Be Afraid Not Discouraged
News Update
Media Literacy
For centuries, literacy has referred to the ability to read and write but over the years, the idea of Literacy has dramatically changed. We are so consumed with the media around us that it is important to understand it and become Media Literate. Being 'Media Literate' means that you understand how the media works and know the real messages of things. To me, media literacy is any way you can create media. Today, we get most of our information through a system of media technologies. Communication technologies are at the core of the political, economic, and cultural environments. Different audiences can take away different meanings from the same media. Factors such as age, gender, and race can change interpretation. As young adults, it’s easier for us to understand the complex messages we receive from television, our cell phones, radio, internet, magazines, billboards, video games, tablets/ laptops, etc. Social media allows people to share, create, and exchange information. Even though it exposes everything about politics, Social media is very helpful. Social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Google, and Snapchat brings together the news and trends around the market. Social Media can help increase business sales by advertisement. Media Literacy is way more than just Social networks, politics, technology, and economics ... it’s a way of education. Media Literacy skills are included in the educational standards of every state, in language arts, social studies, health, science, and other subjects. The purpose of media literacy education is to help people of all ages to develop habits and skills of expression that they need to be critical thinkers and active citizens in today's world.
Social Media Unit
Understanding Social Media
Super Bowl Precis
Audi Super Bowl Commercial
Proles
"They were born, they grew up in the gutters, they went to work at twelve, they passed through a brief blossoming period of beauty and sexual desire, they married at twenty, they were middle-aged at thirty, they died, for the most part, at sixty. Heavy physical work, the care of home and children, petty quarrels with neighbors, films, football, beer, and, above all, gambling filled up the horizon of their minds."
Orwell writes about the Proles. The proles compose about eighty percent of the population of Oceania. Orwell introduces this as Part One of the book. The first part is mostly to introduce Winston and the world he lives in. It vividly describes how Proles are essentially like cattle, like a herd of sheep in retrosprect when viewing this particular society. I would describe the life lived by the proles as a sorrowful and depressed life. In order for Big Brother and the Party to be able to control society, they must keep the masses dumb, brainwashed, and useless. In order for this to happen proles are left alone and isolated, an do not have much contribution from society. The Party, realizes that Party members can be controlled but the masses, if motivated to do so, will go up against Big Brother and overtake them. Winston Smith even references this power later on when describing the proles. Proles are allowed to breed and work. Everything else is nugatory. They are like farm animals, meant to provide society. A human's intelligence and ability to contribute to society are all attributes stripped away from the proles, much like humans in today's society. The people in control of our society know exactly how humans tick and are the best in manipulation. The Government uses the media specially the news channels to instill fear in us. They use the deaths of innocent women and children to manipulate public opinion.
George Orwell’s 1984 confirmed that it serves those in power when we keep our attention focused on imposed threats. Emotional fear and anger responses cause people to follow their gut feeling, and abandon all reason. They could use this to create a false enemy in public minds. It is said that our top motivation is fear and it rules us very easily. A person whos scared will not live the life of their choice, will follow authority and never rebel. They will stay well within the Government’s control and do exactly as they say. Human uniqueness has always been a problem for the government. For this reason, the best thing to do for the government is to make the population all conform to certain manner of social behaviour which the government finds best for society and their control. They use all forms of media to make what they want populat among us. Cable companies, television, Magazines, Newspapers and Radio stations are hired by people to sell goods, manipulate popular opinion and control our behaviour.
The government wants to strips us of our individuality and make us all similar to eachother. What makes a human unique? Their face. The Government now gives us the identity they want. They want us to think, see, hear, feel and speak what they want. That is why anything thats popular quickly spreads in our society and everyone follows.
POLITIFACT
Are the 'overwhelming majority of violent criminals' Democrats? Ted Cruz said so
During an interview with a radio host Hugh Hewitt in Newton, Iowa, Republican candidate Ted Cruz said most criminals are Democrats. It came after Hewitt brought up shooting at a Planned Parenthood clinic that left three dead and nine injured in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Cruz said, "You know, every time you have some sort of voilent crime or mass killing, you can almost see the media salivating. hoping, hoping desperately that the murderer happens to be a Republican, so they can use it to try to paint their political enemies. Now listen, here's the simple and undeniable fact. The overwhelming majority of violent criminals are Democrats. The media doesn't report that." Researchers did a study in New York showing only about one-third of felons released from prison registered to vote after their release. Of those, about 62 percent registered as Democrats and 9 percent registered as Republicans, with 26 percent registering as independents or with other parties. In order to make a full position on this topic, you must know that most cases brought against criminals had nothing to do with Politics. Some situations are related to politics, but I feel Cruz's statement significantly oversimplifies the case and introduces some inaccuries. Cruz said that "the overwhelming majority of violent criminals are Democrats." But that doesn't break down the case of ex-felons into those who had been incarcerated for violent offenses and those who had been incarerated for nonviolent crimes, so there's no proof of Cruz's claim.
Hillary Clinton says guns exceed next nine categories as leading cause of death for young black men
Hillary Clinton said this in a speech on March 10th, 2016, to Florida primary at the Ritz Ybor in Tampa. Clinton says "Gun violence is by far the leading cause of death for young African- American men, outstripping the next nine causes of death combined." Data shows in the 10 most common causes of death for African-American men and boys between the ages of 15 and 24, that Homicide is ranked 1st in 2014. Even looking at only gun-related homicides, there were 2,256 of those in 2014, compared to 2,119 deaths in the other nine categories combined. In order to make an informed position of my own, I want to know what is it that will be done about this? Will anything be done about it to stop this? I appreciate how Clinton talks about realism when comparing herself to other candidates. This is a real issue in the world today that needs to come to an end. And even If it can’t be completely stopped, at least bring the death for young black men, down. Not only are police officers killing these young men, but they are killing one another. Why do so many young black men kill each other? It’s very disturbing to know brothers are killing one another for no apparent reason. A study reports that Blacks are six times more likely to be victims of violent crime than whites. I think that instead of killing each other, young black men should come together and try to change the other issues going on in the world.
Trump's Pants on Fire tweet that blacks killed 81% of white homicide victims
A day after a black actavist was kicked and punched by voters at a Donald Trump rally in Birmingham, Alabama on November 21st, 2015, Trump tweeted an image packed with racially loaded and incorrect murder statistics. The image shows a masked, blackman with a handgun and a set of points about deaths in 2015:
"Blacks killed by whites -- 2%"
"Blacks killed by police -- 1%"
"Whites killed by police -- 3%"
"Whites killed by whites -- 16%"
"Whites killed by blacks -- 81%"
"Blacks killed by blacks -- 97%"
According to data from the FBI for 2014, it proves Trump's statistics wrong. The most glaring inaccuracies have to do with white homicide victims. Trump's numbers were 5,4 times wrong compared to FBI's. It turns out the percentage of whites killed by blacks is only 15%. Blacks killed by whites-- 8%, blacks killed by blacks-- 90%, and whites killed by whites 82%. Trumps cast blacks as the primary killers of whites, but the exact opposite is true. By overwhelming percentages, whites tend to kill other whites and blacks tend to kill other blacks. These trends have been observed for decades. In order to make this a position of your own, you must look into the research. Upon my first glimpse at the article, I knew that wasn't true. I feel Trump just says horrible things to get attention and is truly racist. He has built an entire presidential campaign around racism.
Summative Essay
A different world
The world that the Party aspires to create is a world unlike any that has ever existed. Relationships and intimacy are not allowed, and the Party's directives on sexual interaction serves to advance the influence of the Party. Fear and torment shall replace love and happiness, destruction shall trump advancement, loyalty to the party will be the only acceptable loyalty, and families and the sexual instinct shall be eradicated.
The Party does everything it can to destroy feelings of empathy and loyalty between individuals because all attention should be focused on the Party itself. Close relationships, particularly sexual ones, are forbidden by the Party because they create divided loyalties. In the Party's world, the citizen must have absolute and undivided faith and trust in Big Brother and the Party alone. As O'Brien explains to Winston,
We have cut the links between child and parent, and between man and man, and between man and woman. No one dares trust a wife or a child or a friend any longer. But in the future there will no friends.... Procreation will be an annual formality like the renewal of a ration card. We shall abolish the orgasm. Our neurologists are at work upon it now. There will be no loyalty, except loyalty towards the Party. There will be no love, except the love for Big Brother (Orwell, 220).
With all competing loyalties abolished, the citizens will be able to become exactly what the Party wishes them to be at any moment. Forbidding sexual relationships and any real intimacy also has been the effect of frustrating Party members due to the blocking of natural urge, and building up a store of violent emotion that can be directed by the Party into any channels. As Julia's instinct tells her, "sexual privation induced hysteria, which was desirable because it could be transformed into war-fever and hero-worship" (122). The Party feeds off the hysteria produced from sexual privation, as it is conveniently transformed into “war fever and leader worship” (110). Through its control of marriages and sexual mores, the Party resembles a conservative religious institution. By attempting to control people’s loyalties and loves, and redirect those towards itself, the Party posits itself as the end and the ultimate salvation. Even though, sexual intimacy is seen by the Party as robbing it of energy, it should by rights be able to be utilized in the world.
For most of history, it was inconceivable that people would choose their mates on the basis of something as weak and irrational as love and then focus all their sexual, intimate, and selfless desires on the resulting marriage but the greatest problem for human beings is that they just don't. In fact, it was rare in history that love was the main reason for getting married. When someone did promote such a strange belief, it was no laughing matter. It was considered a serious threat to society. In some cultures and times, true love was actually thought to be incompatible with marriage. In Europe, during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, adultery became idealized as the highest form of love along the aristocracy. According to the Countess of Champagne, it was impossible for true love to exert its powers between two people who are married to each other. This sharp distinction between love and marriage was common among the lower and middle classes as well. Even in societies that honored married love, couples were expected to keep it under strict control. Even after marriage, women and men relate to each other through the conventions of a war between the sexes, disguising the affection they may really feel. Never before in history has societies thought that such a set of high expectations about marriage was either realistic or desirable. Although many people found joy in building their relationships around these values, the adaption of these unmatched goals for marriage had unanticipated and revolutionary consequences that have since come to threaten the stability of the entire institution.
The language along with the emotion is manipulated by the Party to gain control of the people. The eradication of love, happiness, and loyalty makes it a battle for humans to discover their humanity because they have no ability to feel love with the essence of being human. With all competing loyalties abolished, the citizen will be able to become exactly what the Party wishes him to be at any moment. Forbidding open relationships and any real intimacy also has the effect of frustrating Party members due to the blocking of a natural drive, and building up a store of violent emotion that can be directed by the Party into other channels. For these reasons, Marriage and relationships should be free to indulge in anything they feel with their mate to create love, loyalty, and happiness.
Media Literacy RE-reflection
My perspective of Media Literacy has deepened by understanding that the definition of Media Literacy evolves over time and becomes a more robust definition. Media Literacy builds an understanding of the role of media in society as well as essential skills of inquiry and self-expression necessary for citizens of a democracy. I’ve learned what is important to understand is that media literacy is not about “protecting” kids from unwanted messages… although some groups urge families to just turn the TV off, the fact is, media is so ingrained in our cultural milieu that even if you turn off the television set, you still cannot escape today’s society media culture. Media no longer just influences our culture… it IS our culture. Media literacy, therefore, is about helping students become competent, critical and literate in all media forms so that they control the interpretation of what they see or hear rather than letting the interpretation control them and this class has definitely taught me be competent. This class has taught me how to challenge myself and force myself to think more outside the box. This class is wholeheartedly different from others just by you being my teacher. I’ve never had a Language Arts teacher like you, honestly. You have pushed and encouraged each and every one of us every day of this semester with you. The only thing I would say we could have done differently was communicate better as a whole class. A lot of us know one another, but are still not comfortable with each other. I would have liked to say I walked into the class as strangers, and leaving as friends, but I still enjoyed this class. I would have also liked more Seminars. Other than that, this class was great thanks to you and your welcoming, kind-hearted spirit. Thank You Mrs. Hicks for everything.
Can we Auto- Correct Humanity?
changing Humanity
The question “Can we auto- correct humanity?”… Is a question that has no real answer. It is quite obvious that our relationship with technology has caused disconnections between friends, loved ones, and peers. I always ask myself, what is it that I can change today? I can start by encouraging communicating in person rather than via phones and internet. I know that talking over the phone is more convenient, but it also causes distance and interferes with relationships. Relationships are designed around the ability to travel, party, looks, material things, etc…. we have lost faith in the ability to individually influence anything. In order to change something, it requires action. To change relationships, you must change yourself first.
The benefits of social media are outweighed by the drawbacks. Social media, with all its benefits and new ways to connect has some serious downsides for creative people .I would never suggest that someone not use what is being offered a some of the best communication tools in history, but you have to come to terms with how this technology is rewriting the brain. These social networks are designed to make you repeatedly use them and check back in, but the usage of social networks can be controlled if you allow yourself to. If you keep in mind that the technology is designed to hold you hostage, you might be motivated to set time limits. First you must acknowledge your addiction and accept it. Then challenge yourself to not check your phone, email, or social media so often.
Success in today’s connected world of social media is increasingly tied to more modern, collaborative approaches. To harness the power of social media for good, you must develop your social skills, listen learn and adapt, include others in everything you do, and rely on others for growth and innovation.