Fandom as Idenity and Community

A type of media that I am not a fan of, but my brother is would be the show E.R. Recently, E.R. just aired the final show for the last season. Ever since I can remember my brother has been a huge fan of the show that has been on for the past 12 years. My brother and his friends formed their own kind of community around this show. Every night that it was on they would sit around the television and watch the show while discussing with each other what was going and how they felt about that particular episode. Now, my brother has also formed a certain identity with this show. The other day my mom and brother were talking to me about the final show of E.R. and my brother made the comment that he wanted to go to medical school. You must know my brother to understand he would not be the medical school type. He struggled through high school barely passing math and science, which is a large part of the medical field. The reason he had considered making this life change was all because of the show. He said that he would love to be just like the people on the show and take care or gun shot wounds, burns, bleeding, and everything else. I was very interested in the fact that just two years ago he hated school and barely made it through, but after being a part of this fandom that formed a community and new identity for him he wanted to make a whole life change. After hearing about this I realized the effect that not only media can have on us and our lives, but also what the actually involvement and dedication to this media can actually do to us.

Fandom

I think that the difference between "normal" and "obsessive" is the effort spent being involved with a certain "thing". I would consider a normal fandom to be something like keeping up with a certain television series or collecting an object of some sort to a certain degree. Sometimes collecting objects can also be classified as obsessive fandom. An example of normal fandom would be the past craze of collecting pokemon cards. Many kids would just collect the cards and occasionally play the actual game, but other kids were buying the cards, video games, posters, clothes, assessories, and everything pokemon. I would consider just the card collectors a form of normal fandom, but the kids who had to collect everything that was pokemon became a type of obsessive fandom. I think that the difference between normal and obsessive is extreme. Although the whole process of collecting or interacting is similar some people just seem to take it to an extreme level like we all witnessed on the "Trekkies" movie. A fan community that I am apart of like I mentioned in another blog is the Sarah Dessen book club. The community is nothing official but it brings a bunch of people together to share their thoughts and feelings of the books. I think that being apart of this community make it special for me because it gives me friends that I know I have a connection with. I participate because it makes me feel good to read a book I enjoy and then get together with friends to discuss the lastest thing we had read and discussed how we feel about it. This has shaped me because it gives me something to look foward to and anytime I need to get away or relax I can just jump into a Sarah Dessen book and lose myself in the story. I would classify this as normal, but borderline obsessive. The reason I would say this is normal is because I don't think that I go to the extreme such as dressing up or talking to the characters of the book, but I would consider it almost obsessive because I do think that at times I have a parasocial relationship with the characters of the book. Often I will catch myself relating to what the character is saying and imaging myself and their shoes or as their friend. Sarah Dessen book have definitely become a media that has a large effect on me and who I am.

Star Trek

After finishing the movie on Tuesday I really started to think how different forms of media grab our attention and begin to shape our lives. Today I was watch "That 70's Show" and there was a part where they referred to Eric's obsession with Star Trek. When I saw this part of the show it made me think about the movie from class and just how much the people shown have been effected by just this one form of media. The people on the movie are great examples of how media take control of us. Through Star Wars these fans have come together to form a community, relationships, and personal identity. While watching the movie I just kept in my mind that this was basically another world and that these people just found something they liked and made it their life, but it was not another world. It was our world and an example of media's impact on our life. Although I can not say I am a huge fanatic like a lot of the "trekies" I will admit that I do have many different media forms in my life that same who I am and connect me with a different community that I can share my interest with. One form of media that has impacted me was any book by Sarah Dessen. I love Sarah Dessen books! I could spend all of my days just reading if it were a book by Sarah Dessen. The love I have for these books have kind of put me into another community. A couple summers ago I learned that another girl on my softball team loved Sarah Dessen so we began to read and share. Later we realized that we had everyone reading Sarah Dessen and sharing what they had read. Eventually, these talks became official book talks and helped us to connect with one another and share our love for this media text. I think that the effects media has on our lives is a good thing and it helps us to find who we really are.

American Myth of Success

Recently I was reading in the "Eyes Wide Open" book and I ran into a great example of the American Myth of Success. Earlier in the semester when we were assigned the online reading about the American Myth of Success I found it interesting, but I found it also slightly hard to understand. The idea that you are either born into success or you have to work hard for it is what got me. I do agree with this idea that you are either born into it or work for it, but I always tried to think of a story that could help me visualize the actual idea of the American Myth of Success. So, as I was reading the other day I found in this book that the author use the story "The Little Engine That Could" to illustrate the American Myth of Success. I found this interesting because it is a children's book that contains the complex idea of how to be successful. When I heard this example I thought back to when my mom would read to my brother and I before bed and she had told this story multiple times. After hearing the story time and time again she would refer back to it when either my brother or I were going through and time when we didn't think we would make it through. Years passed and still she would refer to this children's book. Then my senior year of high school on the last day of class my leadership development teacher read to us the same story...only now I actually understood the true meaning and the concept of being successful. As a child I thought that this little engine overcame something that it thought it couldn't do, but as a senior in high school hearing the story again I realized the engine was successful through hard work and that was the point that my teacher was trying to make to us that last day of high school that with hard work and determination success will come...just as the American Myth of Success says it will.

Parasocial Interactions

Yesterday in class we discussed the idea of parasocial relationships. At first I thought the whole idea of having a relationship with a media character was super weird, but as I continued to think I was reminded of a couple characters that I feel close to when I am a part of their media. In class I chose Jenni Finch, who is a softball pitcher for the USA team. When we used the psychological scale to figure out our relationship with our certain characters I scored pretty low compared to everyone else. Through the day it stuck with me the whole idea of person and media relationships. While I was cleaning up my room I ran into a book that I had read awhile back called "Dreamland" by Sarah Dessen. The past few years starting in my younger teenage years I enjoyed reading books by Dessen and when I ran into this book I thought about what it was that made me so involved and connected with the books that she wrote and right then I realized my own parasocial relationship, my own media best friends, and that was all the main female characters in the Sarah Dessen novels. It occurred to me that I did miss these characters and I did miss these books that I had not read in awhile. When I read the books by Dessen I feel like I can understand what the main female character is going through, but if I don't understand and I have never been through it myself then I feel like a friend to the characters someone that they can vent to and share their story with, which puts together a novel. So, after discovering my own parasocial interaction/relationship I realized that maybe they are not so weird, but rather they are relieving and entertaining.

Henry Jenkins

Since I had never heard of Henry Jenkins before class on Tuesday I decided that I would investigate a little about him and the work he does. While I was investigating I found and interesting blog of Henry Jenkins at http://henryjenkins.org/. The blog idea was titled "How has the web reshaped amateur film production, publicity, and distribution?" Basically what the point of the blog was is the connection between the Internet and the world of film production. Henry Jenkins explains that production uses the Internet to get things done like the purchasing costumes and other parts of the set, but there is a new use for the Internet that is helping the production team. Jenkins explains that the web is now used to create a virtual crew team for the film. In the blog Jenkins gives the example, "For instance, the 2005 fan film, Star Wars: Revelations, was an ambitious, 40-minute effort covered by all the major news channels and downloaded over a million times in its first 48 hours on the web. Part of the appeal was its eye-popping special effects, which were created by a volunteer team of CGI enthusiasts around the world that used the web to recruit artists, exchange files and compile the finished effect shots." After reading this and realizing what influence the web has for production I was amazed and the way the two work hand and hand. When I picture a production I just think of light, cameras, directors, and actors. I never really considered the use of computers, let alone the idea that the web could create a virtual work crew.

My little black....box

After class today and the discussion about I began to wonder what it would be like if we really did have a "black box" that had all forms and possible media right in our hands. As I thought about this my main thought was how would this black box change society and would it help or hurt the world of media. Personally, I think that by creating this ultimate form of media it would change society greatly. Now, when I envision this new black box I think of something similar to the iphone because now-a-days it is not cool to make anything bigger than that. So, after this black box is created I believe it will have a negative effect on society. I think that by having all this media at our hands it will disconnect ourselves from the world, but yet be completely connected at the same time. You would stay completely connected to the world by having the access to television, newspapers and magazines. I think that when this black box is created many people will forget the telephone calls and face-to-face conversation and begin only email and text messaging. By the creation of this new product we will forget all the groups we are apart of and it will just become another distraction in our everyday lives.

Conglomerates

After the debate on Thursday I have been thinking a lot about the different affects of media conglomerates on society. Going into the debate I thought there is no way that the side arguing that media conglomerates has a positive effect on society would make a valid point, but they did. Although it kind of got off the track of media conglomerate and steered more toward media text in general I think that they can both be argued very closely. The argument made by the affirmative group about the enhancement of tree-market communication was very good. I agree that through media conglomerates and the works they provide society with that it helps to keep us all connected and communicating. The point that was brought up a few times in the debate was whether or not these conglomerates actually guide the way we think or if it is our free will to choose what we think about. Personally, I think that we do not have a choice of what we think about when we are guided by a media text or conglomerate. The media world has a system of creating products and advertisement that will catch our eye and make us want or at least to consider whatever is being displayed. One example I can think of in my head is the new "Snuggie" blanket and the commercials that they play on television. The product is nothing more than a blanket with sleeves, but by the flashy and upbeat commercial they provide us with multiple scenarios that would make the "Snuggie" blanket a helpful need in our lives. Going all the way through the creation of this commercial it leads back to the media conglomerate who owns this company guides the way of effective attention grabbing. After the debate in class I have changed my view from the idea that media conglomerates or only bad for society to the fact that they are both good and bad for the society.

Media: Good or Bad?

During the activity in class on Tuesday we discuss the affects of mass media to our society. As we discussed these different affects we also talked about whether these affects are good or bad. Personally, I think that most media would be found in the positive AND negative categories. I think that media has a huge affect on us and our lives. People tend to live there life through magazines,movies,music videos, and television shows. If you take a minute and look around society seems to be just like the days of high school. Most of us will observe the environment around us to see the what groups we want to become a part of and then change to fit in, much like what we picture in the "stereotypical highschool". Media often will tell us what to wear or how to live our lives. As we are exposed to these different types of media it often will put a picture in our minds of what our life would be like if we could have the things we wanted or looked the way we wanted. In a way this imagination that media gives us can be good or bad. I believe that it could be considered bad because many times these are a false fantasy and give us false hopes. It also pushes us to look perfect and live perfect lives. On the other hand, I think that this can be a good thing because these images could also a form of motivation for people to start a new lifestyle.

Lights, Camera, Action

In class on Tuesday we discussed the five levels of production most common for media. The idea that I found most interesting was the explanation of producers. Before class, if I were ever asked with media in mind what would I consider a producer? I probably would have told you it was a middle age man,with a ponytail, barre hat, and he sits in a crossed legged chair with a mega phone shouting orders. Now, after class on Tuesday I have realized that my vision of a producer is wrong. We described producers as almost anyone and everyone. After class I continued to think about how these five levels of production and especially producers. I realized that when I would think about any form of media I would often forget many parts that contribute to the production of the movie. I agree with the definition of a producer being almost anyone that has anything to do with the making of the media. I am sure that each different form of media text take a different amount of people to help produce the text, but each contribution and part of work is important to the production and therefore it is a great thing that my vision of a producer was wrong because the more people there is to help the better quality of the media text.

Favorite Text & Genre

One of my favorite media text is the book Mind Gym. This book is a collection of inspirational stories from may different famous athletes. The text also includes quotes from athletes and coaches. On the front cover of the book is says, "An Athlete's Guide To Inner Excellence". The first genre that I would consider placing this book under is sports. I would consider this book to be in the sports genre because it is all about different sport stories. Another reason I would put this book in the sports genre is because it provides information and techniques in order to improve your performance in athletics. Sports is not the only genre that I would consider putting this book on the bookshelf for, but I would also consider the genre nonfiction. Nonfiction books are considered books that provide true facts and information about differet subjects. As I said before this book is compiled with real stories from real people that provide information about how there are huge mental aspects when playing sports and it also includes how to fix it. As I think about it more and more I know that I could go through the book and pick out many more genres that it could satisfy, but I think that the two most important genres are sports and nonfiction.

Merchants of Cool...again.

As I was studying for the Mass Media exam I went back to the video of Merchants of Cool online to refresh my memory. When I referred back to the video I began to question the idea that they presented about sex. What is it that is so appealing to teens and even a lot of society about the sexual content presented in these movies and television shows? Most of us were familiar when we saw Dawson's Creek on the video and how they referred to this show as "a group of sex obsessed high school friends". Although, Dawson's Creek was not the only television show for teens that they mentioned, but also Beverly Hills 90210, MTV's Undressed, and the movie Cruel Intentions. Just from the clips that they showed on the video from these shows I was amazed at how much sexual content was actually present. At a younger age in my home I was not allowed to watch shows that contain this kind of behavior until I was older. After watching Merchants of Cool a friend and I actually went to rent the film Cruel Intentions. When they introduced this movie on the video I thought to myself who would ever want to watch a movie about step siblings who desired each other sexually? To me I thought that was just strange, inappropriate, and basically disturbing. I think it was the sick and uncomfortable story line that made this movie a "must see". Even though while I was watching the movie I still felt awkward and uncomfortable with what was going on. I must admit that it was addicting and entertaining. The movie kept the attention of all of us watching it and I do believe it was the story line of the two step siblings being sexually active with each other that made the movie interesting and held my attention because you always wanted to know what was going to happen next. Not only is this sexual content found on television, but also in our own lives. In the film when they introduce the "Midriff" and "Mook" everyone can either think of someone or maybe even themselves who present them self in the way of one of these labels. Its the "sexy" and "dangerous" styles that grab the attention of teen age girls turning them to the world of sex symbols. Boys are not far behind with their macho man lifestyle that they are trying to portray. I will say at first I did not believe that teens could be so interested in the idea of sexual behaviors and physical sex appeal, but after watching the weird and disturbing film of Cruel Intentions I will say that there is a way to grab your attention through this sexual content.

Genre

Last Tuesday in class when Alyssa was teaching about genre's it all a new concept for me. When ever I think of genres I always usually just assume books. In elementary school we are taught the different genres of books that are labeled in the library, but I never really applied the idea of television to this world of genres. When we did the activity where we list all the genres that we could think of from TV it amazed me to see the amount. It was funny when after making this list I felt like our group nailed all the genres, but then as the other groups began to put there list up i realized that there were EVEN MORE genres! Now, when I think about or am watching a television show I begin to think about what genre the show could be apart of and realize that some shows are part of multiple genres. Beyond just beginning to recognize genres of television Alyssa also taught us that there are two different concepts of genres, which I had never heard of in books or television. The idea of recursivity and hybridity makes it even more of a challenge for us to identify what category a certain show could fall into. Now, being more aware of these different genres in my life it can help me to identify television shows that will be interesting for myself. Being considered a member of the audience for these show you would never have guessed that you are a factor of what determines these genres. I know that their are many polls and percents that express the "love" for a show, but I never knew that based on how much you like a show can help to determine the genre. I think that genres are important to the world of mass media because it helps to keep division in the media and it is easier for an audience member to become involved when they know what they like and what they are looking for.

Digital Media Story

Lately, I have been think about what to do for my digital media story project. At first when we heard about this assignment in class I thought it was going to be extremely easy to come up with an idea and for some people it may have been easy, but not for me. Already just beginning this project I have learned something new. I have learned that media, indeed, does play a enormous part in our lives today, but the concept of how a type of media has shaped or changed our lives it what I find confusing or difficult. I come from a family or readers and we all love to read different types of books. Now, although my family loves to read no one actually considered reading to change their life, but finally I found someone. After asking many family members about themselves and their own reading experiences along with the memories of other family members who have passed away I found that the persons whose life has been changed was myself. I have always wanted to be a teacher ever since I was in the second grade, but in high school I ran in circle with the idea of what subject was the one I wanted to teach. My junior year in high school I mentored with a middle school science teacher and really enjoyed the opportunity, but there was still something missing in the science class room that bothered me. The thing missing in the classroom was books. I know it may sound corny, but I realized that science wasn't my passion but books and literature in general was what I has a love for and that is what I wanted to share. So, even though I have known all along that books have changed my own life I never really considered it to be what influenced me to be who I am and who I want to become.

In Class Movie..."Merchants of Cool"

After watching the movie in class the past couple of days it has amazed me at how much it takes to reach the teens in society. If I would have never watched that movie I would never have guessed that companies work so hard in order to attract the youth. When I watch television I never notice or realized that I am being impacted so strongly by what is on, but I can now see that I am being greatly affected by this media. It was interesting to me to see how companies would work together to draw in the young people. When I heard the term "Cool Hunters" in the movies I just thought to myself, "You have got to be kidding. That can not be a real job title", but it was and the description of this title fits perfectly. When they described the idea of the trends and how when one thing is cool, it does not stay cool for long, but instead it becomes old and unpopular making a new "item" the cool thing. When I heard this cycle of coolness I found it to be very true. I have always felt that the "cool" world moves so fast. First, you see the "cool thing" and become introduced. Next, you begin a mission to have or to buy this cool thing. After sometimes a long mission you finally get the "cool thing". You can usually enjoy the "cool thing" for a little while before the cycle starts up again with the next "cool thing". Now, that I have seen this movie and realized the way the media and production world works I think I will pay more attention to how they are trying to get my interest and suck me in to their trap.

Reading Four

I found reading four to be very interesting. In class we discussed the difference between signifier, which is a oral or written symbol and the signified, which is defined as how you think about the signifier or in other words the mental representation. In the comic reading that it was assigned I feel as though the "comic man" gave a very good example of signifier and the signified. In the example that he gave her was talking about how when we are given the signifier "FACE" as a written word or orally then there are a variety of mental representations that can appear in our mind. When we hear the word "face" there is no particular and certain face that we see in our mind, but many. These different faces can range from complex to simple. In the example that the comic man gave he said that faces can come complex and so realistic thats it's hard to tell if it is a portrait or not, but faces come simple also. He discussed how us as humans can see just a couple circles and lines and put them together to make a face. After this reading presented this example I found it was interesting to think about how the mind works and although one thing can paint a detailed picture in our life it can also be as simple as a couple lines and circles.

"I'm Yours" By Jason Mraz

After class of Thursday I have found myself listening to to music in a more observant way, which has become frustrating but can be interesting. Over the past weekend I have done quit a bit of driving which allows me to listen to a lot of music. While driving in the car I had to of heard the song "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz over 100 times. Now, every time I hear this song I remember the discussion we had in class about how songs are carefully placed together for a certain meaning or sometimes multiple meanings. I also decided that I wanted to analyze a song for my media text analysis, which was very different from that of Jason Mraz and it helped me to understand how different songs can have different meanings. I have become more aware of the way the music of a song and the words work parallel to each other in order to create the meanings and thoughts coming from the artist. By being able to analyze different text can help to make that text more meaningful for an individual.

Discussion About Semiotic Domains

In class last Tuesday we started off the discussion with the quote, "Reading is not only a mental or cognitive act, but it is profoundly a sociable practice" and as we continued to discussed we decided that this quote was saying that we read in order to interact with the people who know the same topic. When I heard this quote and after the discussion I had mix feelings about what it was trying to say. At first I really liked the quote and thought it explained the way we are perfectly. I thought about how many times people may read a certain book or magazine or maybe watch a certain show in order to fit in and communicate with others who enjoy that same subject or are a part of a particular affinity group. Then I also felt a negative feeling toward this quote. I disagreed with this thought because I feel that often times we watch a show or read a book for our own personal pleasure and not for the reason of communication with others in a certain group of interest. I also thought about how a lot of us will just engage in a certain media because we are forced to or expected to for a certain group or class. So, althought I agree with this quote I also believe that it is false and that we participate in material for our own pleasure.

Signs

After the discussion in class on Thursday I have found myself evaluating and thinking about signs and what the mean quite frequently. One example of what I thought about was the new "MU" logo for Malone University. The other day at practice we received our new jackets with this "MU" logo. As I looked at the logo I realized that some people would understand what the MU stood for while others maybe confused. As I thought about it I thought about the fact that of course almost everyone on Malone's campus would know what the "MU" stood for and probably many people around the Canton area since it is a local university. Then I thought that people around Columbus where I am from would probably have a more difficult time understanding the meaning of the embroidered "MU". After this encounter with a certain sign I realized that some signs may be more familiar or well recognized by people depending on location or other differences between people. Even though some signs maybe more familiar towards a certain type of people we still have the universal symbols that are familiar to a large number of people. An example of a universal sign would be like the stop sign that we discussed in class. Whether it is a "local" sign or a universal sign we can see that are everyday lives are overwhlemed with signs everywhere.

Semiotic Domains

I have never really stopped to think about the semiotic domains that I am apart of in my life until the lecture yesterday in class. Although some of these semiotic domains could be grouped together I have relieved that many of the semiotic domains in my own life can differ greatly from one another. My favorite sport to play is softball, which I play almost all year playing and have become very active in devoting much of my time too. Softball is a semiotic domain that is active and makes a person get up and move around. On the other hand, I love to read which is a much different semiotic domain than softball. Unlike the example that was given in class about reading a cooking magazine and being active while reading it I do not like to be physically active when I read. When I read it is more of a time to lay down and relax with my feet up on the couch. So as I was listening to the class lecture yesterday I realized that it is true that a person may be part of a large number of semiotic domains that may have very little or nothing to do with one another!

Media is a "security blanket"...

When we are little often times children will have a certain object that we consider a "security object or blanket". This object that we obsess over gives us some sort of comfort and secure feeling. Lately, as I have been evaluating my use of media in my everyday life I have found that all forms of media have become a security object in my life. Every minute of my day there is a form of media around me that I feel connects me to the "world" and that gives me a feeling of comfort and security. When I am in my dorm room doing homework or just relaxing I always have the TV on. Sometimes on the news, but usually just normal television shows. While I am watching TV I know that if anything major or urgent were to happen then a warning message of breaking news would scroll across the screen. Even just studying with the television sound on in the background gives me the feeling of comfort and security. Everywhere I go I also take my cell phone with me. I admit that texting has become an obsession of mine, but beyond the small conversations we have with people on the phone or over texting having my phone lets me know that if anyone needed to get hold of me in the case of an emergency or important message then they can contact me through my cell phone. Having my cell phone makes me feel connected to my family, friends, and other people in my life while being away at school. Finally, my computer. Every time that I open my Internet the AOL recent news comes up and I glace to see what is going on in the world that day. Besides all the social networking pages, my computer does not only keep me up to date and connected with all my friends and family, but also the rest of the world. Knowing what is going on around the world is the just another thing that give me a secure feeling through the use of media.

How are our myths un/true?

Recently I was just browsing the Internet when I came across a link that said "Medical Myths: Strange, but true..." immediately I was curious about the the link had in store to read since we had been discussing links previously in class. The link lead me straight to a online newspaper article from the newspaper The Independent in the medical section. The first myth that caught my eye was "Fat People Are More Jolly" and as soon as I read this title I thought of Santa. Normally when we think of Santa the first few things we think are fat and jolly, but in this case the article was about real people. The article stated that according to psychologists at Lakehead University in Canada they found that the hypothesis about fat people being more jolly has been proven to be true. As of now they have found that this happiness is more common in women than in men. From the research using the Body Mass Index (BMI) compared to the mood of the women showed that the higher the BMI then the lower the symptoms related to depression, anxiety, and a negative mood. Personally I feel like people who hear about this article will be confused and indifferent about the results. I believe that when people, especially women, begin to hear this myth is true then more and more people will become comfortable with the weight gain or maybe even attempt to gain weight that is really not wanted. I think that this myth is not true because I have always been told and strongly believe that exercise can help to give a person more energy, self confidence, and all around a better attitude. I think this myth could potentially hurt all people in a way whether they choose to believe it or not. For those who choose to believe it could possible fall into an unhealthy state to which is not wanted. Those who choose not to believe it may be in doubt whether their dedication to a health and active lifestyle is worth all the time and effort, which in return could cause depression for that person. I have found by looking more into myths that they can be dangerous to believe and not to believe.

Responding to "The American Myth of Success"

After reading “The American Myth of Success” I have learned that what they call the myth is the idea that only those who are born into successful or wealthy families are capable of becoming successful. The reading gave multiple examples of people who were not born into a family of success or wealth, but “they made the most of their native intelligence and natural spunk.” The article describes kids today as greedy and self-centered. Although they previously believed that kids have evolved to be this way today, but now they have realized that people have always been slightly self-centered and greedy. The similar ideas about “luck” and “pluck” are that they both are forms of success, but in very opposite ways. When a person is considered to have “luck” then it means that they were born to succeed, but when a person is considered “pluck” then it means it is a person who puts their mind to what they want to succeed. In my personal opinion I believe that by having a strong effect on the changing of relationship then it will have a strong affect on the changing relationships in America. Personally, I would have to agree with both luck and pluck. I realize that there are people in life who are born to be successful just like some people are born to lead. While my opinion on luck is strong I always believe strongly in pluck. I am a person who has experienced personal events in my life that prove if you apply yourself and put your mind to something then you can succeed. The part of this myth that affected me and I find that groups I am apart of, such as being a student, affirm the truth of this myth is working hard, but not getting the results. Often times I have found that many people study weeks, days, hours and still end up with a poor grade on the test while occasionally there are people who take the test or assignment as a joke and receive a better grade. I found that I do agree with this myth and it takes hard work to get through life.

Lost In The World Of Instant Messages

Recently, I was out to lunch with my mom when I discovered myself having a texting conversation while my mom was trying to hold a face to face conversation with me and this is when I realized that multiple forms of "instant messaging" has impacted my life in both positives and negative ways. When I think about forms of instant media communication tools that have affected my life I am referring to instant messengers (Yahoo,AIM, MSN), e-mail, and text messaging. On the positive side I have found that these forms of communication have made me more outgoing and willing to express my feelings. I am not one to speak my mind and share my feelings and emotions out loud. I rather just hold it all in and be the quiet and shy girl in the corner, but with forms of messaging that allows me to share my thoughts and feelings instantly with out actually using my voice has made me more sociable in a way. Unfortunately I misuse this use of "not talking, but still communicating". Often times I find myself starting fights with my boyfriend over text, but when he wants to talk about it face to face or on the phone I refuse because I get scared. So, as much as this instant messaging savvy world has come to help me become a better communicator is has also turned me into a quiet and shy person, but a instant message monster. Although my habit of instant messaging has allowed me to stay connected with many of my friends and family in a quick and easy way, it has also cut me off from communication in the real world. As I mentioned before in the beginning I many times find myself wrapped up in the world of text messages and instant messages, but lost in the world of face to face communication. When I was out to lunch with my mom she was explaining to me something about my her recent trip to Chicago, but at the same time I was texting my friend Lauren and had no idea what my mom was saying to me. At this point in time is when I realized the affect text messaging and instant messaging has had on my life.

Problems and Possiblities

One problem that I believe has erupted in the relationship between mass media and society is the idea of "stereotypes" in the teen world through all forms of media, but mostly movies and television shows. Growing up watching Saved By The Bell, Boy Meets World, and now multiple shows with high school students and their high school days it has really painted a picture in my mind of how high school was going to be. As the years continue I have seen these "teen" shows transformed to differ from each other very much, but still seem to be the same. When I was younger shows that showed teens in "the best years of their life" were always showing the athletic boy (quarterback) and cheerleader being the perfect couple while "going steady". All the shows have the cliques that they portray that every high school have. Many of these cliques include the jocks,cheerleaders,band nerds, science geeks, and the rich kids. Now, recently I have been watching the show "The Secret Life of a American Teenager". In this show the roles have reversed and it is not the quarterback and cheerleader who are the main focus, but two "band nerds". The show tells a story of a 15 year old freshman girl who ends up having sex for the first time at band camp and getting pregnant. The problem I see today is the idea of cliques in the teen shows. Cliques began as just groups of people with similar interest and talents, but now television shows are showing that these cliques are far more than just people with a title. Television shows and movies are putting these clique chartacters into certain situations that are adding mainly negative labels to there "stereotype".

First Blog

One of the formative media text that I chose to write down in class today was "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens" by Sean Covey. I was introduced to this book for the first time my sophomore year of high school in my Leadership class. The book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens" is a continuation by Sean Covey to his fathers book titled "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People". In the book Sean discuss the 7 most important factors of living a successful and effective lifestyle. The first habit is Be Proactive, which is described as taking control of your life and where you want to go. The second habit is know as Begin With The End In Mind. Habit 2 helps us to learn how to plan out our life and see the big picture. Moving on, habit 3 is Put First Things First which is basically the idea or prioritizing and time management. Think Win-Win is the title of habit 4 and it helps one to learn how to analyze a situation and make the best out of it. Habit 5 is Seek First to Understand Then to be Understood, which teaches the reader how to communicate with others and not always assume that you can relate with everything. Synergies is habit 6 and it teaches one how to work together and communicate in a team environment. Finally, habit 7 is Sharpen the Saw and that means to understand that you must take time for yourself to stay healthy and effective.