Do you think U.S. culture is overly materialistic. Why or why not? If you do, what role do you think advertising has had in creating this state of affairs?
In my opinion the U.S culture is one of the most materialistic societies in the world. This fact isn’t something that I think about often but it was brought to my attention the other day when my 13 year old brother expressed that he wanted an Xbox360 for Christmas. When I explained to him that he just got a Wii for his birthday 3 months ago (and he only wants a 360 for one game) so he would have to pay for the system he was utterly flabbergasted that he should have to spend his own money for something he wanted, especially when his friend’s parents bought him the system. I’ll admit part of this is due to the fact that a) my mom spoils him and b) he’s yet to learn the value of earning your own money, but I was still slightly embarrassed that my brother would be so materialistic as to ask my parents to drop $300 for something that he would only play a handful of times.
The evidence of this materialism is everywhere. Not only among kids but in the men who go into massive debt so that they can have a new TV or car, and the women to trample (and kill) store employees so they can get the greatest sale on Black Friday. The materialism in this nation is enough that everyone should be sick that they participate in it. I won’t go so far as to day that I don’t have materialistic tendencies but, having been to 3 foreign countries, I can appreciate what I have a little better than most people.
Advertising is, without a doubt the biggest cause of this epidemic. When you see a sign announcing the newest ipod with ten times more memory you’re going to want to buy it. When you see the newest gaming system, you’re going to want to stay up to date and, for kids especially, stay ‘cool’. When a celebrity walks down the red carpet in the latest fashion people are going to buy their clothes so they can be seen as stylish too. If the enticement of advertising wasn’t set in front of us people would be not only happier, but less materialistic and more pleased with what they have.
I don’t feel, however, that advertisers can be blamed. It is truly a dog-eat-dog world and, to make money, you have to have a certain ‘want factor’ for your item (or service). Advertisers are simply doing their job (and a good job at it to) in flaunting their product. It gives companies money, keeps people (momentarily) happy, yet causes the horrible epidemic of materialism.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
The Internet (Essay #3)
Do you ever make personal information available online? If so, how confident are you of its security? Do you take steps to protect your privacy?
There are very few times when I make my personal information available online simply because I don’t trust it. It is very easy for anyone to write in that they are working for a credible organization and take your money before disappearing entirely. Also, as I showed in class, your information can be accessed by millions of people and, in my personal experience; there are many out there who should not be given that type of power.
A good example is an organization that my friend’s parents discovered a few years ago via internet. They stated that they were a Christian organization that you send money to, they invest it in a high interest account, send some overseas to the needy, and also double it sending you the newly earned profits. My friend’s parents not only researched it extensively, but her dad flew to California where it was stationed and spoke with the man directly before dumping massive amounts of money into it, as well as convincing my family and several of their friends to invest too. Several months later the police were at their door accusing them of being a part of a very elaborate scam and they lost a good chunk of money.
Beyond that I’ve had friends who’ve gotten stalkers through things like myspace, I had a friend who met someone over the internet when she was 14, ‘dated’ him for a few years and then found out he was 23, and another girl at my school had someone come to her house who had found her on myspace. In my opinion the internet is not safe by any stretch of the imagination and there are very few sites that I give my personal information to.
On nearly any site that you sign up for it will ask for your name and address, sometimes phone number. These things are rarely essential to the use of the site so I typically will enter incorrect, but easily memorable information. My address is never given out (unless it is for billing or shipping information) and if it asks for both my name and my birthday I’ll put an incorrect birth date. I never sign up for anything that I’m not 100% sure about, do all my financial transactions through pay pal, and think of passwords so ridiculous that no one would ever be able to figure them out (I also have several different passwords that I alternate between). My myspace is not only on private but says I live in Zimbabwe and beyond saying that I’m in a relationship had no other information listed.
Despite all the actions to keep myself safe on the internet I do feel that it is a bit more safe then I give it credit for. Not every website is out to get you and not every networking page is laced with stalkers who are going to find me, given past experiences though I take no chances when it comes to the internet.
There are very few times when I make my personal information available online simply because I don’t trust it. It is very easy for anyone to write in that they are working for a credible organization and take your money before disappearing entirely. Also, as I showed in class, your information can be accessed by millions of people and, in my personal experience; there are many out there who should not be given that type of power.
A good example is an organization that my friend’s parents discovered a few years ago via internet. They stated that they were a Christian organization that you send money to, they invest it in a high interest account, send some overseas to the needy, and also double it sending you the newly earned profits. My friend’s parents not only researched it extensively, but her dad flew to California where it was stationed and spoke with the man directly before dumping massive amounts of money into it, as well as convincing my family and several of their friends to invest too. Several months later the police were at their door accusing them of being a part of a very elaborate scam and they lost a good chunk of money.
Beyond that I’ve had friends who’ve gotten stalkers through things like myspace, I had a friend who met someone over the internet when she was 14, ‘dated’ him for a few years and then found out he was 23, and another girl at my school had someone come to her house who had found her on myspace. In my opinion the internet is not safe by any stretch of the imagination and there are very few sites that I give my personal information to.
On nearly any site that you sign up for it will ask for your name and address, sometimes phone number. These things are rarely essential to the use of the site so I typically will enter incorrect, but easily memorable information. My address is never given out (unless it is for billing or shipping information) and if it asks for both my name and my birthday I’ll put an incorrect birth date. I never sign up for anything that I’m not 100% sure about, do all my financial transactions through pay pal, and think of passwords so ridiculous that no one would ever be able to figure them out (I also have several different passwords that I alternate between). My myspace is not only on private but says I live in Zimbabwe and beyond saying that I’m in a relationship had no other information listed.
Despite all the actions to keep myself safe on the internet I do feel that it is a bit more safe then I give it credit for. Not every website is out to get you and not every networking page is laced with stalkers who are going to find me, given past experiences though I take no chances when it comes to the internet.
Monday, October 20, 2008
WSJ Essay Questions
NAME: Kelli VanHouten
OCTOBER 27, 2008 MMC 1000 ESSAY NO. 2
Answer the following questions (type answers on this document), save the file, e-mail it to Professor Ken Carpenter, and post the questions and answers on your blog.
1. Have you enjoyed reading the Wall Street Journal? Explain why you have enjoyed it, or why not.
Answer: I, believe it or not, have enjoyed reading the wall street journal. I quite often tell people that I am the ‘last to know anything’ though since I’ve started reading the WSJ that hasn’t been the case. I now find myself telling people things or even responding with ‘I already knew that’ when they tell me the latest bit of news.
2. How has reading the newspaper helped you learn about Mass Communications media? Explain, and give some examples of what you’ve learned.
Answer: Reading the News Paper has taught me about Mass Communications media not only with the recent stories it has about it, but also by experiencing it firsthand. Though newspapers are diminishing it’s still a leading form of mass communications and reading it not only introduces one to how they would need to compose a story to work in this field, but also broadens the knowledge base which is key to being successful in the communications field.
3. Compared to traditional textbook-based study and learning methods, is reading the newspaper a better or worse educational experience? Expand your answers with details and examples.
Answer: I feel that reading the newspaper is MUCH more informative than learning from a text book. A history book does no justice to the stories it tells compared to viewing a reenactment, or even having lived there. You can’t learn something unless you do it, like the sign hanging up in SSB 200 “What we have to learn to do, we learn by doing.” You’re not going to get the same real-world experience from a book that you would from a news paper.
4. Has the reading assignment changed your behavior, i.e., your daily schedule, your study habits, your desire for news and information?
Answer: The reading assignment has changed my schedule to the fact that I wake up a little earlier to read the paper. It has also changed my desire for news because I don’t find it boring as I once did. I now see the relevance in the stories and how they apply to this course as well as my life.
5. Are the weekly quizzes an effective way to measure what you’ve learned by reading the Wall Street Journal? If yes, why? If no, why? Add suggestions for other ways to measure learning.
Answer: I definitely feel that the quizzes are an effective way because they’re made just hard enough so that if you haven’t read them you won’t be able to answer. It measures first of all if you’ve read it, and second of all challenges you to get has much out of it as possible rather than just skimming through.
6. How likely are you to renew your subscription to The Wall Street Journal after this semester? Give an expansive answer, with reasons.
Answer: I’m not sure if I would renew my subscription, as much as I enjoy reading it, simply because the funds aren’t there and it is rather difficult to find time to take out of the day. I can justify taking the time out for a class, not so much when it’s for myself. Also, many of the articles I’ve found are available on the internet for free as opposed to paying almost $100 (Yes, I’ve just contributed to the downfall of newspapers). I enjoyed reading it, though the likely hood that it is something that I can, and would continue is slim.
OCTOBER 27, 2008 MMC 1000 ESSAY NO. 2
Answer the following questions (type answers on this document), save the file, e-mail it to Professor Ken Carpenter, and post the questions and answers on your blog.
1. Have you enjoyed reading the Wall Street Journal? Explain why you have enjoyed it, or why not.
Answer: I, believe it or not, have enjoyed reading the wall street journal. I quite often tell people that I am the ‘last to know anything’ though since I’ve started reading the WSJ that hasn’t been the case. I now find myself telling people things or even responding with ‘I already knew that’ when they tell me the latest bit of news.
2. How has reading the newspaper helped you learn about Mass Communications media? Explain, and give some examples of what you’ve learned.
Answer: Reading the News Paper has taught me about Mass Communications media not only with the recent stories it has about it, but also by experiencing it firsthand. Though newspapers are diminishing it’s still a leading form of mass communications and reading it not only introduces one to how they would need to compose a story to work in this field, but also broadens the knowledge base which is key to being successful in the communications field.
3. Compared to traditional textbook-based study and learning methods, is reading the newspaper a better or worse educational experience? Expand your answers with details and examples.
Answer: I feel that reading the newspaper is MUCH more informative than learning from a text book. A history book does no justice to the stories it tells compared to viewing a reenactment, or even having lived there. You can’t learn something unless you do it, like the sign hanging up in SSB 200 “What we have to learn to do, we learn by doing.” You’re not going to get the same real-world experience from a book that you would from a news paper.
4. Has the reading assignment changed your behavior, i.e., your daily schedule, your study habits, your desire for news and information?
Answer: The reading assignment has changed my schedule to the fact that I wake up a little earlier to read the paper. It has also changed my desire for news because I don’t find it boring as I once did. I now see the relevance in the stories and how they apply to this course as well as my life.
5. Are the weekly quizzes an effective way to measure what you’ve learned by reading the Wall Street Journal? If yes, why? If no, why? Add suggestions for other ways to measure learning.
Answer: I definitely feel that the quizzes are an effective way because they’re made just hard enough so that if you haven’t read them you won’t be able to answer. It measures first of all if you’ve read it, and second of all challenges you to get has much out of it as possible rather than just skimming through.
6. How likely are you to renew your subscription to The Wall Street Journal after this semester? Give an expansive answer, with reasons.
Answer: I’m not sure if I would renew my subscription, as much as I enjoy reading it, simply because the funds aren’t there and it is rather difficult to find time to take out of the day. I can justify taking the time out for a class, not so much when it’s for myself. Also, many of the articles I’ve found are available on the internet for free as opposed to paying almost $100 (Yes, I’ve just contributed to the downfall of newspapers). I enjoyed reading it, though the likely hood that it is something that I can, and would continue is slim.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
My Reading Habits
I would probably be the last person to say that I am proud of my book reading habits, though in the same regard I cannot say that I detest them (however awful they may be). I am by no means the ‘super reader’: spacing out schoolbooks perfectly, reading cover-to-cover, and analyzing the deeper, social message alluded to by the author. In fact 2 years ago I had to read the 700-page summer reading book in 4 days, until recently I read the ending of a book first to make sure that I would like it, and most of the books I read are not complex enough to need analyzing. So, why is it that, given the above, I don’t absolutely abhor my reading habits? Simple: when I find a book I like, I am every authors dream.
There is not one particular genre that I read, my literary choices are more strongly based upon the writing style. I can easily be sold on any story as long as it’s written in a way that I can connect with. For example I love the Stephanie Meyer books, how ever childish they may be. This love is not simply based on a fascination with forbidden romance or vampires, I have picked up many books which Barnes and Nobel promised ‘If You Like Stephanie Meyer Books You’ll Love These’ and honestly couldn’t make it past the first page. Also, I greatly enjoyed her other book, which falls under sci-fi rather than supernatural because it is written in the same style as the others.
Moving away from the silly teen-dramas I have recently fallen in love with the magical-realism tale: One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Marques. I am absolutely fascinated by the way that I can stumble blindly through the pages, the words turning into a jumbled mess as they enter my head, and then in a split second half way through the next chapter the entire thing will make sense. I have to agree with many critics that this is a book that should be read by everyone for, while utterly confusing, the way Marques writes is incredibly unique, the story he weaves is outstandingly intricate, and his mix of the unreal with the real is flawless to such a degree that they become one in the same.
With books like the aforementioned my reading habits are outstanding. I will come home for work, immediately get ready for bed, and read until I’m falling asleep. I will re-read a section if some aspect of it didn’t make sense the first time, I typically find a friend who has also read it to discuss what I did and didn’t like about it, I mull over certain scenes contemplating what the author could have done better and when it’s all said and done and will recommend it to any one and everyone that I know, often times loaning out my personal copy. This phenomena occurs very seldom, however, because I very rarely find a book that I like enough to read past the first chapter.
There is not one particular genre that I read, my literary choices are more strongly based upon the writing style. I can easily be sold on any story as long as it’s written in a way that I can connect with. For example I love the Stephanie Meyer books, how ever childish they may be. This love is not simply based on a fascination with forbidden romance or vampires, I have picked up many books which Barnes and Nobel promised ‘If You Like Stephanie Meyer Books You’ll Love These’ and honestly couldn’t make it past the first page. Also, I greatly enjoyed her other book, which falls under sci-fi rather than supernatural because it is written in the same style as the others.
Moving away from the silly teen-dramas I have recently fallen in love with the magical-realism tale: One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Marques. I am absolutely fascinated by the way that I can stumble blindly through the pages, the words turning into a jumbled mess as they enter my head, and then in a split second half way through the next chapter the entire thing will make sense. I have to agree with many critics that this is a book that should be read by everyone for, while utterly confusing, the way Marques writes is incredibly unique, the story he weaves is outstandingly intricate, and his mix of the unreal with the real is flawless to such a degree that they become one in the same.
With books like the aforementioned my reading habits are outstanding. I will come home for work, immediately get ready for bed, and read until I’m falling asleep. I will re-read a section if some aspect of it didn’t make sense the first time, I typically find a friend who has also read it to discuss what I did and didn’t like about it, I mull over certain scenes contemplating what the author could have done better and when it’s all said and done and will recommend it to any one and everyone that I know, often times loaning out my personal copy. This phenomena occurs very seldom, however, because I very rarely find a book that I like enough to read past the first chapter.
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