Internet is taking over the world… January 29, 2007

OK, so some of you may be reading this and thinking “this is the dumbest thing I have ever heard” but, I think that this statement is in many ways true.

In the article “The Significance of Virtual Communities” by Karen Evens, the importance of the Internet is stressed.  Manuel Castells predicts that the Internet will in fact be the main source of communication between people.  I completely agree with him.  There is nothing that the Internet can’t provide that the television and phone can.  You can go on web-cam to see someone, you can instantly send messages you can download and watch movies etc…  The Internet even builds relationships between random people.  Dating sites where you find your “true love” are everywhere.  People like Dr.Phil even endorse them. The internet is slowly taking every other form of mass communication over.

If you were to ask someone 10 years ago if they had a computer and the Internet, I would think that people may have looked at you like you had no brain.  Today however, it is weird if someone does not have a computer or a laptop.  Technology is changing everyday.  You purchase a brand new dell laptop one day, the next there is something new that is bigger and better.  Computers are much like cars, as soon as you turn it on and install all your programs it is not worth nearly as much as its retail price.

The article discusses how the Internet makes relationships easier over distance.  That people do not have to make friends on the basis of their geography.  The Internet makes it easier to keep these long distance relationships running.  If your neighbour is very annoying you do not have to pretend you like them to have some company.  It is so easy nowadays to just log onto the Internet and talk to your friends that live in a different country (minus the time zone difference!).  Even for people who do not have many friends, you can go onto the Internet and join 100 different chat-rooms if you wanted to and just start conversations with people.  This technology is amazing.

The effect that this technology and mass communication device has on the people that use it and the virtual communities that are made, as stated in the article, are still to be understood.  The significance and importance of these relationships vary between the individuals who are conversing. 

The internet is huge everywhere.  Msn, facebook, myspace etc… are lifelines to many people (I won’t lie, I live on msn and facebook!).  They are an easy way to talk too and understand other people that you know or want to get to know!

The Internet is taking over the world….

My Little Rant… January 27, 2007

What a day.  I live in Calgary so I decided to come home for the weekend.  I needed a few little things from ikea so I thought it would be a good idea to go there with my mom (that way I did not have to pay…I’m an awful child I know!).  Anyways, it is Saturday afternoon, this is my first mistake.  It was insane.  Parking was awful, getting through that gigantic store was a task and then the line-ups.  I am still angry and I have been home for over 2 hours.  I waited in line for over an hour.  It was awful.  Some guy had over a 1000 dollar purchase and his credit card wasn’t working so he was waiting on the phone forever to try to get through to someone.

This is how I am going to tie my little rant in with technology and mass communication.  It is incredibly difficult to get through to the people you need to talk too.  For example, Credit card companies, banks, insurance companies, cell phone companies etc… No matter how many different ways they set up to make it easier it never is.  Like when I go onto the Internet to get the phone number to call my cell phone company there is a spot where you can write your question in and they will email you back in the next few days… wow does this ever anger me.  I am a very impatient person so waiting 2 days is not really an option.

No matter what companies do there is still far to much waiting.  Even if the company has set it up so you can try to get through to them by phone, internet, fax etc… it still takes way to long no matter which “mass communication” device you are trying to use.

The thing that really tops off my day is when I am trying to get through to my doctors office.  They don’t even have a person to answer the phone, it is an automated message.  This may not be so bad if they call you right back but when you listen to the message they leave it is clearly stated that they will return your call within “3 business days”.  Wow, how aggravating.

Anyways, here is my rant.  I do apoligize for my bad mood! haha talk to you guys later!

Unwanted Information January 26, 2007

OK, how many times have you been in a store and people just come up to you and bombard you with questions and information that you really do not want?  I find salesmen to be the worst… To get to my point, in chapter 6 they discussed a push-pull model.  The push-pull model is split into 2 parts: the push and the pull (crazy I know!).  The pull side of this model is information that we choose to take in.  For example, we choose to read a book or not, we choose to watch greys anatomy or not (but you really should watch greys!).  The push side of this model is the information that we take in that we do not necessarily want to.  For example, the text talks about when you are in a grocery store and the announcements come on over the speakers.  You don’t have a choice but to listen to them.

The reason I decided to blog on this is because I find people to be a huge source of information that I do not always want to listen to.  I get that they are just doing their job, but when I just want to look around by myself having someone bombard me and pressure me to buy something is very frustrating.  For example, GAP. That is one of the worst retail stores for being in your face constantly by 80 different people.  Once they start telling you their “sales” of the day you can not just stop them in the middle of their rant.  I used to work at GAP and if i did not go up to every person every few minutes I was in a lot of trouble… sometimes people just want to shop.

Furniture stores.  Wow.  These stores are like car dealerships.  Basically when I go into one I feel like I have to buy something.  I think it would even be safe to say that I feel bad if I have not bought something after I leave.  The pressure and unwanted “information” is hard to phase out and not listen to.  The moral of my story, and the part of it that sucks if that this “unwanted” information seems to have an effect sometimes…choked

Publication Bans January 22, 2007

So I started this weeks readings with chapter 11.  A few pages into this chapter I discovered the publication bans that are instituted under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.  I had never really considered or deeply thought about how the names of individuals under the age of 18 are not allowed to be named when they are charged of a crime – unless it is an adult sentence.  It makes complete sense of why this is so.  Considering how the media is so influential, audiences, particularly jury members, I’m my opinion, would most likely be swayed one way or another before even reaching the courtroom.

In the case of Karla Homolka, her evidence may have influenced the public for Paul Bernardo’s case.  This is a very interesting notion.  Stories would later arise that it was to protect both of their families privacy. Society really does understand how influential the mass media is.  Even murder trials are being censored to the public for this very reason.  I find it interesting however that when Karla was released the media (I believe-correct me if I’m wrong…) was not allowed to discuss where she was going because she wanted a new start.  She was trying to start a blank slate.  She did not want to be followed by 100 different news stations.  I even heard that she changed her name so she would not be noticed everywhere she went in Canada. 

Anyways, back to the publication ban.  This ban does have its pros and cons.  It does protect the defendent (guilty or not…), but at the same time, does the public not have a right to make their own decisions based on the information they are given when it happens?  (Given that we trust we are being told the whole story!).

Media seems to be the pillar in society…

Thank You Media! January 19, 2007

 Wow.  Did anyone else see Greys Anatomy last night?  I cried, I laghued… very emotional show! haha.  If it were not for media I would not have enjoyed my thursday night last night, so once again…Thank you!!!  I can’t believe George’s dad died… I wanted him to pull through I really did!

As for Grey’s Anatomy and the news latley… I am hearing many stories between T.R Knight (George) and Issiah Washington (Preston Burke).  Washington has been accused by many of making a degrading comment towards Knight and it has really put a rift between the cast mates on the show.  A petition has even been started to kick Washington off the show.  I just find it amazing how the media can make such a difference and change so many viewers opinions by telling revealing a story.  Due to this story being told by news castors, shows like Entertainment Tonight, and even certain cast mates, many people are swayed away from and disgusted with Washington.  The media really does have an effect.

With all this aside however, I just want to say again… Thank You media!!!

Mass, Mass Mass… January 18, 2007

Tonight’s class….very interesting!  So many “behind the scenes” theories!

For instance… hot and cold.  I would be one to argue that television and movies can be just as “high def.” as books and some magazines.  Let me tell you, there have been movies that take my head for a spin because I am so lost…it seriously may as well be in a different language.  Even though a “cool medium” may be just turning on a television and flipping the channels, when shows like greys anatomy are on, I am the most focused human being on the planet (I can not even go to greys house to watch with a bunch of people because they are too noisy!!!)

Onto the 20 reasons…I must say I do agree with most of these reasons.  I do think that media affects us, studies us to give us what they think “society” wants.  I think that media is a huge source of our present day culture and entertainment- I too along with Paul am choked that I know all about Paris Hilton and Lindsey Lohan.  The main item that really got to me was how the media really does define how we communicate with each other.  Without the phone, internet, cellphone etc… I would actaully have to get off my couch and walk and/or drive (who am I kidding… I would drive) to go and see someone.  And nowadays it is just too much of a hassle (for me anyways).  There have been many times that I haven’t gone out because its too cold, or too expensive, or I don’t want to get ready… the list could go on and on!

The sad thing about all this is, is that the media does depict our world, our values and certain ideas to us.  We don’t know what they are and are not telling us, and for the most part, in my opinion we believe what they say and what is shown to us because in the end we really have no other source or other options to make us think differently.

Till next time…

History predicts the future… January 17, 2007

1965 does not seem all that long ago. It is amazing to see how things have changed in the past few decades. After watching the CBC archives videos on Marshall Mcluhan and I have come to realize that he is a genius!  1965 did not have flat screen, high definition television’s with satellite… many families i’m sure did not even own a television.  Mcluhan predicted that the world would eventually be connected by electrical circuitry!  This is amazing when you think about it.  A guy twenty something years ago has predicted our present society when things like the internet did not even exist in his time.  Mcluhan talks about how in the future (present time now) that people will be physically going places to learn.  To learn chinese people will go to China!  This makes sense because there are programs that the university’s offer to learn abroad.

The phone.  A fantastic invention which has become the staple in today’s homes and businesses.  Mcluhan said that the stockbrokers were the smart ones because they had figured out early on that everything can be done and solved over the phone.  This guy is a genius!!!  I love the phone and I spend far too much time on it (again going back to my previous blog on cell phones… the household phone is pricy too!)

It is really hard to imagine how different things were in the 1960’s because I can not imagine society any different then it is today.  I suppose that is because i’m living it.  These thoughts and inventions have made my life and im sure others much more convienent and exciting!

Thanks to scientific people like Mcluhan!!!

Talk to you all later!

Readings January 16, 2007

Readings are a daunting task.  They are never done, there is always more to do, and when you do finally catch up the next day in class you are behind again.  I was worried about doing the readings this week because there are so many of them.  However, when I started chapter 1 I found that the information was not that hard to read (even though it is on theory!).  When I read that Canadians have a choice of 1051 radio stations, my head took a spin.  I’m from Calgary so I really only know about 4 or 5 stations.  1051… who knew that many radio stations even existed.  Which brings me to my point… media is everywhere, and I think everyone is starting to really take into mind the magnitude of this. But if there are 1051 radio stations alone, then there is so much more media out there then what meets the eye, or the ears…  Society is being over saturated in media.  If there are 1047 stations that I did not know about… how many other aspects of media are there that are not part of the “everyday” (primetime shows, radio etc…) media???

While reading through the text I also came across another point that really stuck with me.  Media is “…our window on  the world” (4).  When horrifying events like September 11th occur, unless you were in New York, it would have taken the rest of the world a lot longer to learn of such events.  So as bad as media may be for my health (all I do is watch tv…) it still holds a very important role in society.  These shared experiences (people who watch the same show or news program, people who listen to the same radio station) have a way, in the slightest form, of bringing society together.

Talk to you soon!

Cell phones January 16, 2007

It was brought to my attention earlier today how cell phones are two-faced.  They are so convienet say if you crash your car in the middle of nowhere and need to call a tow truck, or to text message people when you are bored or nowadays how they are even available when you need to take a picture.  The evil side of these phones however is how they are so expensive.  If you happen to go over on long distance minutes you have just created a 400 dollar bill.  The funny thing is, is that when i am texting or talking on the phone alot of the time its about the media.  For example, “did you see Desperate housewives last night?” , or “how do you switch the function on my ipod?”.  Most of the time I use my cell phone is to discuss things that are happening outside of school: tv, movies, etc…

A fantastic invention in technology however has been the webcam.  When you really think about it, it is amazing how through a wire you are looking at someone else.  From your home to your friends house in California! Its crazy!

This class has made me realize that I am a very lazy person… choked

First Class January 15, 2007

For starters, I am pumped.  I have never been in a class like this and I am excited to see how it turns out.  Paul seems like a fantastic prof., and im excited to be in his class.

Just by being in that class for one day, the impact and the forces of media were really brought to my attention.  Thinking back, I really do watch absurd amounts of television (I even schedule my classes around them sometimes…!).  The media really does hold a very large part of my life.  I basically live on msn and facebook, which is awful when you have midterms and papers to write… but it just always seems more interesting. 

When we were all seperated into groups, I really had no idea which group to go into…. of course naturally i did choose the television group and I am very proud of the choice of Greys Anatomy.  I will never be able to take a night class on thursday nights because of this show (I still highly recomend this show for everyone).  However, over the christmas holidays my little brother introduced me to a video game called Guitar Hero.  What an awesome game.  I felt like I was probably the best guitar player that has ever existed, which is weird because I have no idea how to play any insturments.  The point of me telling you this of course is because it largly consumed a big chunk of my christmas break.  Looking back now, my break was mostly filled by tv, movies, video games etc…

Email is another factor of media that I would be lost without (I have already emailed Paul afew times trying to figure this out!).  I am on my email more then facebook (which is a lot).  It seems that email has really taken over, everything is done online versus people getting together to meet and discuss things.  Even on television when people are asked for their thoughts on a subject, there is always an email address for people to voice their opinions and/or concerns.

So all in all, media is my life.  I am interested to see what other things are brought to my attention in this class because before last wednesday I had no idea how much I was really affected.

Talk to you all soon!