1. Literacy in the Media
A sneak peek into the world of media and literacy
Media is a worldwide source to get information in different ways, or just to find out what's going out in the world. You can get from social media, which is twitter and Instagram; things of that nature. Watching TV, like the news and certain shows is another source for media. Basically anything that can connect you to the outside world, and give you information about things that are happen or going on around your environment or in parts of the world that you've never heard of. I think media literacy is something that has to do with the media and also literature. To create and access media in different ways. Like what I said with regular media, the different ways that you can receive it. I'm sure there are more ways that media is around other than what I listed. To be media literate is to be or have a better understanding of the more complex things that are in the media. In the 21st century technology has taken over and has a lot to do with almost everything that has to do with the world. Which has to do with the older people and how they might not know how to work the different sources. Or even know that they exist. So older people who are old school and from the older days are most likely not media literate. They probably stick to what they know which is the newspaper, TV, and maybe even their radios. The people of my generation are probably the most media literate, and adults too depending on the type of work they do and who they have around them.
Getting into the media
Media Literate
The circle of media
2. Bullying in Cyber Space
Cyber bullying has become one of the most talked about situations around and is very important to me as well. I was never bullied, but I never liked the way it made people feel; and the fact that people were willing to end their own lives at the expense of someone who was very irrelevant to them made me cringe. At the time I’m sure the people being bullied felt as though they were relevant but I feel as though if they just had one person who stuck up for them while they were going through their time of need it would had made all the difference. Some things I pledge to do are always stick up for people if I witness that their being bullied. Whether it be on the internet or in person. I always wanted to be more hands on in the type of subject. My first steps are to bring more awareness to the cause and inform people on how important and life threating cyber bullying really is. Especially people my age who are more oblivious to these types of situations because they’re mainly so caught up in their daily lives. If I got to spread this information around my age group it would make a big difference and have a huge impact on the issue since it’s mainly people around my age group who are usually affect by this sort of thing. The more people that get involved and actually try to do something that can help prevent it will make a great change on the impact and that’s what I plan to do.
4. The Effects of Advertising and Society
I think society affects gender in advertising more rather than the other way around. The way they portray it in advertising is basically how society feels it should be shown or that that’s the right way to do things. In a certain sense advertising tries to correspond with the way society is, but then again society warps it into stereotypes. In one of the commercials that I saw a man was getting ready to leave for work until he saw a female plumber; so he ran back in his house and tried to clog his toilet so she could come take a look at it. Nothing he put down the toilet would clog it and then his wife walked by and stood in the doorway watching him. The moral of that story was basically that men are dogs, and that that man was trying to get that female plumber to his house while all along he had a wife who was even in the house when he was trying to clog his toilet. In my opinion that was all society, they try and make it seem like men are all dogs when in actuality their not. Society has a bigger part to play with the effects of advertisement but they both correspond with each other.
5. Media Manipulation
Media manipulation affects everything you see, hear, and read every day. In a way it is similar to propagandas being used during the war to alter your perception or opinion on a specific thing or person. The main difference is that it is not used for only war purposes; it is the new way of advertising everyday items. This type of propaganda is used for advertising clothes, stores, food, politics, beauty, cars, and things of that nature. For example, reality shows are more than likely always staged and scripted, but to those that are just watching it seems like its real life. Not only are reality shows staged and scripted but most of the time the glamorous lives that we watch aren't really glamorous and the cast members most likely don’t have what they say they do, and most of the time don’t even really act like the way they act on TV in real life. In the act of watching these TV shows, we are brainwashing ourselves to think that their lives are better than ours; they are living “the good life”. Photo shopping is a major media manipulation tool and is a constant subject brought in this society. In the media today, celebrities are continuously photo shopped for advertisement, promotion, and social media. On social media sites like Instagram and Twitter, photo shopped picture are seen more than you would think. For example, Zendaya Coleman did a photo shoot and the pictures she saw were flawless, but later when they were published in a magazine; she appeared skinnier than she already was in real life, and all her flaws that she loved about herself were gone. Media manipulation alters our perceptions of reality.
6. Should Apple Fix?
Personally on one hand I think apple should unlock the terrorist attacker’s iPhone, because they would be able to capture so many other people that could have been involved that you would never suspect. On the other hand I don’t think they should because that would just be opening unwanted doors. That would invite the government to feel as though apple is obligated to unlock anyone’s device that they see fit. The whole point and purpose of apple devices is their security system. Their whole brand is basically built off that one aspect along with other things. And for them to make an exception for the government to break one of their codes of conduct for a terrorist situation to them just doesn’t sit right. I’m sure they know how serious the situation is, but they are not willing to give up their brand or reputation by any means. If I were in this situation I think I would probably help the government in this certain case. Only because I know it would help the country and it would probably implicate people that weren’t even thought of. Before making the deal though I would make sure and make it clear that that would be the only thing I could help them for. I would say I would not be able to do it again, but because it’s something as serious as a terrorist attack I would have to make that exception.
7. The Way to Peace is to Prepare for War
“The only way to prepare for peace is to be prepared for war”
For you to see the light at the end of the rainbow you have to go through trials and tribulations. Nothing in this world comes easy or free; especially in the society that we live in today. So with the quote being you have to prepare for war in order to have real peace I agree. I believe in this theory because everything that I went through in life (even though I’m only 18) I’ve learned that something you really want to achieve or you want to happen won’t happen until you’ve really worked for it or want it to change. For example when me and my ex-boyfriend broke up back in October I thought I would never be able to get over it. I thought that the love I had for him was too strong for me to get over it (and again I know I’m only 18 but this is how I felt at the time). It took me a while to actually get over it completely; like a few weeks ago and we broke up all the way back in October. So for me that was my war that I had to prepare for, everything that I had to go through during that time was my war, and at the end of the day; right now; I’m at peace with all that’s happened. Im in a peaceful place and looking back at that time I thought my own personal war would never end but it eventually did. With that being said you always have to be prepared for the worst case scenarios for two reasons. 1. So you won’t be so let down in the end and 2. Nothing ever comes easy without there being some kind of repercussion. This may seem like it has nothing to do with the quote to you, but to me this is how I see it and how I interpret it in my own words and way.
8. Politifact
I found out a lot of information that I didn’t know about the candidates before. I was never into politics before but this really opened my eyes on how the different presidential candidates operate. I found out how Bernie is and what he really stands for. Donald trump is just an ignorant human being and he reminds me of Hitler in a way. I’m a little torn about Hillary Clinton. She had some good points, but there were some things that I didn’t agree with. It’s important to research the legitimacy of the candidates to see who you’re really voting for. They can say anything all day, but you have to know what they’re saying and find out whether it’s true or not. I do not think most people fact check their candidates because they’re probably thinking why would they lie. So most people would just go based of what the candidates say. I think relying on the internet for accurate information is a 50 50 gamble. A lot of stuff online could be true, but there’s also a lot of stuff that’s false. So if you find the right website and check the website for credibility and then you would be able see if you could use the site or not. And for the media such as the news; I think they just use what they have or what they think so they can flip it into a story. The problem with not looking up the facts for a candidate that you are interested in can stir you in the wrong direction. You could think you’re voting for this great awesome person and they turn out to be nothing like they said they were. Promising all kinds of things, and when they get into office none of what they talked about happened. That’s why you should always look at the facts about the candidate you’re voting for.
9. Shays Rebellion
Shays Rebellion
What makes these rebellions so powerful is how united the people’s front were, and how they all stood together to rebel against the state and local enforcement of tax collections. The rebellion is important because it is seen as one of the major factors that led to the writing of the new Constitution. This rebellion, along with other factors, helped to persuade rich Americans that a new constitution was needed. They were afraid that the state governments were being dominated by poorer people who would institute bad policies such as the debt forgiveness that Shays and his people wanted; they wanted a stronger national government. This is why Shays’ Rebellion ended up being very important. It scared American elites enough that they pushed for a new constitution. People were inspired to act because many farmers in this area suffered from high debt as they tried to start new farms. Unlike many other state legislatures in the 1780s, the Massachusetts government didn't respond to the economic crisis by passing pro-debtor laws like forgiving debt and printing more paper money. As a result local sheriffs seized many farms and some farmers who couldn't pay their debts were put in prison. The farmers in western Massachusetts organized their resistance in ways similar to the American Revolutionary struggle. They called special meetings of the people to protest conditions and agree on a coordinated protest. This led the rebels to close courts by force in the fall of 1786 and to liberate imprisoned debtors from jail. Soon events flared into a full-scale revolt when the resistors came under the leadership of Daniel Shays.10. The Gov't Wins Again
In my opinion, I think that O’Brien is most relatable to Edward Snowden in the book 1984. O’Brien was an inner party member who is very well off; living is a house far too big for himself and living a life only one could dream of. Though O’Brien is an inner party member, he does not believe in the practices of Big Brother, or what they represent as a whole. This is a huge similarity that Snowden and O’Brien have in common because they both worked on the inside for the government, but both find the actions done by the party and the government unspeakable. The only thing that differentiates the two is that Edward Snowden went the extra mile of copying the information and exposing to the truth; while O’Brien kept his thoughts to himself and dare not to share it with any other inner party members because he knows the consequences that will follow if he does. His biggest task was to play the part of the loyal inner party member without being suspected as being a trader. Edward Snowden and O’Brien are very similar with the fact of them both going against the government, but Snowden had a different greater plan. He didn’t think of what the outcome would boil down to after he exposed the information, he was more so worried about the greater good of the people and their privacy. O’Brien was more careful with his approaches, he thought before he acted because he knew that he was always under surveillance and at any moment would most definitely be executed if he went against the standards of BB.
11. Technolgy heaven sent ?
I don’t think technology is heaven sent, but it is a very useful tool. It has pros and cons to it like every other thing in this world. It is something that can basically be used to do anything. What I think Orwell meant by “science and technology” is that that was going to be the start of a new millennium; everything if not everything close too it would have something to do with those two concepts. He knew that the world was going to be changing, and in very great ways. So in my opinion I think he felt as though those two concepts would be the most important and the blue prints or foundation to a new world.
12. Happiness Vs. Freedom
In Chapter 3 of book three in 1984, Winston knows “that the choice for mankind lay between freedom and happiness, and that, for the great bulk of mankind, happiness was better”. In this statement, Winston is explaining that happiness is a greater good for majority of the people rather than freedom. He feels as long as the people can say they’re happy, and then freedom is really a non-factor to their life. Personally there should be a balance between the two, but happiness does not surpass freedom. I’m kind of in between with what Winston said; on one hand he has a valid point, most people in the world would probably say that being happy was way better than having freedom. They wouldn’t look at the bigger picture, they would just look at the now. In society today I can see where this problem occurs, people are so blinded and manipulated by what they think their gaining such as happiness, but in actuality their really trapped and confined to certain guidelines without even really knowing it. They think everything is great and wonderful because they can’t see the bigger picture and real intentions of their environment and the things happening around them. They’re only worried about the fact that their happy at that moment.
13. Gaslighting
The author in the article, “Trump Toenails” claims that he has the best toenails ever in history of the human race. Author supports his claim by describing how perfect his toes are and how they’re just right. The author’s purpose is to inform the audience about his perfection in order to make America great again. Author appeals to his supporters by his perfection.