In case you found my blog interesting, here are a few other interesting sites I found. Hopefully you'll find them just as thought-provoking as I did.
http://www.peerpapers.com/essays/Relationship-Between-Media-Society/148559.html?topic
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_influence
http://www.helium.com/items/573945-the-effects-of-media-on-american-society
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/55283.php
http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/issues/violence/violence_debates.cfm
Monday, November 30, 2009
The Power of the Spoken Word
In 1938, one of the biggest, scariest events ever happened to those listening to the radio. During that broadcast, it was believed by many that Martians were arriving on earth, killing everyone on sight. Mass panic ensued, and many thought that it would be their last few moments on earth. Chaos reigned over the area, everyone who had heard the terrifying words fleeing for their lives.
What they didn't realize was that the radio announcement was simply a reading from The War of the Worlds. Martians weren't really coming to earth: it was just a modified excerpt from a book.
I chose this article on the War of the Worlds broadcast panic because it shows how the spoken word can affect people. Those people genuinely believed that aliens had come to earth because of skillful manipulation. Through seemingly genuine reports and the reporter on the 'scene', the people broadcasting that announcement made it believable enough. Of course, the people in charge hadn't meant to cause such a scandal, but the fact is that it happened. The radio is still a powerful influence over people, and the same panic could happen again if those in control decided to do such a thing.
A Blow from Screen to Reality
I was walking to school on a typical Tuesday morning, walking along Marconi. Normally I wouldn't dare walk down that street alone, but it was quicker, and I wanted to get there as quickly as possible. I wasn't really thinking about much, but when I looked up, I saw a young boy. He didn't smile, but held up a gun and pulled the trigger.
It was a toy gun, but I'll never forget that split second where my heart stopped, and that moment where I thought I was going to die.
This is just one of the examples that child violence is growing. The fact that a boy thought it would be funny to pretend to shoot someone is frightening, especially to someone who witnessed it firsthand. No doubt that boy has seen something similar on a television show, and thought it would be funny to do in real life.
I chose this article because it gives evidence that media violence is affecting young children. The seemingly harmless acts shown in cartoons (the characters being shot or falling from enormous heights, then simply popping up again) aren't so harmless when someone actually gets hit by bullets. This needs to be nipped in the bud before it can escalate into more dramatic problems.
http://www.lionlamb.org/media_violence.htmTiny Print, Big Impact
The newspaper has been around for four hundred years. A typical newspaper today has the comics, the crossword, the sports/world/politics/today section. We read what's happening in the world around us, and we become immersed in the stories that are happening even as we speak. A newspaper can reveal the truth or cleverly make it so that a lie is shown as the truth.
The tiny print we look at every day tells us stories that are to the benefit of those in charge. If the person at the top of the paper wants a report to be written in a way that negatively affects a certain company, it will be done. The opposite can just as easily happen, but it all depends on those in charge.
I chose this blog because it gives some detail about how a newspaper affects society. It shows how much those stories in the paper can give the people reading it food for thought, but also how a newspaper can guide its readers into certain beliefs that may or may not be the actual truth. It may be a small blog, but it does show how much influence a few stories can make people want to act or protest loudly against whatever forces (government, for example) that really aren't at fault.
http://www.blurtit.com/q100713.html
The tiny print we look at every day tells us stories that are to the benefit of those in charge. If the person at the top of the paper wants a report to be written in a way that negatively affects a certain company, it will be done. The opposite can just as easily happen, but it all depends on those in charge.
I chose this blog because it gives some detail about how a newspaper affects society. It shows how much those stories in the paper can give the people reading it food for thought, but also how a newspaper can guide its readers into certain beliefs that may or may not be the actual truth. It may be a small blog, but it does show how much influence a few stories can make people want to act or protest loudly against whatever forces (government, for example) that really aren't at fault.
http://www.blurtit.com/q100713.html
Guns, Action, and Gameplay, Oh My!
With the demand for technology rising, it's no wonder that the desire for bigger, better games have risen. The younger generation wants graphics that seem as real as life itself, a plot that will amuse, and characters that are unique.
James Gee, author of What Video Games have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy, has written an elaborate and interesting book on how the school system has failed and how video games are steadily becoming the main interest to younger people. He analyses the cognitive and behaviorist aspects of video games and how they are able to perform complex tasks in the games while, in real life, their basic reading, writing and problem solving are barely adequate.
I chose this article on Gee's book because it accurately portrays how the younger generations are rapidly becoming more 'plugged in', so to speak. Video games are their main interest, and the real world (schoolwork and going out with friends) is no longer a concern. This media-like world, where technology is beyond that of the real world and the imaginary places are more interesting, is rapidly becoming a reality. What with online games and online chats, it seems that humanity is slowly become addicted to machines, needing them instead of sunlight and companionship.
http://www.xplanazine.com/2004/10/what-video-games-have-to-tell-us-about-learning-and-literacy-a-brief-look
James Gee, author of What Video Games have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy, has written an elaborate and interesting book on how the school system has failed and how video games are steadily becoming the main interest to younger people. He analyses the cognitive and behaviorist aspects of video games and how they are able to perform complex tasks in the games while, in real life, their basic reading, writing and problem solving are barely adequate.
I chose this article on Gee's book because it accurately portrays how the younger generations are rapidly becoming more 'plugged in', so to speak. Video games are their main interest, and the real world (schoolwork and going out with friends) is no longer a concern. This media-like world, where technology is beyond that of the real world and the imaginary places are more interesting, is rapidly becoming a reality. What with online games and online chats, it seems that humanity is slowly become addicted to machines, needing them instead of sunlight and companionship.
http://www.xplanazine.com/2004/10/what-video-games-have-to-tell-us-about-learning-and-literacy-a-brief-look
Real Beauty
Successful Minds, first started by Cynthia Heath, has been spreading its teachings of learning self-confidence and believing that you can do anything. Now comes a new message: I am not perfect...I am Real Beautiful.
Mrs. Heath says that this new campaign, with her selling heart-shaped rings, is to promote the idea that women who aren't airbrushed or worked on until their flaws are gone are the truly beautiful. First, though, you have to believe it. Real Beauty comes from within. We are all different and have unique talents. All of the things that make women special are 100 what makes them beautiful.
I chose this blog because it's the beginning of a time where women don't have to feel obligated to buy products they don't need just to feel pretty. Real Beautiful shows that the airbrushed images and the magazine pictures aren't real, and that you have to look at yourself, who you are as a person, and realize that you are beautiful, in more ways than just looks. The things you are good at, the things you love, are what makes you beautiful. The message is spreading, making a difference in many women's lives. No longer will we have to feel upset and fat because our waist's aren't as thin as a wasp's.
I am not perfect. I am Real Beautiful!
http://iamnotperfectiamrealbeautiful.blogspot.com/
Mrs. Heath says that this new campaign, with her selling heart-shaped rings, is to promote the idea that women who aren't airbrushed or worked on until their flaws are gone are the truly beautiful. First, though, you have to believe it. Real Beauty comes from within. We are all different and have unique talents. All of the things that make women special are 100 what makes them beautiful.
I chose this blog because it's the beginning of a time where women don't have to feel obligated to buy products they don't need just to feel pretty. Real Beautiful shows that the airbrushed images and the magazine pictures aren't real, and that you have to look at yourself, who you are as a person, and realize that you are beautiful, in more ways than just looks. The things you are good at, the things you love, are what makes you beautiful. The message is spreading, making a difference in many women's lives. No longer will we have to feel upset and fat because our waist's aren't as thin as a wasp's.
I am not perfect. I am Real Beautiful!
http://iamnotperfectiamrealbeautiful.blogspot.com/
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Lesson 1: Observe and Learn
The Social Learning Theory, according to Albert Bandura, is the idea that, through repetition and the environment surrounding them, people learn their behavioral patterns. Bandura claims that psychological factors and one's environment are mainly the influences for the way people act.
Basically, the way people act around you, you tend to pick it up and act the same way others do.
People are influenced by many different factors, whether it be family, friends, or, you guessed it, the media. Since television is viewed by hundreds of thousands of people, the likelihood of something affecting them in an emotional way is likely. When we watch a commercial that advertises a beauty product, girls want to get it for themselves. When boys see how muscular they can become through using a certain protein powder or some steroids, they clamor for it.
I chose this article because it reveals how the Social Learning Theory affects humans, and how the media is incorporating it to make sure that their influence, the constant repetition that 'this product will make you happy', makes people think that they need a certain thing, no matter how trivial it may be. This manipulation has been going on for quite some time, and will forever continue, because humans are made so that they observe and listen to whatever voices are telling them.
http://abea.asu.edu/v25/v25v22n2.pdf
Basically, the way people act around you, you tend to pick it up and act the same way others do.
People are influenced by many different factors, whether it be family, friends, or, you guessed it, the media. Since television is viewed by hundreds of thousands of people, the likelihood of something affecting them in an emotional way is likely. When we watch a commercial that advertises a beauty product, girls want to get it for themselves. When boys see how muscular they can become through using a certain protein powder or some steroids, they clamor for it.
I chose this article because it reveals how the Social Learning Theory affects humans, and how the media is incorporating it to make sure that their influence, the constant repetition that 'this product will make you happy', makes people think that they need a certain thing, no matter how trivial it may be. This manipulation has been going on for quite some time, and will forever continue, because humans are made so that they observe and listen to whatever voices are telling them.
http://abea.asu.edu/v25/v25v22n2.pdf
A Symphony of Brutality
I don't know about you, but I find when I listen to music and I hear about how someone wants to stab his friend in the eye because he happened to be chatting with his girlfriend, I wonder how society has stooped this low.
I understand. There's a lot of anger going around. It's completely natural to feel angry every once in a while. But to write a song about how murder and violence somehow makes the 'burning darkness within' go away is just kind of depressing. I have off days as well, but I eventually get over it. I don't mull over how I've fallen into the void and can't get out.
I suppose, for a lot of people, this music helps them because it shows that someone understands the pain they're going through. The music thunders and roars and hates as much as they do.
Strange, how this kind of music has actually become a part of today's society. Most people don't even blink when they hear the hatred and violence, and those who do have a problem with it are scornfully ignored.
It's not entirely the main factor, but it's my guess that this music is partially why some teenagers go out and vandalize cars or beat up people in the street. With such anger going around, its no wonder that so many are influenced and want to take out that fury by terrifying citizens and breaking things.
There are support groups for those 'vagrants' of society, but does it help that we categorize those who made a few mistakes? If I were in that position and I was forever labelled Trouble and a misfit, I'd be pretty angry. It isn't fair that we so poorly judge those who just want a little peace of mind and of heart.
Violent music isn't going to stop anytime soon, but at least we can make the effort to try and understand those who are going through the 'void' instead of treating them like the dirt beneath our feet.
I understand. There's a lot of anger going around. It's completely natural to feel angry every once in a while. But to write a song about how murder and violence somehow makes the 'burning darkness within' go away is just kind of depressing. I have off days as well, but I eventually get over it. I don't mull over how I've fallen into the void and can't get out.
I suppose, for a lot of people, this music helps them because it shows that someone understands the pain they're going through. The music thunders and roars and hates as much as they do.
Strange, how this kind of music has actually become a part of today's society. Most people don't even blink when they hear the hatred and violence, and those who do have a problem with it are scornfully ignored.
It's not entirely the main factor, but it's my guess that this music is partially why some teenagers go out and vandalize cars or beat up people in the street. With such anger going around, its no wonder that so many are influenced and want to take out that fury by terrifying citizens and breaking things.
There are support groups for those 'vagrants' of society, but does it help that we categorize those who made a few mistakes? If I were in that position and I was forever labelled Trouble and a misfit, I'd be pretty angry. It isn't fair that we so poorly judge those who just want a little peace of mind and of heart.
Violent music isn't going to stop anytime soon, but at least we can make the effort to try and understand those who are going through the 'void' instead of treating them like the dirt beneath our feet.
Time-Honored Cliques
I can't name the number of times I've seen someone wearing a Jack Skellington sweatshirt, or singing along to The Nightmare Before Christmas. For its time, the movie had good graphics and an interesting storyline. The children watching were entertained by the silliness of a skeleton wanting to make Christmas. When you compare it to today's films, the figures seem stiff, completely different from the smooth, easy transitions we see now.
However, Jack Skellington, Sally, and Oogie-Boogie products have been mass-produced in order to fulfill the desires of teenagers and not-quite-adults. What started as a children's film became one of the biggest fads in today's society.
Since the media has produced movies that have sparked our curiosity and made us think about the ideas behind the films, there have been cult classics. Films or shows that are so weird that you can't help but watch it again, hoping to catch something you didn't before. The thoughts behind the madness, so to speak, have brought forward fascination and intrigue towards films that were made in the early 1900s. Take A Clockwork Orange and Pulp Fiction: the movies are fairly old, by most standards, but people are 200 still quoting and talking about how brilliant the two were.
Could these movies have the power to relive ideas that were made a good ten to thirty years ago? Of course they can.
The power of ideas has changed the world countless times. As long as there are people with quirky imaginations, there will always be cult classics, and there will always be those who change their lifestyles in order to fulfill some need that demands for life to be different, more interesting than their current ones.
The media still has the power to intrigue us, to draw us into strange worlds. All I can say is, I hope those who are so infatuated with animated characters learn that there's a life outside the bright square box in their living rooms.
However, Jack Skellington, Sally, and Oogie-Boogie products have been mass-produced in order to fulfill the desires of teenagers and not-quite-adults. What started as a children's film became one of the biggest fads in today's society.
Since the media has produced movies that have sparked our curiosity and made us think about the ideas behind the films, there have been cult classics. Films or shows that are so weird that you can't help but watch it again, hoping to catch something you didn't before. The thoughts behind the madness, so to speak, have brought forward fascination and intrigue towards films that were made in the early 1900s. Take A Clockwork Orange and Pulp Fiction: the movies are fairly old, by most standards, but people are 200 still quoting and talking about how brilliant the two were.
Could these movies have the power to relive ideas that were made a good ten to thirty years ago? Of course they can.
The power of ideas has changed the world countless times. As long as there are people with quirky imaginations, there will always be cult classics, and there will always be those who change their lifestyles in order to fulfill some need that demands for life to be different, more interesting than their current ones.
The media still has the power to intrigue us, to draw us into strange worlds. All I can say is, I hope those who are so infatuated with animated characters learn that there's a life outside the bright square box in their living rooms.
Beautiful Facade
In today's society, countless young girls and women have looked at a commercial, a billboard, or a magazine. They've seen a picture of a beautiful person, with straight, even white teeth, a slim and toned body, and a smile that says "I have everything". Every single one of those women has then compared themselves to the image and felt their stomachs turn uncomfortably as they realize how much better the other person looks.
What most of those women don't realize is that that person is an illusion.
Welcome to the media world, where the women are fabulous and the men are gorgeous...or so we think. In reality, those images are nothing more than airbrushed farces, made so that the women who aren't as comfortable with their bodies are desperate to purchase a product that, apparently, these beautiful people have used. In this twisted game, both genders are made to feel as though they could be 'better', 'beautiful'. Why do men and women fall into this vicious cycle?
Because the media knows their play too well.
The target of this kind of media is to prey on people's insecurities and make them feel as though they need to get these life-altering products. Because of the media's knowledge of people, they become the puppet-masters, easily able to make us perform to their liking.
The sad thing is, so many fall into this trap. This is precisely the reason why women become bulimics and men cripple their bodies. They want to attain that 'perfect' figure they've seen so often on television or billboards.
Something has to be done! This malevolent game must be stopped, otherwise self-confidence in men and women will diminish, growing smaller and smaller, until it simply doesn't exist, and we are forced to watch as the 'beautiful' people stomp all over us.
What most of those women don't realize is that that person is an illusion.
Welcome to the media world, where the women are fabulous and the men are gorgeous...or so we think. In reality, those images are nothing more than airbrushed farces, made so that the women who aren't as comfortable with their bodies are desperate to purchase a product that, apparently, these beautiful people have used. In this twisted game, both genders are made to feel as though they could be 'better', 'beautiful'. Why do men and women fall into this vicious cycle?
Because the media knows their play too well.
The target of this kind of media is to prey on people's insecurities and make them feel as though they need to get these life-altering products. Because of the media's knowledge of people, they become the puppet-masters, easily able to make us perform to their liking.
The sad thing is, so many fall into this trap. This is precisely the reason why women become bulimics and men cripple their bodies. They want to attain that 'perfect' figure they've seen so often on television or billboards.
Something has to be done! This malevolent game must be stopped, otherwise self-confidence in men and women will diminish, growing smaller and smaller, until it simply doesn't exist, and we are forced to watch as the 'beautiful' people stomp all over us.
A Look at Psychology in the Media
This post is an e-mail interview I conducted between Pamela Rutledge and myself. We discussed how movies and television shows can affect a person's behavior through a desire for something exciting to happen.
"I believe that whatever doesn't kill you simply makes you...stranger." This quote, from the 2008 crime thriller The Dark Knight, is from one of the most complex and terrifying characters ever portrayed. The Joker can only be described as insane, yet countless people are intrigued and fascinated by his behavior.
Why are characters like the Joker, either insane or having some other mental issue, so fascinating to today's viewers?
"In order to make a compelling narrative, there needs to be a story arc with conflict and resolution," says Pamela Rutledge, of the Media Psychology Research Center. "Unusual or deviant behavior creates this tension."
There have been many characters throughout the media world that have inspired and attracted today's audiences, characters that are significantly different from normal human behavior. Perhaps it is because of those differences, may they be mental or not, that have such an appeal to viewers. Life isn't all car chases and explosions, so when they see things on the big screen or on television, it sparks imagination and a longing for a life that is different from theirs.
"Human beings are biologically wired to notice things that are unusual, dangerous, or exhibit change. It is what kept us alive on the Savannah when it was more important to notice things that moved (tigers) than things that didn't (trees)," Rutledge says.
Media has been a strong influence on the human population since it first began airing. The shows that viewers watch affect them in emotional ways. Because we are human, we relate ourselves to whatever is happening in the show/commercial, and it prompts us to want to do something, whether it be giving money to a charity or going and hitting your neighbour because the people on the television did it.
"How we interpret media messages is influenced by the message content, our culture, and our individual beliefs or psychological schema," Rutledge says.
Media has become deeply rooted in society, influencing both the young and the old. As technology continues to advance, people will be compelled to watch and demand more. Television and video entertainment has become such a big part of people's lives that we can hardly imagine a life without it. Humans are drawn to the strange and weird, and so the infatuation with characters and the plots of the media will continue. As long as there is a demand for amusement in the form of a square, brightly lit box, it will be there.
"I believe that whatever doesn't kill you simply makes you...stranger." This quote, from the 2008 crime thriller The Dark Knight, is from one of the most complex and terrifying characters ever portrayed. The Joker can only be described as insane, yet countless people are intrigued and fascinated by his behavior.
Why are characters like the Joker, either insane or having some other mental issue, so fascinating to today's viewers?
"In order to make a compelling narrative, there needs to be a story arc with conflict and resolution," says Pamela Rutledge, of the Media Psychology Research Center. "Unusual or deviant behavior creates this tension."
There have been many characters throughout the media world that have inspired and attracted today's audiences, characters that are significantly different from normal human behavior. Perhaps it is because of those differences, may they be mental or not, that have such an appeal to viewers. Life isn't all car chases and explosions, so when they see things on the big screen or on television, it sparks imagination and a longing for a life that is different from theirs.
"Human beings are biologically wired to notice things that are unusual, dangerous, or exhibit change. It is what kept us alive on the Savannah when it was more important to notice things that moved (tigers) than things that didn't (trees)," Rutledge says.
Media has been a strong influence on the human population since it first began airing. The shows that viewers watch affect them in emotional ways. Because we are human, we relate ourselves to whatever is happening in the show/commercial, and it prompts us to want to do something, whether it be giving money to a charity or going and hitting your neighbour because the people on the television did it.
"How we interpret media messages is influenced by the message content, our culture, and our individual beliefs or psychological schema," Rutledge says.
Media has become deeply rooted in society, influencing both the young and the old. As technology continues to advance, people will be compelled to watch and demand more. Television and video entertainment has become such a big part of people's lives that we can hardly imagine a life without it. Humans are drawn to the strange and weird, and so the infatuation with characters and the plots of the media will continue. As long as there is a demand for amusement in the form of a square, brightly lit box, it will be there.
Introduction
Greetings!
My name is Rebecca Heath. I am a first year student at Wilfred Laurier University, in the Journalism program.
This blog is going to be discussing the various media outlets used in current society, and how much television, radio, newspapers, magazines, and many other forms affect us in our everyday lives. It may not seem like television could affect us, or that a billboard advertising a beauty product could make a young girl buy it. However, the media is a very powerful tool, and it has gained the power to alter lives, with positive and negative effects on those closely attuned to it.
Through this blog, I will reveal how much the media has affected people. As technology has grown, so has the media, and with it has come great influence. If you take a moment to reflect, think on how many young girls become bulimics because of the way that women are portrayed in the media: flawless, beautiful. In reality, these are just air-brushed images. What started out as a simple commercial for makeup or some other beauty product has become an epidemic of self-loathing and suffering.
The media has the power to change people's lives, either negatively or positively.
I first became interested in the idea of media affecting lives because I, too, saw the beautiful pictures of celebrities and looked at myself, hating how I wasn't as thin as those other women, and that I didn't have flawless skin. My stepmother was the one who told me that those pictures are nothing more than an illusion. In reality, those women aren't that thin, and their skin isn't perfect. As I thought on it, I realized that, through a simple picture, my way of thinking about myself had been changed. What else could the media do to me if I let myself be drawn in by it?
This blog is different from other people's because they usually focus on how one aspect of the media affects humans, while I am trying to show how all forms of media can change a person's perspective. Hopefully this will bring to light how much television and other aspects of the media are manipulating us to make sure we buy a certain product.
My name is Rebecca Heath. I am a first year student at Wilfred Laurier University, in the Journalism program.
This blog is going to be discussing the various media outlets used in current society, and how much television, radio, newspapers, magazines, and many other forms affect us in our everyday lives. It may not seem like television could affect us, or that a billboard advertising a beauty product could make a young girl buy it. However, the media is a very powerful tool, and it has gained the power to alter lives, with positive and negative effects on those closely attuned to it.
Through this blog, I will reveal how much the media has affected people. As technology has grown, so has the media, and with it has come great influence. If you take a moment to reflect, think on how many young girls become bulimics because of the way that women are portrayed in the media: flawless, beautiful. In reality, these are just air-brushed images. What started out as a simple commercial for makeup or some other beauty product has become an epidemic of self-loathing and suffering.
The media has the power to change people's lives, either negatively or positively.
I first became interested in the idea of media affecting lives because I, too, saw the beautiful pictures of celebrities and looked at myself, hating how I wasn't as thin as those other women, and that I didn't have flawless skin. My stepmother was the one who told me that those pictures are nothing more than an illusion. In reality, those women aren't that thin, and their skin isn't perfect. As I thought on it, I realized that, through a simple picture, my way of thinking about myself had been changed. What else could the media do to me if I let myself be drawn in by it?
This blog is different from other people's because they usually focus on how one aspect of the media affects humans, while I am trying to show how all forms of media can change a person's perspective. Hopefully this will bring to light how much television and other aspects of the media are manipulating us to make sure we buy a certain product.
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