Another Thing...

So I'm sitting here on the couch eating my favorite Valentine's candy hearts, and I had another thought about something said in class. Well okay, really just a reflection on a point that was already made. So we're talking about the influence of advertising and how it can last for years and years right? (That's why we gotta be so careful with our kids). And Dr. Coyne mentioned how as a kid Lucky Charms were advertised and she loved them and even now, despite what she knows about ads and the nutritional value of the cereal, she still buys it once in a while. And I just noticed that I'm doing the exact same thing! When we were in elementary school, everyone always gave those little boxes of conversation hearts for Valentine's, right? At least in my school we did. And when you're a kid those things are awesome! Now here I am, nearing my 22nd birthday, and I'm still buying those things at this time of year. And if I think about it - it's not because they're the most fabulous treat in the world, not even close to my favorite... in fact, the pink ones are just gross. But, I grew up with them and I love having them at Valentine's. And I'll probably buy them until I don't have teeth... but maybe even then, and I'll suck on them. Just another thing to think about in the crazy world of advertising! You make an impression!

Powerful Stuff

In light of today's discussion in class, I wanted to take a moment to talk about advertising. It was actually quite interesting to find out all the stuff advertising does - and how influential it can all be! That Cadbury ad? Definitely got me craving some English chocolate - if you ever get a chance, load up, cause it will be the best thing you've ever had. No jokes there. But that just goes to show how much influence and power advertisements have in our lives these days. And no wonder - they're everywhere! I can't even walk to my car without being bombarded with fliers for some super awesome dance party on Friday. It made me stop and think about just how big of a role ads play in my life. I've definitely seen the infomercials and wanted to try out their fabulous new one-of-a-kind product, though I've never actually done it. And, I have to admit, I'm guilty when it comes to buying beauty products you see in the magazines. Money I never would have been duped into spending otherwise. But alas, those darn ads are just so good!

I guess we really do just have to be so careful about what we let into our houses, because without even realizing it, it can definitely affect us. And this is so true for in the future when we have young, impressionable, little kidlets running around! They can be sucked into the materialism and fantasy and whatnot even more than us, so it's good to just kind of reflect on that and think about what to watch for in the media. At least for me, that is.

Tonight I watched Tom Hanks' Cast Away for the first time. That's right, the very first time. I won't lie, I was not all that excited to watch it, but my husband insisted it would be awesome!, so I agreed. Started out strange, but it kept my interest and in the end, I suppose it wasn't a complete waste of my time. But one thing my husband mentioned got me thinking: how Hanks reverts back to caveman ways, and he just commented on how humans started out kind of like that and look at us now - we've got personal computers, portable phones, instant world-wide communication... you get the idea. And then I thought, "How weird would that be to be gone for 4 years and just come back and see how much technology and media has changed?" Wouldn't that be weird? Especially with all the crazy new things we're able to come up with these days. You'd be an alien in your own world, hardly able to function! Okay well maybe not that drastic, but still, it's amazing what a big part all forms of media play in our lives. And how dependent we seem to be upon the many gadgets and whatnot we have. And we seem to be in the midst of a media explosion! I'm not addicted or anything, but I sure don't want to miss out on the next four years...

Well crap. It's Friday, and I still have to do 2 blog posts for the week. My bad. And when I thought of that, I immediately thought of the Rebecca Black "Friday" song. So now it is stuck in my head, so now that is my topic. I think the internet can be a great thing - it makes all sorts of media that much more easily accessible. But that can have its downsides - that means it is super easy for just anyone to post anything out there and open it up for the world to see! And for some people, that really, really should not be allowed. Then we get people like Rebecca Black posting videos of themselves making "music" - and she isn't even the worst offender! Trust me, you go on to YouTube, you can find them all over. So then we get people hearing this and thinking it's music, and sharing it with everyone else, and then it takes over the internet. Crazy how far a little video can go. I guess it may also inspire some budding artist to put their own stuff on the internet, which may be a good thing... Meh.

A Dying Media?

Yesterday, I received some devastating news: the Daily Universe is becoming a weekly (rather than daily) publication. I couldn't believe it - the DU is my lifeline, it's what has gotten me through every day of class for nearly four years now! It kept me at least somewhat up-to-date on current world news, and let me know what was going on right here in Provo. The Police Beat kept me laughing, and the Reader's Forum gave me a few good laughs, frustrated me with people's dumb ideas, and made me think about my own opinions on important issues. Daily comics were a good pointless diversion from the hum-drum of schoolwork. And finally, the crossword and sudoku puzzles were what I looked forward to every day! If I was about to fall asleep in class - puzzles kept me awake. In those inevitable classes that nearly bore you to death each day - the puzzles saved me from insanity. Or if I just had a ton of time to waste, those puzzles were my handy sidekick.

The point is, folks, I may never have made it this far in my college career if not for that wonderful little paper. And soon it will be printed only once a week. I never realized how much I loved the DU until I saw this article breaking the news. Of course it will still be published online, but there is just something about holding real paper in my hands that I prefer to any electronic form. It's crazy to me how technology can change things - way back in the day, having access to a real live book was unthinkable! Nowadays, people are switching in their print books for kindle's, iPad's, and who knows what else. I've never wanted to admit it, but I think the print media may be in its dying stages. With all the technological advancements, the effects of media are more far-reaching than ever before. Hopefully it is used for good. And hopefully, I can survive this change in the DU for my last semester!

Let's get started!

Okay so here's the deal: I am in a class - Media, Family, & Human Development - which requires me to write bi-weekly on media related things. So the vast majority of posts over the next four months will not actually be about Dan & I - but stay with me! It's gonna be fun. For my first assigned post, I wanted to talk about my current favorite - Criminal Minds. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. Unless you get queasy from images, or talk of certain murderous acts, then of course I would recommend maybe Spongebob. And if you do know what it's about - don't judge me! I'm not a sick, weird, psycho. I just happen to be very interested in why and how situations come about for these people, as well as the logic and behavioral analysis involved in catching them!

But I got to thinking - this show may not have any real negative effect on me, but it's possible it could be very detrimental to someone else! For example, helping to create the "mean world syndrome." In this show, they are catching a new killer every day! They are all over the place! It's possible someone could start to view the real world that way, and be scared to go out or trust others. Or perhaps it really could cause a violent person to kill - maybe they watch the show and use it for "new ideas" of how to go about their business. But I don't think that's very likely. And don't worry, I still think people are nice!

Unofficial first Post

Alright guys,
this may very well be the start of a new chapter in my life. I always vowed never to be one of those "blogger wives," but it seems like it may be a good idea now that the whole world is turning to technology! This blog is being started for a class, so we'll see how it all turns out!