Alright, let’s see what an e-mail-addict-but-otherwise-completely-computer-illiterate person can do with this thing. . .
I’m overall really excited about this course, partly because there isn’t a final, and partly because this is something that, although not necessarily educated about, I am interested in. My passion is teaching, hence being a Pre-BEd student, and if there’s one thing I learned in University (so far), it’s that media has a huge impact on children, without their even knowing it. Don’t get me wrong, there are many, many, many benefits of technology and the increasing ways to massively communicate ideas to the population – it is when it starts negatively effecting our children and the way that they are growing up and being socialized. I can’t and won’t blame it all on mass media, because education, religion, family, peers, government, sports, etc. have a socializing impact on children as well. However, admittedly the extent that the media is being projected to us tends to dominate all of life’s “other” lessons. I’m not out to suppress the amount or types of mass communication that reaches our children, but I do want to understand it better so that we (is it just me? Ya… it’s just me) can educate our kids to enjoy media rather than be indoctrinated by it. (Probably NOT the thing to say in a Mass Communications course? Perhaps.)
I do want to admit, though, that I am a media saturated individual, not unlike almost everyone else I know in this day and age (including my parents, grandparents, siblings, peers, etc.) I check my e-mail accounts constantly, I download good tunes, I watch my favorite shows (I fall under the Grey’s Anatomy, House, and CSI categories), I read the news, I listen to different radio stations … I overall just really like to communicate and be communicated to. But despite what I think I know about the different forms of communication, I’m coming to this class with an open mind. I know about my own experiences, but what about those of others? What about how mass communication works? And, maybe, I’ll see some cool videos. Or be convinced that our children do NOT need a national superhero to “protect” them from the evils of the media (but probably not).
Happy blogging!
I am also slightly worried about the effect of media (advertising, videogames etc.) on today’s youth. There is just something about kids plunked infront of a TV for 6 hours a day that has a sinister feeling about it. I think the main problem is not so much that children are saturated with media and technology but that they do not always question what it is telling them or how it is affecting their choices. Heck half the time I am not aware of how the media affects me either. Therefore this class should be quite an eyeopener. Keep up the excellent posts!
Hi there,
I was excited when I read your post because your perspective is just like mine. I can’t turn off my teacher brain, I’m always thinking about my kids and how things like the media affect them. I guess my passion is not so much saving them as empowering them to critically handle the information they’re faced with and teach them how to use the amazing power of media in positive ways. I wholeheartedly agree that it can be schocking and heartbreaking when you realize the extent to which young students have been affected by the media.
Anyway, I look forward to reading you posts.
Thanks!
Personally, I just believe that society needs to start filtering out some of the negative connations displayed to our youth in many of the mass media’s. Ideal thinking, I know. But if we don’t start trying to do something now it might be too late. I do agree that you cannot put 100% blame on the media when there are other obvious institutions involved and other sociallizing factors that I truly belive play a huge role in impacting a child’s life. If we can’t change the media than atleast give the youth some alternative thinking. Make them aware and conscious of the media and the images and messages that are sent out a lot of the time. And truthfully parents just need to step up. Stop putting the blame on something “uncontrollable.” This problem can be fixed if we all just started trying alittle bit harder.