed the world by introducing new techniques and tools to understand the masses. He proclaimed that happiness and satisfaction are the ultimate goal to man; and they can achieve this through media, technology, and new "machines".
Part One of Happiness Machines is about Freud and his nephew Edward Bernays. In the 1920s, Bernays invented public relations and used his uncle's ideas to manipulate mass audiences. He linked mass produced goods to what their unconscious desires were. American corporations took Bernays' ideas into consideration, in order to get consumers to want their product. Bernays used persuasion in order to get consumers to buy. He used techniques such as celebrity endorsement,
stunts, tricks, and more, to persuade consumers. His most notable achievement was when he broke the taboo on women who smoke by persuading them that cigarettes were a symbol of independence and freedom. Bernays came up with new political ways of how to control the masses and sell consumer goods. Using his uncle's ideas and theories, Bernays implemented happiness into consumer minds. The all-consuming self has since dominated the world today, with media and products bought and used on a daily basis.
I feel like the main point this video was trying to get across was that people purchase things with an unwanted desire. When we go out shopping, most of the time we end up buying more than we planned to. We might go to the grocery store with a small list of products, but will end up with twice as much food, depending on whats on sale or things that catch our eye and look tasty. This goes to show that Bernays and Freud's theories are true; in today's society, the all-consuming self has taken over our unconscious minds.
Part One of Happiness Machines is about Freud and his nephew Edward Bernays. In the 1920s, Bernays invented public relations and used his uncle's ideas to manipulate mass audiences. He linked mass produced goods to what their unconscious desires were. American corporations took Bernays' ideas into consideration, in order to get consumers to want their product. Bernays used persuasion in order to get consumers to buy. He used techniques such as celebrity endorsement,
stunts, tricks, and more, to persuade consumers. His most notable achievement was when he broke the taboo on women who smoke by persuading them that cigarettes were a symbol of independence and freedom. Bernays came up with new political ways of how to control the masses and sell consumer goods. Using his uncle's ideas and theories, Bernays implemented happiness into consumer minds. The all-consuming self has since dominated the world today, with media and products bought and used on a daily basis.
I feel like the main point this video was trying to get across was that people purchase things with an unwanted desire. When we go out shopping, most of the time we end up buying more than we planned to. We might go to the grocery store with a small list of products, but will end up with twice as much food, depending on whats on sale or things that catch our eye and look tasty. This goes to show that Bernays and Freud's theories are true; in today's society, the all-consuming self has taken over our unconscious minds.
Journal Entry #2: Media Journal
This is my journal entry for the products I use and media that I consumed each day. I recorded this journal in order to do the media use project on Photoshop, where I put photos of media I use over a photo of myself. This portrayed the media that I consume and how I use it.
Media Literacy Product Use Journal:
Friday, March 6th:
- Colgate Total toothpaste
- ProActive face wash
- Wet to Dry hair straightener
- Conair blowdryer
- IPOD touch
- Verizon LG Dare
- Maybelline Foundation
- Cetaphil Moisturizer
- Revlon eyeline
- IBM ThinkPad lap top
- Covergirl mascara
- Herbel Essence shampoo and conditioner
- Television
- Internet (Facebook, Foxmail, Google, AIM)
Saturday, March 7th
- ProActive face wash
- Colgate Total toothpaste
- Verizon LG Dare
- Maybelline Foundation
- Revlon eye liner
- Cetaphil moisturizer
- Conair blowdryer
- Conair curling iron
- IBM Think Pad lap top
- Covergirl mascara
- Herbel Essence shampoo and conditioner
- Internet
- Cosmopolitan magazine
Sunday, March 8th
- Maybelline Foundation
- IBM ThinkPad lap top
- Internet
- Verizon LG Dare
- Colgate Total toothpaste
- Cetaphil moisturizer
- Covergirl mascara
- Herbal essence shampoo and conditioner
- People magazine
- television
Monday, March 9th
- Verizon LG Dare
- ThinkPad IBM lap top
- Wet to straight hair straightener
- Internet
- Colgate Total toothpaste
- Maybelline foundation
- Revlon eyeliner
- Covergirl mascara
- Cetaphil moisturizer
Media Literacy Product Use Journal:
Friday, March 6th:
- Colgate Total toothpaste
- ProActive face wash
- Wet to Dry hair straightener
- Conair blowdryer
- IPOD touch
- Verizon LG Dare
- Maybelline Foundation
- Cetaphil Moisturizer
- Revlon eyeline
- IBM ThinkPad lap top
- Covergirl mascara
- Herbel Essence shampoo and conditioner
- Television
- Internet (Facebook, Foxmail, Google, AIM)
Saturday, March 7th
- ProActive face wash
- Colgate Total toothpaste
- Verizon LG Dare
- Maybelline Foundation
- Revlon eye liner
- Cetaphil moisturizer
- Conair blowdryer
- Conair curling iron
- IBM Think Pad lap top
- Covergirl mascara
- Herbel Essence shampoo and conditioner
- Internet
- Cosmopolitan magazine
Sunday, March 8th
- Maybelline Foundation
- IBM ThinkPad lap top
- Internet
- Verizon LG Dare
- Colgate Total toothpaste
- Cetaphil moisturizer
- Covergirl mascara
- Herbal essence shampoo and conditioner
- People magazine
- television
Monday, March 9th
- Verizon LG Dare
- ThinkPad IBM lap top
- Wet to straight hair straightener
- Internet
- Colgate Total toothpaste
- Maybelline foundation
- Revlon eyeliner
- Covergirl mascara
- Cetaphil moisturizer
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
Chapter 6: Media in Everyday Life
Chapter 6 focuses on the uses of media in everyday life. We don't normally think about it, but media consumes every minute of everyday. Even when we don't realize it, we are using media. I know that from the very minute I wake up to my alarm clock on my cell phone, until the minute before I go to bed while I am watching television, that I am using media. Where would we be today without the high usage of media? I don't think anybody really knows the answer to this, because media has become an important part of our lives many decades ago. When we are using media, it is usually with other people. When you talk on the phone, e-mail a friend, or listen to the radio, you are interacting with other people. We are recipients and authors of messages that are conveyed through the variety of media. Not only are we linked to different people and media, but different media forms are linked to one another. When you plug your Ipod into your computer, two medias are working together and becoming dependent on one another. Media always refer to and comment on other media forms. Media has played a very important role throughout the twentieth century, which is further discussed in this chapter.
The "masses" described changes in the structure of societies undergoing industrialization and the emergence of the working class. Mass media came into play post World War II, due to the increased industrialization and mechanization of modern society. During this time period, newspapers, radio and television broadcast were on the rise. Mass media is a term that denotes media forms designed to reach large audiences perceived to have shared interests. The primary traditional mass media forms of the 20th century were radio, network and cable television, the cinema and the press. Electronic and digital media (internet, cell phones, wireless devices) didn't come into play until the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, and are still being reinvented today. Today, consumers have the ability to choose between and interact with different types of media, which wasn't an option years ago.
Medium is a means of communication. Radio, television, a megaphone, the Internet, and our own voice are examples of mediums. Media is the plural form of medium, which refers to a group of communication technologies that produce and spread news, entertainment, and information together. Media is not as specific as a medium; such as all radio stations, the Web, and films. Media has a major impact on the meaning it conveys. The message of the television is that it is a medium of distraction, with its ongoing rhythm of commercials and switching channels. The message that the Internet portrays is its speed, global scope and instant information gathering.
Mass broadcasting reaches a large national audience conveying the same meaning and ideas. A form of mass media that emerged prior to World War II was propaganda. When we think of the word propaganda, we instantly think of the Holocaust and the different forms of propaganda that Hitler posted about the Nazis. This was successful because Hitler seemed to brainwash people to believe that Nazism was the best form of government. Television emerged during this era as a nationalized industry of mass persuasion and strong ideology. Crowds of people would gather around a public television on the streets and watch Hitler speak. In the twentieth century, the terms "hypodermic needle" and "magic bullet" were used to understand media effects. I had never heard of these terms before. The hypodermic needle model proposed that the media have a direct and immediate effect on the audience--they were "drugged" and the texts were "injected" into their minds. This relates to Hitler and Nazism because the Germans were instantly "drugged" and brainwashed by Hitler's words and ideas.
The text also gives an example of when the Payne Fund did a study on children and the effects that television has on them in 1930. It concluded that children who were deeply influenced by the content of movies and the children who watched movies regularly, did poorly in school compared to the students that didn't watch a lot of television. I find this ironic, because so many parents and teachers don't want children to watch television because they say it just makes them lazy, but many television shows today are educational and help children learn. I remember back to the shows I would watch. Some were for pure entertainment, such as Saturday morning cartoons, but some helped us to learn the alphabet, counting, and other important things.
An example of the media's potential to foster diversity or expression is community-based or public-access cable television. Community based television is produced at a low cost by members of a community and is geared toward a local audience. It allows the audience to view local events that are going on in their community, that other audiences wouldn't be able to watch. The local channels in my town are channels 15-22. They are helpful because they show the weather or local events and advertisements. Another example is guerrilla television, where citizens express themselves more freely and defy the power of the mass media. Examples of this are when Nixon was running for another term for president, and the interviews and conventions were accessed to a national audience. The concept of media fostering democratic potential is also seen by the Web, and second generation websites such as blogs, wikis, social networking sites, economic exchange sites (eBay), and media sites (YouTube). Web users can retrieve information from these sites, post information, and share information with others. This is a huge shift in media.
The section Media and the Public Sphere talks about public media. A "public" is a relation among strangers, in which public speech is both personal and impersonal. It is the exchange and circulation of ideas. The instantanity of the Web allows for public exchange. A public sphere is a space; physical place, social setting, or media arena; in which citizens come together to debate and discuss issues of society. Citizens are able to debate public issues, regardless of their social status, race or beliefs. Traditional broadcast media creates a sense of public dialogue through town meetings on television, call in talk shows, and group debates. Most publics communicate in mediated ways, such as in discussion groups, newsletters, journals, conferences, festivals, websites, text messaging, blogging, and much more.
The main goal of media is to feel a connectedness with the audience. Broadcasting connects communities across vast distances nationally. Television is the best form of media to reach large audiences and plays a primary role in national identity. The fact that television can be transmitted instantly across a great distance helps to create a sense of global or national connectedness with viewers across different locations. One of the most global media events is the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Many people captured the attacks on tape without even knowing it was going to happen. After the first plane hit, people began to investigate more, and got the second plane crashing on more media types. The footage was posted immediately across television sets nationally. It's amazing how quickly media can be viewed by a large audience. Media also played an important role for the people inside the planes or towers, who were able to contact loved ones via cell phones or e-mail to let them know what was happening. In the after weeks and months, photography was an important medium. Flyers and photographs were posted of missing family members, in hopes that they would soon be found.
A part of this reading that I found quite interesting was how media coverage is restricted in the U.S. from war zones since the Persian Gulf War in 1991. Between 2003 and March of 2006, 216 media reporters were killed in the Iraq War for doing their job. This is sickening to even think about. The use of black rectangles or blurs were used to block the content or image of the faces of these soldiers' identities. I didn't realize that footage from the war was not allowed, but am glad it cannot be exposed due to how hard it must be for the families of war victims.
In conclusion, this chapter focused on the different types of media that we use in our everyday lives; from television to newspaper to the Web. The chapter gave specific examples such as Kennedy's death, 9/11, and Daniel Pearl's beheading, and how the media made an impact on these important yet tragic events. Without media, who knows where we would be today, it has become a very important part of our daily lives and is what people rely on.
The "masses" described changes in the structure of societies undergoing industrialization and the emergence of the working class. Mass media came into play post World War II, due to the increased industrialization and mechanization of modern society. During this time period, newspapers, radio and television broadcast were on the rise. Mass media is a term that denotes media forms designed to reach large audiences perceived to have shared interests. The primary traditional mass media forms of the 20th century were radio, network and cable television, the cinema and the press. Electronic and digital media (internet, cell phones, wireless devices) didn't come into play until the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, and are still being reinvented today. Today, consumers have the ability to choose between and interact with different types of media, which wasn't an option years ago.
Medium is a means of communication. Radio, television, a megaphone, the Internet, and our own voice are examples of mediums. Media is the plural form of medium, which refers to a group of communication technologies that produce and spread news, entertainment, and information together. Media is not as specific as a medium; such as all radio stations, the Web, and films. Media has a major impact on the meaning it conveys. The message of the television is that it is a medium of distraction, with its ongoing rhythm of commercials and switching channels. The message that the Internet portrays is its speed, global scope and instant information gathering.
Mass broadcasting reaches a large national audience conveying the same meaning and ideas. A form of mass media that emerged prior to World War II was propaganda. When we think of the word propaganda, we instantly think of the Holocaust and the different forms of propaganda that Hitler posted about the Nazis. This was successful because Hitler seemed to brainwash people to believe that Nazism was the best form of government. Television emerged during this era as a nationalized industry of mass persuasion and strong ideology. Crowds of people would gather around a public television on the streets and watch Hitler speak. In the twentieth century, the terms "hypodermic needle" and "magic bullet" were used to understand media effects. I had never heard of these terms before. The hypodermic needle model proposed that the media have a direct and immediate effect on the audience--they were "drugged" and the texts were "injected" into their minds. This relates to Hitler and Nazism because the Germans were instantly "drugged" and brainwashed by Hitler's words and ideas.
The text also gives an example of when the Payne Fund did a study on children and the effects that television has on them in 1930. It concluded that children who were deeply influenced by the content of movies and the children who watched movies regularly, did poorly in school compared to the students that didn't watch a lot of television. I find this ironic, because so many parents and teachers don't want children to watch television because they say it just makes them lazy, but many television shows today are educational and help children learn. I remember back to the shows I would watch. Some were for pure entertainment, such as Saturday morning cartoons, but some helped us to learn the alphabet, counting, and other important things.
An example of the media's potential to foster diversity or expression is community-based or public-access cable television. Community based television is produced at a low cost by members of a community and is geared toward a local audience. It allows the audience to view local events that are going on in their community, that other audiences wouldn't be able to watch. The local channels in my town are channels 15-22. They are helpful because they show the weather or local events and advertisements. Another example is guerrilla television, where citizens express themselves more freely and defy the power of the mass media. Examples of this are when Nixon was running for another term for president, and the interviews and conventions were accessed to a national audience. The concept of media fostering democratic potential is also seen by the Web, and second generation websites such as blogs, wikis, social networking sites, economic exchange sites (eBay), and media sites (YouTube). Web users can retrieve information from these sites, post information, and share information with others. This is a huge shift in media.
The section Media and the Public Sphere talks about public media. A "public" is a relation among strangers, in which public speech is both personal and impersonal. It is the exchange and circulation of ideas. The instantanity of the Web allows for public exchange. A public sphere is a space; physical place, social setting, or media arena; in which citizens come together to debate and discuss issues of society. Citizens are able to debate public issues, regardless of their social status, race or beliefs. Traditional broadcast media creates a sense of public dialogue through town meetings on television, call in talk shows, and group debates. Most publics communicate in mediated ways, such as in discussion groups, newsletters, journals, conferences, festivals, websites, text messaging, blogging, and much more.
The main goal of media is to feel a connectedness with the audience. Broadcasting connects communities across vast distances nationally. Television is the best form of media to reach large audiences and plays a primary role in national identity. The fact that television can be transmitted instantly across a great distance helps to create a sense of global or national connectedness with viewers across different locations. One of the most global media events is the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Many people captured the attacks on tape without even knowing it was going to happen. After the first plane hit, people began to investigate more, and got the second plane crashing on more media types. The footage was posted immediately across television sets nationally. It's amazing how quickly media can be viewed by a large audience. Media also played an important role for the people inside the planes or towers, who were able to contact loved ones via cell phones or e-mail to let them know what was happening. In the after weeks and months, photography was an important medium. Flyers and photographs were posted of missing family members, in hopes that they would soon be found.
A part of this reading that I found quite interesting was how media coverage is restricted in the U.S. from war zones since the Persian Gulf War in 1991. Between 2003 and March of 2006, 216 media reporters were killed in the Iraq War for doing their job. This is sickening to even think about. The use of black rectangles or blurs were used to block the content or image of the faces of these soldiers' identities. I didn't realize that footage from the war was not allowed, but am glad it cannot be exposed due to how hard it must be for the families of war victims.
In conclusion, this chapter focused on the different types of media that we use in our everyday lives; from television to newspaper to the Web. The chapter gave specific examples such as Kennedy's death, 9/11, and Daniel Pearl's beheading, and how the media made an impact on these important yet tragic events. Without media, who knows where we would be today, it has become a very important part of our daily lives and is what people rely on.
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