10 Media Revelations That Blew My Mind!

1. The Feed is Facebook: After reading the article “with friends like these” written by Tom Hodgkinson I noticed a disturbing correlation between Facebook and the novel “Feed” written by M.T. Anderson. The article states that all personal information on Facebook is given to advertisers in order to target users on this social media site. When I read this I instantly thought about the feed. In "Feed" the characters have transmitters attached to their minds that tell them what the latest trends are, what they should wear, what their friends are saying and what they should buy. Facebook also tells users what their friends are doing, what they should buy and the latest trends. Facebook isn’t attached to users brains but it mine as well be, you can access it almost anywhere when ever you want. This revelation is quite a technological and personal shift.

2. Attention Spans: In the article “Is Google Making Us Stupid” written by Nicholas Carr it states that 21^st century citizens thanks to technological shifts throughout the ages have obtained extremely short attention spans. People can go onto Google and scan through documents at their leisure. People no longer go to the Library when they conduct research, they access the same information online because it proves to be more efficient. People in today's society always have a million other things to do. So this “quick fix” over time has made it harder/ boring to read longer material. I agree with Nicholas Carr, I always look for the shortest document I can find and if an article is "too long" my mind starts to wonder. For example the entire time I was reading “is google making us stupid” I kept thinking this is so long! The article was only 8 pages, which in reality isn’t that long. It is quite sad that we as learners have come to this especially when in the past people could sit for hours at a time and listen to presidential candidates talk and remain engaged throughout the entire thing. According to Neil Postman in his novel, “Amusing Ourselves to Death” found on pages 44-49.

3. Media Ownership”: I often wondered why all the news channels covered and aired the same “news stories” and it wasn’t until I read “Media and Society” written by David Croteau and William Hoyness, that I found my answer. The text explains on page 34, that media owners pick and choose what will be broadcasted on each channel. They also have the power to promote certain stories more than others, fire employees and essentially monitor the “news” viewers see everyday. The text also mentions that 6 companies own all media, which explains why the news is the same on various networks and proves to be a political shift within our society. Learning about media ownership made it easier for me to understand how/ why all the stories in “Project Censored” were censored and why pointless gossip stories were given more media coverage, it’s because the big 6 media owners made it that way.

4. The Media’s relationship with politics: I've never paid much attention to the relationship among politics, image and the media. What I have learned thanks to Neil Postman is that image is everything. In the book “Amusing ourselves to death” Postman points out on page 126 that, political figures are celebrities and the more attractive they are the better chance they have at winning. Their attractiveness helps then in their political campaigns that are watched by millions at home. “Media and Society,” written by David Croteau and William Hoyness discusses on page 253 that, the medias relationship with politics influences and distorts viewers perceptions and understanding of politics. It distracts them from the real issues through, television, music and global coverage. Which is probably why most Americans care more about what the first lady is wearing to the inauguration ball then what issues the President needs to tackle during his first day in office.

5. How the Media affects socialization:

The Media regulates all social interactions and social norms within our society, whether we

realize it or not. In the novel “Mass Media and Society” on pages 13-16 the authors explain that

people develop their moral values and beliefs from the media. They also learn about other

countries, cultures and politics through media coverage. I have always thought that I am the

way I am because of my parents and my upbringing; I never once gave “credit” to the media.

Now that I look back on it, I can see how the media has shaped me into who I am today. I

wonder what type of personality one would have if they weren’t exposed to the media?

I bet they would be similar to Violets father in the novel “Feed,” written by M.T Anderson.

Violets father didn’t have a “feed” and was considered weird for not having one. He wanted

to make sure his daughter Violet had a “feed” so she would have equal opportunities and

not be at a disadvantage. This makes me think would you really be at a disadvantage if

you weren’t exposed to the media and resisted the feed?

6. The Triune Brain: I knew there were different parts of

the brain, but I never knew how to appeal to the different parts in a persuasive manner.

This piece of information is extremely important to me as a future marketer. Knowing

the different aspects of the brain paired with a better understanding of social media/ the

media in general after taking this class provides me with a set of skills that will set me apart

from my competitors in the workforce. In the article “Teaching the Facebook Generation”

written by Elaine Young she stresses the importance of social media in the marketing world,

specialization and learning about the media. I am happy to say that after this semester I have

a handle on all three.

7. Personal Shift: The concept of “personal shift” one of eight shifts in our 21^st century media

culture is moving from personal to participatory, it embodies all of the new media outlets that

are out there. In the past people kept to themselves, only their close friends new intimate

details about their lives. However, in today’s society thanks to ambient awareness everyone

knows what everyone else is doing whether you know them or not, which proves to be quite

different from the past. In the article “Brave New World of Digital Intimacy” written by

Clive Thompson, the idea of ambient awareness is discussed more in depth. The article

mentions that at first many were hesitant about the shift from personal to participatory but

after a while they were used to it and embraced it. Users learned to love the new information

they were discovering about their friends, they otherwise wouldn’t know.

8. Critical Thinking: If there was one thing I learned this semester it was to think critically

about everything. Learning about the eight shifts, 7 principles and 29 persuasive techniques,

the “tool sets” made me realize how easy it is for the media to manipulate one’s mind without

he or she knowing it. I am now able to think critically while watching media messages and

analyze them to my advantage. I have also learned to think critically while watching the news

or reading about the news. Project censored taught me that actual news worthy stories are

not being reported and the news stories that are being covered in the mainstream media are

censored and a lot of the true information is missing. I have learned to question everything,

think critically about all media and ask what persuasive techniques are being used on me to

make me believe this is accurate!

9. Twitter VS. The Typographic Mind: In the chapter entitled “The Typographic Mind” found

on pages 44-63 in the novel “Amusing Ourselves to Death,” written by Neil Postman,

comparisons are made between present and past Americans in regards to their comprehension

skills. On page 46 Postman talks about how people in the past were able to comprehend

extremely lengthy complex sentences during presidential debates and remain engaged the

entire time. He states that if political figures talked the same way today as they did in the past,

everyone would have a hard time understanding them. I thought it would be interesting to

compare this concept to the article entitled “How Twitter Will Change the Way We Live,” written

by Steven Johnson. The whole point of Twitter is to provide people with information in short

blurbs. People on twitter can follow trending topics such as the presidential debates and be

engaged in an entirely different way. It allows users to see what those around them are thinking

about what the presidential candidates are saying. I just think it is an interesting personal shift

over the ages.

10. Peak-a-Boo World: After reading “Project Censored” and learning about the stories that

were not covered in the media I became really annoyed with “info-tainment.” It is frustrating to

know that stories such as the “secret control of the presidential debates” exist, but in stead

the world is learning about the latest celebrity gossip. Postman point’s out

in “Amusing ourselves to death” on page 73 that news coverage is often taken out of context

and provides viewers with a false sense of reality. On page 79, Postman states that the

television becomes our reality; viewers over time have learned to trust the television and

not question it. American’s need to be constantly entertained and the television provides

them with entertainment. However, the reality is what they are watching on television isn’t

the entire story, the stories are very much taken out of context like Postman mentioned.

Amy Goodman a journalist for Democracy Now talks about the differences between

CNN and CNN International. She points out how much more graphic and accurate

CNN International is then the American CNN. Postman says it best, “we are the most

entertained but least informed society.”

Can you hear me now? Good!

Media Meditation #8!

The “Verizon Guy” is the face or “symbol” of Verizon Wireless and is recognized by consumers all over the country. He was first introduced in 2002, and according to an article written by Theresa Howard in USA Today, “he has helped, Verizon gain market share and reduce customer turnover.[…] The simple ‘can you hear me now?’ question, all too familiar to cell phone users, helped move network reliability up the ranks as a key purchase consideration for wireless users at the time when other companies were shouting about minutes and prices.” Verizon’s brilliant marketing campaign proved to work for the company. However, in today’s society consumers are constantly processing advertisements and media messages, after a while they get bored of the same repetitive images. According to Media and Society written by David Croteau and William Hoyness, “Our attention is on what is being bought and sold, and competition for that attention is hard to attract leads to a continual search for new ways to reach consumers” (64). Finding a new way to reach consumers is exactly what Verizon did. Verizon embarked on a very creative experiential marketing campaign called “Verizon Surprises.” Experiential Marketing is essentially gorilla marketing. It is any type of marketing that is live and non traditional. The first and most important step of experiential marketing is to get the attention of the people around you, and then keep it. Some ways to achieve this is through, street teams, events, face-to-face connections, word of mouth, trade shows, using celebrities, and free samples to name a few techniques. Experiential marketing is a great form of marketing, because it is non- traditional it allows you to think out of the box and really get creative. Verizon sent the “Verizon Guy” and the network to various locations to follow Verizon customers around while they were on their phone. They used “group dynamics” to prove to their customers they would always be there when they needed them. Almost every customer was in “denial” about the situation at first, but then accepted this “personal shift.” They were in a real life advertisement! Every customer and bystander was left with an impression due to these real life “testimonials.” The people involved didn’t feel as if they were being marketed towards, which is why it proved to be so effective. Media and Society says it best, “Despite the diversity of advertising messages and their frequent use of irony and humor, there is an underlying commonality to almost all advertisements: They are fundamentally about selling”(186).

An example of a surprise!

MRAZED

Media Meditation # 7

2002 was the first time I had ever seen Jason Mraz live in concert. I had no idea who he was or what he sounded like prior to the show. Once the show was over, I couldn't imagine my life without his music. I have seen Jason, (yes we are on a first name basis, I met him once and now we are best friends) 8 times in various locations. Every single show is entirely different from the last. He makes every performance personal and unique by scatting, breaking out a cover song in the middle of one of his songs or beat boxing. Overall he is very appealing to the limbic brain, talented and can act freely on stage as he pleases. He allows every member of the audience to obtain their own “value message” from his songs through “emotional transfer.” The one thing that remains constant with every show is the atmosphere. The first time I saw him was at a tiny venue, before anyone knew he was, and every show since then has been slightly bigger and bigger. Even thought he no longer plays in small intimate settings, Jason has the ability to make a big arena feel small and personal, which is why I think he is so talented. He engages everyone in the audience emotionally. Jason Mraz unfortunately, does not appeal to everyone. Which is why he has a few top 40 friendly songs. These songs such as “The Remedy” “You and I both” and “Wordplay” upset me because I don’t think they showcase Jason’s talent enough, he is better then these songs! The lyrics of "Wordplay" even say, "For the record label puts me on the shelf up in the freezer gotta find another way to live the life of leisure, so I drop my top, mix and I mingle, is everybody ready for the single and it goes[...] when it's time to get ill I got your remedy for those who don't remember me." I feel like he is making fun of himself in this song. However, if you listen to him play these songs live with an acoustic guitar they are so much better! I feel as if a lot of people don’t give him a chance because they hear him on the radio and judge his talent based on his “pop” songs, which isn’t a true representation of him as an artist. However, according to David Croteau and William Hoyness, “Media organizations are attempting to produce hits- products that will be popular with audiences and, therefore, big moneymakers. It stands to reason that stars, who are also perceived to be popular and moneymakers will be a key part of their strategy. The logic goes some thing like this: hits make money, stars make money, and hits have stars; therefore hits need stars. In a media world in which uncertainty is a constant, decision makers seeks rules to make their decisions less arbitrary. The deep commitment to stars and to the importance of reputation more generally is one of the principal ways that the fluidity and ambiguity of the media industry are brought under control” (Media and Society 155). Jason’s record label wants him to make money, because if he makes money then they make money. The more pop songs he makes the bigger chance he has at gaining popularity and fame! It makes sense, but it is frustrating for me to go see him in concert and sit next to girls that only know the words to the songs that are on the radio. Jason Mraz’s lyrics and music are so much deeper then all the other songs on the radio. I just wish his radio listeners knew that!

Please take a moment to watch this video. This song "Sleeping to dream" is my favorite song and is the song I remember most from that first concert.

Jason & I hanging out in Newport, R.I after his show, no big deal.... Best day Ever!

An unhealthy obsession with Vampires

Media Meditation # 6

Lindsay, Shelby & Ali at Borders book party

aka "Twihards"

About one year ago my 16-year-old sister Shelby established an unhealthy obsession with the “Twilight Saga.” The Twilight Saga consists of four books that explore the relationship between Bella and her vampire lover Edward. The series was popular, but didn’t gain much attention until the first book “Twilight” was made into a film last fall, a technological shift. This film is what turned my sister and many others into “Twi-hards” (die hard Twilight fans). The major reason why these young girls are so obsessed with Twilight are the two leading men, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner, the “beautiful people” in the film. After seeing the movie my sister began to read the books. She finished all four within two weeks, and only left her room to eat. As I have expressed in the past I am a huge Harry Potter fan and constantly told Shelby that Harry Potter was much better than Twilight! After a while, I got curious and finally decided to jump on the “bandwagon." I made an agreement with my sister, she would read the Harry Potter series and I would read the Twilight Saga and watch the first film. So I watched the first film and thought it was terrible. The “production techniques” were not impressive and the acting was terrible. The only good thing about the movie was the very attractive main character Edward Cullen. After watching the movie I understood why everyone was so obsessed with it. He is every girls “dream man” even if he is a vampire. After watching the film I started to read the series. The series is told from Bella’s perspective, so the readers feel as if they are in a relationship with this mysterious vampire babe! I must confess the series dragged me in and I was hooked. I also read the four books at record speed. The books are entertaining and very emotional at times. As a reader I invested so many of my own feelings into the series that I experienced a personal shift. I was no longer reading about these characters, I was mentally, and emotionally engaged and participating with the characters. As embarrassed, as I am to say this, I cried during the last book because it was so emotional, and I find it absolutely amazing that books can captivate readers in that way. I wonder if Little, Brown and Company, part of Hachette book group (formerly Time Warner Books) a "second tier publishing division" (Media & Society, 35) predicted Twilight's success? According to Media and Society written by David Croteau and William Hoyness, "Books are published on a wide range of subjects, packaged in various formats, sold in many different settings, and bought by many types of readers. In addition, there are several different kinds of publishing companies, from large commercial houses that sign prominent authors to seven-figure advance-payment contracts to small presses that publish scholarly monographs"(143). Media and Society also states, "Different industries and the various sectors within each industry have different rules that govern the decision-making process. The search for steady profits by commercial media companies make evaluations of the potential for economic success a central feature of the decision-making process. Those in decision-making roles need to develop strategies for evaluating the potential profitability of a particular movie or book"(143). It looks like the publishing company knew what they were doing!

So I give the series a thumbs- up!

Here is the trailer for New Moon, the second film in the Twilight Saga

Bad Romance

Media Meditation #5

The first time I saw this video was on Perezhilton.com, a celebrity gossip blog that has a huge following. Perez posted a trailer of the video on his blog and announced when the full-length video would premier. The day it premiered I went to youtube to check it out, proving to be a technological shift. As soon as the music video began I instantly thought Lady Gaga is crazy and I love it! The video was so much more than a video; it resembled a mini motion picture due to its “production techniques.” The video was visually stimulating, used “repetition” of “symbols,” “pacing, timing,” had a good beat and featured “beautiful people,” bottom line, it was entertaining! Lady Gaga is known for being very out of the box with her clothing, videos and performances, which is why so many people like her. She is different and has what people call “shock value.” Lady Gaga’s image makes me wonder how much say Lady Gaga has in her career choices? I wonder if she picks out all of her clothing and the themes behind her music videos. According to Media and Society written by David Croteau and William Hoynes, “the ‘promotional demands’ of music videos help determine what the videos actually look like. In particular, Goodwin focuses on the control of the video by the record company and its chosen director, rather than the musicians. The video versions of songs, in most cases, are the result of marketing decisions made by record companies, not the artistic expression of the musicians” (73). Music videos are also utilized as an advertising platform. In the “Bad Romance” video, Lady Gaga is not only promoting herself, but fashion designer Alexander McQueen as well. Alexander McQueen used “Bad Romance” in his Spring/Summer 2010 runway show and Lady Gaga wore his clothing in her music video. This shows how everything media related is connected. It also shows viewers that they are being advertised to constantly without even realizing. We as consumers are no longer safe from advertising, it will find us!

McQueen Shoes

Gaga in McQueen

The Media's Obsession with Perfection

Media Meditation # 4

I feel the media has the ability to warp and influence the minds of women through music, television and advertisements. These various media have the ability to distort a woman’s concept of beauty and "reality construction" through images of “perfection” in the many media outlets.

If you actually take a moment and think how many times a day you are exposed to the media, consciously and subconsciously, it is a lot more then you realize. Consciously we watch movies and flip through pages of a magazine. Subconsciously, our limbic brain analyzes images of "Beautiful people" and implants into our minds guidelines of what we should look like. Celebrities, unlike average "plain folks" cannot afford to show any imperfections because interestingly enough the media will criticize them for it.

Since celebrities are influenced and pressured by the media to be thin, average women, who base their image on the stars, will follow. However, the "big lie" is that these women in magazines do not have perfect bodies. Thanks to programs like Adobe Photoshop an editor can go in and remove excess fat from a leg, enlarge the model’s eyes or make their lips fuller. Their photographs have been digitally enhanced and altered to create the illusion of perfection rather than an actual person. Even though these pictures are fake and far from a true representation of the human body, women will try anything to achieve this unattainable appearance in any way possible. Some women might be completely comfortable with their bodies, but the advertisements they view have the ability to make them self-conscious. When one is constantly surrounded by these negative messages and images it damages a woman’s self-worth and esteem. According to Media and Society, written by David Croteau and William Hoyness "The most visible ad is the cover of the magazine. The standard image of the ideal woman on the cover suggests that purchase of the magazine will provide clues to how and what to buy in order to become the ideal woman"(188). The authors also point out that, "even the 'editorial advice' provided by women's magazines is a form of covert advertisement, selling the consumer ideology. Beauty advice, for example routinely suggests the consumption of various forms of makeup as a way to achieve beauty" (188). Women feel the need to jump on the "bandwagon" and buy beauty products as a "simple solution" to their "image problems."

If you are continuously told you are not good enough indirectly, every time you turn on the television or open a magazine, it has a dampening effect on your self- esteem. If you listen closely to the lyrics in a rap song or watch a rap video women are frequently objectified. These videos and songs are played so often in the media that people become desensitized to them. Even though we have become desensitized to these messages and seem more tolerant, it doesn’t make them acceptable. The offensive lyrics in this song make it seem like it is ok for women to be treated like a piece of meat, when it is not acceptable at all. Men and women view and listen to these videos and can’t help but compare their actions to those in the video and think this is how they should be relating to each other. Men see these sexy women strutting around in booty shorts and stilettos and think that is what sexy is. If men consider these video women sexy then pressure is put on average women to look like them in order to be desirable to men. Media and Society states, "Middle-class women, however, were much more likely to focus on the positive nature of these images, either defending such televised characters or indicating a sense of identification with them. The result is that middle-class women's interpretations of televised images of women are part of their own definitions of womanhood" (279).

The media is becoming increasingly influential and available every day. Therefore this feminist epidemic should be addressed immediately. Instead of using a woman’s body as a marketing tool, instead of stating all the imperfections, instead of treating the body as an object, treat it as a human being, because in case you forgot that is what it is. A woman’s body should be treated with the utmost respect and praise that is deserves.

This is part of Dove's Real Beauty Campaign!

Media Medication

Media Meditation # 3

January 26, 2009 is a day that I will always remember. It was on this day that I flew across the Atlantic Ocean and landed in “Firenze” my new home for the following four months. Waiting for that day to come was torture. I was excited, nervous and really scared.

I had no idea what to expect, I didn’t speak Italian, I knew no one, I had never lived on my own let alone in a foreign country. Luckily my excitement was able to surpass my fear and gave my legs the power to walk onto the plane, and say goodbye to my family that day. What happened after that (my experience abroad) is almost impossible to explain to anyone who didn’t experience it with me. I studied at Florence University of the Arts and went through a program called Study Abroad Italy. I lived with seven other girls in an apartment on Corso de Tintori 6 in Firenze, Italy. The eight of us hailed from all over the United States and established a bond that was unlike any other friendship I have ever experienced in my 21 years of existence. When you are forced to live with others in a foreign country and adjust to the cultural changes and are subjected to the socialization of another culture, you naturally become one another’s support systems. I also traveled, experienced and learned lessons with these girls that I haven’t experienced with my own family. Theses girls are the only ones who will ever truly understand the individual meaning I took away from my time in Florence, Italy. I consider myself lucky to have ended up with such awesome girls as my roommates. However, it was challenging at times being so far away from all my loved ones, and I would like to thank the many social media sites out there for helping me stay so connected while I was so far away.

It is difficult and very expensive to call home when you are 6 hours ahead of time. Since I didn’t have the luxury of picking up the telephone and calling home at my own convenience, I turned towards the Internet for all of my communication. The Internet according to the novel Media and Society written by David Croteau and William Hoynes, “blurs the distinction between individual and mass audiences, as people use the medium for individual communication, small group communication, and mass communications”(Media and Society 303). The text also states, “Any individual with the appropriate technology can now produce his or her own online media and include images, text, and sound about whatever he or she chooses” (Media & Society 303). I choose to do this through facebook, twitter, blogger and skype to stay in touch with my family and friends. This “virtual community suggests that communities no longer need to be geographically based. People all over the globe can, according to many proponents of electronic interaction, become ‘virtual’ neighbors through the space-bridging technology of the Internet” (Media& Society 305).

It is hard to describe to someone what the Duomo looks like. My family and friends didn't have any idea how beautiful Florence was until their limbic brain was activated by the images I sent them through these different mediums. My communication efforts while abroad proved to be quite the technological shift and emotional transfer. Without the Internet I would have never been able to share my thoughts, emotions and adventures with my family back in America.

Walking along the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy!