Senior Blog

I cannot believe I am going to be a college graduate. One of the first in my family to ever go to college and I’m proud that I took those first steps and took a chance on myself four years ago. Looking back, I never thought I would be in the position I’m in today and I’m glad I never gave up on myself even at times when it seemed almost certain. I can say that now I am almost a completely different person than I was when I first started college at UPIKE. My college experience has changed me and gave me experiences that have shaped me into the person I am today. If I could go back to give my younger self and other students some advice and tips, I would say don’t be scared to take risks. Talk to people you don’t know. My advice would be to join a club, even if you are shy or nervous. It doesn’t matter and nobody cares what you look like, if you don’t look like your best today, or if you don’t have your whole life together. Just remember that everybody is in the same boat wherever you are and we’re all just trying to get through the day. Also take care of your mental health and your physical appearance. Don’t be afraid to treat yourself from time to time and do things you love to relieve stress and keep yourself happy. Make time to relax and breath because sometimes the college experience can be a little overwhelming.

It’s perfectly fine to not have your entire life planned out. I would always get stressed out about not having every aspect of my life planned. I didn’t always know which graduate school I should go to or where was I going to work after graduate school. When would I find the time to fit in marriage and a family? Sometimes I still don’t know the answers, but I do know that if I keep putting one foot in front of the other and believing in myself that It will all work out in the end.

In college and in life things will change and so will your plans. I thought I always had a specific plan for my life: Graduate college, go to graduate school, marry my long-term girlfriend, become a professional football player. However, when I realized I wasn’t going to the NFL, or when I broke up with my long-term girlfriend, my plans changed, and that was okay. It worked out in a better way. Even though my plans are totally different from what I thought would happen when I was a freshman, I’m so happy with the direction my life is heading now. My last piece of advice would be to be nice to everyone and yes, I do mean everyone. That includes classmates, other students, professors, co-workers, or even the lady working at double quik. Whether you are aware of it or not there is always the potential to network with others. It’s a small world we live in and you never know who knows who. When you get to where I am In a few years you’re looking for job opportunities or graduate school options, these same connections could help you get the job or the position you desire.

So, to my younger self and any freshmen, sophomores, or even juniors I hope you take my advice. I wish someone would have told me these things before I came to college, and I hope my tips and advice helps you and other students. You don’t want to look back at your college experience with regret. Search for opportunities and experiences while you’re seeking your higher education.

What I have learned From Mass Media in Society

Throughout the semester I have learned a great deal about what mass media is and how it can effect society in its many ways. The media can be a tool for teaching and learning for example existing media resources can be used within lectures to stimulate interest in and develop knowledge of the material being taught. Existing media resources can also be used to engage students and facilitate active learning strategies which promote deeper learning.

During my time in this class I used several mediums that i had never used before. Facebook and twitter had not been a part of my life until i took Mass Media in society. I’m glad you forced us to open our minds to all the mediums that are a part of the media. I feel it was helpful to experience these mediums and get a feel for how they operate especially since so many jobs today use social media for marketing and also many companies have there own social media pages and obviously someone is running the page and that person has to have experience with all mediums.

Since taking this class i feel that my media literacy has increased because i am able to understand and think critically while using social media platforms. I have learned a lot and i feel that now i can effectively access, organize, analyze, evaluate, and create messages in a variety of forms. All semester long i have built an understanding of the role of media in society as well as essential skills of inquiry and self-expression necessary for citizens of a democracy.

Top 5 Binge watch list

The office

This is one of the best comedy series that has ever aired on television in history. It’s funny, surreal, and even filled with some touching moments that not only make this one of the greatest shows ever, but an even better show than Ricky Gervais’ original BBC version “The Office”. Although I give it credit for inspiring Greg Daniels to create the American version, I feel that Steve Carell, Jenna Fischer, John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson, Angela Kinsey, Ed Helms, B.J. Novak, Creed Bratton and more allow this to be overall, a much better and longer lasting show. It also perfectly shows the evolution of the 2000s and the advancements of technology. It seem to be not only a comedy TV series, but also a global time capsule.

Dexter

Dexter Morgan is a Miami-based blood splatter expert who doesn’t just solve murders; he commits them too. In fact, he’s a serial killer — but he only murders the guilty, so he feels justified with his lifestyle choices. His policewoman sister and his cop co-workers have no idea Dexter lives a double life; however, adoptive father Harry knows his secret, and does, in fact, help Dexter hone his “skills.” It’s a unique brand of justice for which charming Dexter feels a psychological hunger.

How to get away with Murder

I love this show. Great acting, good thriller & plot. Great character development. Viola Davis is fierce! What an incredible actress. She truly embodies the role. I appreciate the show more as each season progresses. To keep me entertained for 5 years and still keep me on my toes is quite a feat! I highly recommend you watch the first season and be patient – it’s worth it. You will return for the next 4 I’m sure.

The walking Dead

Based on the comic book series written by Robert Kirkman, this gritty drama portrays life in the months and years that follow a zombie apocalypse. Led by former police officer Rick Grimes, his family and a group of other survivors find themselves constantly on the move in search of a safe and secure home. But the pressure each day to stay alive sends many in the group to the deepest depths of human cruelty, and they soon discover that the overwhelming fear of the survivors can be more deadly than the zombies walking among them.

American Horror Story

“American Horror Story” was created by the co-creators of “Glee,” but the shows have little in common besides that. The show revolves around the Harmons, a family of three, who move from Boston to Los Angeles in order to reconcile past anguish. What the Harmons don’t know is that the house they’ve moved into is haunted. But it’s not haunted by Casperesque friendly ghosts — it’s haunted by demonic creatures. The creatures have a history of not only spooking the house’s residents but also devouring them. After living in this house, family patriarch and psychiatrist, Ben, may need a shrink of his own.

What is Podcasting?

Podcasts have been around since the early 1930s in the form of radio shows. The term “podcasting” was first mentioned by Ben Hammersley in The Guardian newspaper in a February 2004 article, along with other proposed names for the new medium.

Podcasts are no longer just something you listen to via an iPod or (now) an iPhone. These days there are apps like Sticker, Soundcloud and Spreaker that allow anyone with a smart phone to listen to their favorite podcasts. And not only can you listen to podcasts via these apps on your phone — you can also record & produce podcasts with your phone — which is exactly why podcasts are so important for social marketers.

Podcasting allows us to realize the benefits of presenting information in audio or visual format. This in turn allows you to convey your personality in a much stronger way than is possible through the written word.

The Podcast i reviewed was The Joe Rogan Experience. The Joe Rogan Experience is a free audio and video podcast hosted by American comedian, actor, sports commentator, and television host Joe Rogan. It was launched on December 24, 2009 by Rogan and comedian Brian Redban who also produced and co-hosted.

The podcast I listened to featured comedian Kevin Hart. The podcast was 2 hours long and the two talked about positive and negative energy and how it could seem contagious. people often feed off of others energy and how positive or negative they are in situations. Joe made a comment that when people have negative things to say that most the time they aren’t happy or unsatisfied with their own lives.

How streaming is changing the world of film.

There was a time where a typical Friday night involved a trip to a Blockbuster Video or Hollywood video to try and rent the hottest new release before anyone else did. There was always limited number of new releases and there were always a very limited number of the classics. It was always frustrating to try and find the exact movie to watch. Choices were limited and overall disappointment about not having the opportunity to watch what you wanted when you wanted became the driving force in the next evolution of how we watch TV. Cable networks also only provided limited viewing options and charged high prices for the privilege.

Popular streaming mediums like Netflix and Amazon Video radically changed how we watch TV. Not only did these streaming services put multi-million dollar companies like Blockbuster out of business but they also changed how the average person watches TV. Streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Video provided unlimited access to large amounts of movies and television shows. They also provided access to movies and television shows from different parts of the world. Suddenly, subscribers to these services had unlimited access to new and exciting shows. Shows and movies that would have never made it to the standard cable networks or the traditional commercial broadcast networks were made viewable to a large audience.

Killing Us Softly 4-Reaction

Killing Us Softly 4 by Jean Kilbourne was engaging, relatable, and just interesting all around. The film depicted the way women and men mostly women, are portrayed in the media. Kilbourne gave many examples of ads and commercials where ideals of femininity are distorted and destructive.

Jeane Kilbourne did a great job articulating her concerns with the media and focusing on its portrayal of women. Several statistics that she used were very eye opening. It is very concerning to see the way that media is changing in a way that one could argue is for the worst. Whether people like to admit it or not, countless studies have proven that we as people are influenced to some degree by the media that we consume.

I found it interesting when Kilbourne mentioned at the end that we should be able to choose free, independent lives. And I completely agree with her. The real problem lies within American attitudes that run so deep within our culture. Advertisements only depict the reality of our society. If we are to change the advertisements, we must first strive to live “freely” the way we choose rather than the way the media chooses for us.

With competition for audiences among news outlets on the rise, soft news and critical journalism have begun to overpower the news.  Though successful at first at attracting viewers, sensationalism and criticism have caused Americans to become disenchanted with the news and thus their main source of information about politics.  In turn, Americans are ill-informed, and become apathetic if not hostile toward their government and their press.  The news needs to incorporate a balance of soft news and hard news into every production to preserve not only their audience, but democracy as well.

I think that journalistic integrity is less valued when front pages are given up for soft news because soft news is sensational stories that do not serve the democratic function of journalism.

Book industry future

based on my survey experience it seems that people are still reading books today and reading books is still a thing and not just something that smart people do. even though e-books are popular now I don’t think anything will ever beat a good paperback book. that’s just what we’re used too and what we’re good at.

My sister said she hasn’t read a book since she was in school and that she likes to read for fun but doesn’t have the time for it. she read the Twilight series when she was younger but hasn’t read much since then. she has heard of e-books and would rather read a book online because there would be a lot more she could read.

when I spoke with my roommate he said that he doesn’t read a book unless he has to. he also hasn’t read a book since high school and says that he doesn’t like to read because usually, books are too long and boring to read. Sometimes he has to read books online for his business classes but he hates having to read a book online and would rather have the book instead. he also said that his favorite book he ever read was Frankenstein.

My coach says he loves to read and he reads about 3 or 4 books a year just to keep up with himself. sometimes he reads to his daughters before they go to bed at night. other than that he sometimes reads the news on his phone and he says that’s were he gets most important information from. He also said his favorite book was The Crucible.

in conclusion, I think that the book industry is strong and that a normal human being will naturally pick up and grab a book to read unless it’s about getting important information or reading a quick recipe. I think that books will always be an important tool for how we learn. I also think it is important that we grew up to love them and appreciate them even before we knew that there was good information in them.

Do portrayals of drugs and alcohol increase consumption?

In the media today there are so many positive images of alcohol and drug consumption and not enough negative images and consequences of drug consumption

Recent studies conducted by the American Academy of Pediatrics reveal that at least $25 billion are spent every year advertising tobacco, alcohol and prescription drugs. The studies also discovered that more than 14 percent of prime-time television shows portray tobacco use without any negative consequences, and more than 11 percent of American movies feature illegal drug abuse that has no detrimental effect on its users.

http://www.bearingnews.org/2013/04/media-glamorization-tobacco-alcohol-drugs-influences-teens/

Does media violence lead to aggression?

I don’t think that media violence leads to aggression but i do agree that when children see aggressive behavior they tend to imitate that behavior and seeing aggressive behaviors causes kids to play more aggressively in general.

Very recent research suggests that these effects can become particularly problematic when guns are involved. Researchers from Ohio State University brought pairs of 8- to 12-year-old children into a lab and showed them a 20-minute version of a popular PG-rated movie—either the Rocketeer (1991) or National Treasure (2004). In the edited movie, the children either saw that actual movie footage, which contained characters using guns, or they watched a version where the guns were edited out. They were then presented with a large room that contained various toys including Legos, nerf guns, and games. Not surprisingly, the children who watched the movie with the guns played more aggressively than children who watched the movie with the guns edited out, consistent with previous research.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-baby-scientist/201801/violent-media-and-aggressive-behavior-in-children

http://www.bearingnews.org/2013/04/media-glamorization-tobacco-alcohol-drugs-influences-teens/

Technology change good or bad

New technology always changes our lives greatly and takes it to a new level. It’s like the new way of thinking or doing the normal things differently, better and much more faster with less difficulty and at a much affordable rate.
New technology brings new qualities to the lives of human beings but also has a side effect. I have noticed is that usually people tolerate this side effect for as long as it takes until that current new technology becomes irrelevant and new technology has to be invented. I once read something that said, Make something that will make people believe they are thinking and they will love you forever, but if you make something that will make people think then they will hate you. 

Pros of new technology

• Electricity
• Exchange information
• make faster decisions
• interact socially
• get entertainment
• process financial transactions efficiently
• buy online

Cons of new technology

• too much dependency on electricity 
• overuse of electricity
• new technologies increases and contributes to the total pollution of the earth.
• too many options to choose can sometimes make life of a person very difficult.
• Without technology life would be very difficult and behind