Reflections
What I think about media literacy
What I think about Media Literacy
Media literacy is how messages are sent and received through the media. It may be the way a commercial is put together or the placement of words on a billboard. They are all types of Media. There is Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, the News, billboards, banners, flyers, commercials, magazines, advertisements and the list could go on forever. I think that in this media literacy class we will learn how to analyze and evaluate different types of media to better understand the message behind it and why it is presented the way it is. It is very important to understand media literacy because it gives people an explanation of what the company or advertiser is trying to get you to do. Whether their intentions are to persuade you to buy a new pair of shoes, or sign up for a red card at Target, it’s all about how the person is trying to persuade you. I also think that media literacy is important in the way young people learn because understanding the way things are written and said are important. Today’s generation is very involved in media. However, media is not just the news first thing in the morning, or the magazine you pick up at the grocery store. There is media everywhere you click and around every corner you turn. Billboards, commercials, flyers, advertisements, books, movies, the radio, junk mail, and newspapers are all examples of media. Media comes in all sorts of varieties and I find it intriguing and important to know the purpose behind it. How things are portrayed and why people react the way they do to certain topics are how you understand media literacy.
Types of Media
Words are Powerful
Hidden Messages
Superbowl Precis
Donald Trump
After winning four states in the March 15th primaries, Donald Trump addressed supporters at a victory rally in Florida. In regards to the Iranian nuclear deal trump stated "we give them $150 billion, we get nothing.". This statement is untrue. The US did not give Iran $150 billion, the money belonged to Iran and was frozen under economic sanctions. The US verified the Iran nuclear deal which prompted the US and other countries to lift sanctions. Frozen assets are only released because of the Iran nuclear program, nothing else. Whereas other assets are still blocked due to other sanctions over Iran. Moreover it is important to realize that we did receive something in return for lifting sanctions. We received the peace of mind that Iran is blocked from building a nuclear bomb. This is an example of why it is so important for society to look deeper and learn the whole story. The only thing Donald Trump said that was accurate was the name of the country, other than that it was all mixed up lies and misunderstandings. You can not make a full opinion about a story or politician with fake facts. I think that Trump is far from the truth. He makes the country we are living in sound bad and I am not so sure that that is what he should be doing when running for president.
Ted Cruz
On January 31st, Ted Cruz made a claim against three of his fellow candidates on NBC’s Meet the Press. Ted Cruz falsely claims that Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and Bernie Sanders share identical views on health care. These three candidates have entirely different views on health care. Donald Trump has not clearly released his plan on health care but has continuously stated that he would repeal the Affordable Care Act. Whereas Hillary Clinton’s view on health care is to defend and expand upon the Affordable Care Act. Moreover Bernie Sanders plans to propose universal health care and expand Medicare. All of these candidates have entirely different views on health care which leads to the conclusion that Ted Cruz’s claim is completely false. To make a full and informed position on this topic you must know the candidates positions on health care. I think that Ted Cruz ignorantly made a comment about his opponents position on health care to gain more votes.
Hillary Clinton
ISIS is "going to people showing videos of Donald Trump insulting Islam and Muslims in order to recruit more radical jihadists."
At the New Hampshire democratic presidential debate Hillary Clinton stated that ISIS is showing videos of Donald Trump insulting Islam and Muslims to recruit Muslim extremists. After in depth research Politifact found no evidence of such videos and ruled this statement false. In order to know if this statement is true it is important to know what evidence is out there that supports the statement. However when there is no evidence that supports the statement it can be inferred that the statement is not true. I think that ISIS members could have taken small clips of different videos of Trump and put them together but I do not believe that there is a full true video of Trump being used to recruit Muslim extremists.My thoughts on Media Literacy
Reflections on Technology and Social Media Today
In today’s society technology is so important. We spend most of our day on our phone or surfing the web, and it causes issues. We do not know how to communicate face to face anymore or react to someone in person. Children are concerned with playing video games and watching movies on phones when they should be playing outside. Teenagers are focused on their snapchat scores and streaks rather than being focused on school work. Adults are reading comments and posts from friends on facebook and pinterest when they should be talking and communicating with friends face to face. We need to turn them off when we are with people because there is nothing more saddening than seeing a family at dinner where everyone is on there phones and no one is talking. Everyone uses technology and becomes disconnected with the world and people around us. To ensure that this does not become a permanent reality we need to shut the computer screen, turn off our cell phones and communicate with one another. People use facebook, twitter, snapchat, and instagram to communicate with one another when they should be talking to someone face to face. The use of social media is an addiction. We are constantly checking our social media. It would hugely benefit us if we took time to leave our phones home for the day or turn them off when we are hanging out with friends and family. We can also limit the amount of social media we allow ourselves to have access to. There is no need for us to have more than two or so social media apps on our phones. I think that there is good in social media but it can get overwhelming if we are immersed in it for too long. It is important to acknowledge that social media can also be used for good. It helps us keep in contact with lost friends and loved ones and it helps us share our lives with others.
Proles
When reading this passage I feel an unpleasant familiarity. This passage is vaguely similar to some american’s views on life. Most pessimists would describe it as the ugly truths of the american dream. I would describe it as some of the negative outlooks on life. This passage relates to today in various ways. Today there are people that are born into families of less fortune, with their everyday life being built upon a schedule. No. That is where the passage contrasts from the real world today. Not everyone is like this but those who are, are just like the rest of us. They pass through their period of beauty and sexual desire and get married. They have kids and grow old together. Today people die as well but live to be a little bit older than sixty. It is everyone’s goal to live there life to the fullest and be successful but it might not be everyone’s fate. Some have the desire to do physical labor, or take care of the kids and the house. Whereas, movies, stupid arguments with neighbors, football games, drinking beer, and gambling are all great distractions from work in the everyday mundane schedule. However people must be able to realize when a distraction grows and becomes controlling or a burden. Distractions like social media, sports, movies, and reality tv can take control of people’s lives and cause major issues. People unconsciously let these small distractions grow and take control of their lives. It is imperative for us to pay attention to the media and gain knowledge from it but we must understand that not everything we see or hear is accurate. We listen to the lies and false stories that the media gives us and we believe it. If it is on tv it has to be true. If it is on the internet is has to be true. No! It does not have to be true. We have completely become a gullible society. It is like the facebook post of a dog with a piece of bologna on his face. People believed that it was true because it was a sad story they found on facebook. The post sad that the dog was sick and his face was deformed but it was not. It was a piece of bologna. This is a great example of how stories get thrown out of proportion. The amount of time people spend focused on media is alarming. It is time to close the computer screens, and leave our phones at home. We will be a much more productive and pleasant society without all the distractions.
Social Justice
Possessing many different forms, social media can be used for good or evil. There are so many people influenced by social media everyday. However the question of whether they were influenced positively or negatively greatly depends on the individual. Some examples of social media are youtube, instagram, snapchat, twitter, and facebook. These social media sites are where people go to share with and connect to one another. However people sometimes use it to harm others. It is easy for people to say harmful things to others behind a computer screen that they would not necessarily say to someone’s face. That is the evil side of social media. However one great benefit of social media is that people can connect in a positive way and share their stories. People can support each other and grow. Social media allows us to receive current news however the possibility that the information is 100% accurate is questionable. When viewing social media it is important for people to pay attention and look deeper into the information we are getting from social media. Not everything is good, evil, or true on social media so look forward. Get the bigger picture.