Social Media

Welcome to the new semester! One of the things that i noticed last semester was how much time i was spending with Facebook. If you don't know about Facebook, then you need to look it up. Google it. Using this social connector, i have been able to re-establish contact with friends from long ago. Over the holidays i had dinner with an old college buddy that i found by using facebook.

So here's my question to you. How has social media like facebook, myspace, youtube, changed your life? Do you use any of these programs? Some people even have their cellphone connected to facebook. I'm amazed at how much information people will share on these sites. People constantly post pictures of themselves in compromising situations. I even know some employers who check candidates' facebook pages to see what kind of person they are in private. Do you think the Internet, with the help of these programs, is helping us reveal too much about ourself. Is modesty fading because of new media? Or does the possibility of re-connecting with old friends and establishing relationships with similar likes and dislikes outweigh the negative implications of this media. Remember, two paragraphs. Again, welcome to class.

Holliday Media

With the holidays approaching, i'd like you to share with the group any media related traditions you have. Does your family all get together to watch something on TV. Is there any particular show you love to watch every Christmas/Thanksgiving? Why is that show/s so important to you. I know i have some favorites dating back to when i was a kid but i wonder if there are any new shows that have come on recently that will one day be a favorite for my children?

Thanks for all your responses this semester.

Video Games and Violence

So last week the topic was sex and tv. This week it's video games and violence. This is my particular research area. In addition to teaching, i conduct experiments at the university looking at what elements in a game contribute to hostile feelings. I will leave my personal feelings and findings out of this post because i don't want to persuade the group. I noticed CNN posted this article last week. So what do you think about violent video games. Are they becoming too prevalent in society? Do they contribute to violence? Can we blame them for school shootings (as the media has done several times, especially at Columbine)? If they are a negative force for children, how do we combat that? Your thoughts please.

TV and SEX

CNN published a piece today on a RAND study linking teen pregnancy to watching sex on television. First, read the piece here. After reading i want you to address a few questions.
1. Do you think the results are correct? Does watching more sex on tv lead to teen pregnancy?
2. What other factors are also leading to teen pregnancy? In the piece one person says that too many things other than parenting are always blamed for teen pregnancy. Do you agree? Could good parenting counter the effects of watching too much sex on TV.
3. Could there be a third variable going on here? Teen pregnancy is on the rise. Sex on TV is on the rise. The number of hours of TV watched is on the rise? What's going on?
4. The term Media Literacy is used. This means teaching children about the lies and manipulations that can be made in the media. (Basically you're taking a class in media literacy right now). Is there a place for this in the classroom? And how can we teach media literacy in the classroom when we are barely getting basic skills like reading and writing taught in the classroom?

SPOOKY TIME!!!!

Hello all,
It's that time of year again, my favorite time of year actually (well next to christmas).It's Halloween. I loved trick or treating as a kid and get to relive it all over again now with my own kids. And of course, cable tv is great now cause they show all the horror movies (even if they are edited).

That brings me to my question. What is your favorite Horror Movie. Tell me why it is your favorite. And why do you think we go see horror movies. Even if you don't like them, tell me why you think others go see them. And by the way, here's a good scare for you (not for those with a heart condition).

Now He's Too Busy???

Ringo Starr of The Beatles recently posted a video claiming he was too busy to answer fan mail or sign autographs. Here's the video.




So has Ringo finally earned the right to no longer take fan mail or do you think he has an obligation to respond to people who have supported him in the past. What exactly do you think should be the relationship between a star and the fan?

Tim McGraw Needs to Apologize

This just in: Tim McGraw is apologizing for releasing a greatest hits CD when there was only one studio album released since his latest greatest hits album. See the story here. Thank you Tim. I myself have always hated when an artist released greatest hits albums within 5 years of putting the last one out. I also hate it when a band that only has 3 albums out decides to release a greatest hits album.

Are we too quick to make musicians into icons. Sure some musicians have conquered album sales (like Madonna, Michael Jackson, Springsteen). But aren't there some people out there who really don't deserve to keep releasing albums. Who do you think is the most over-rated singer/performer out there. With economic times as hard as they are, is there anyone out there that you would pay over $100 to see in concert.

Also, with the advent of ITunes and other legal downloading applications, do you think the "greatest hits" album is a thing of the past? Does the ability to buy single songs instead of whole albums impact the concept of a greatest hits package?