Adolescent Interview

For my adolescent interview I took the opportunity to interview my 14 year old brother, Bailey.

I used technology to conduct the interview using the interface of “facetime”.

During my interview I was surprised to find out that he uses a lot of technologies and social networks throughout every day.

Technologies he uses that were discussed consisted of television for entertainment, a gaming console called PS4 to play video games as well as converse with his friends. He uses an IPhone for communication and his social networking. Social networks he uses include Instagram, Facebook. Twitter, and iFunny. He also mentioned that he uses the computer to Skype and to watch YouTube videos.

I learned how much social networking this 14 year old does. My childhood growing up was very different from Bailey’s. I was surprised to find out how little my parents regulate his social networking usage. When I was growing up the only communication I had with my friends was the telephone or AIM in which I had to use dial up to talked to them.

Cyber bullying was a big highlight of our conversation. I asked Bailey if he has ever witnessed cyber bullying and he said he has on several occasions. He has been a victim and so have several of his friends. This was very upsetting to me as a sister. I asked him when it came to these incidents how they were handled and he informed me that the bullying that happened to him was reported to my mother and the ones involving his friends he intervened with the intention to stand up for them. Cyber bullying has always been something that I am extremely offended by and always have been because I just don’t understand the ignorance around it. Years ago I was introduced to a story about a girl named Amanda Todd who shared her story of bullying on YouTube which eventually lead to her suicide. I told Bailey to look her up and the night after our interview he posted this video on his Facebook for all to see.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80RqEf56Ix4&sns=fb

My biggest take away from the interview is just how much our world has changed and how much it involves technology.  Kids are introduced to these medias at such a young age and the dependency has grown. 

Evian "Baby&Me"

This week I chose to deconstruct an ad for water from the company Evian. I watched the commercial several times when making observations. The ad consisted of normal people walking down the street of a city and noticing their reflections on the side of a building. Their reflections were baby versions of themselves in which they reacted to with excitement. The producer’s message is trying to convince their consumers that their product preserves youth. Even though I enjoyed their comedic approach I was not convinced and the most important thing I took away from this observation is how businesses will try all types of methods to get their product to sell. Honest and not. 

 I can relate this experience to Networked Publics, “Value at the Edges” because I found my focused ad on YouTube; a participatory media culture. There are citizens/consumers that spend hours upon hours of everyday just browsing through YouTube videos. The internet started off as interaction between peer to peer, citizen to citizen and now it has transferred into producer to consumer. Value at the edges discussed producers using arts and medias to relate to consumers and their culture. Where I found this ad and what is in the ad is a perfect example of this. 

 I have posted the link to the ad for your enjoyment purposes. 
Evian "Baby&Me" Ad

Week 8 Journal--Influence of the Media

Something that struck me as interesting this week was the direct correlation between mass media and the increase of eating disorders within the population. Electronic media has affected the way consumers think. They see this constant “ideal body” and eventually are brainwashed thinking you’re not beautiful or handsome unless your skinny. The readings summarized how much money and time is spent on advertising. Advertising linked to the topic of eating disorders tends to glorify “thinness” and encourages all to obtain this perfect body. Cultural pressure within the social media is a huge contributor to the continuance of eating disorders. The content provided stated that

» The average young adolescent watches 3-4 hours of TV per day.(1)

» The average American child may view as many as 40,000 television commercials every year.(2)

» Four hours of television programming contain about 100 ads.(3)

» 30 percent of local TV news time is devoted to advertising.(4)

Children, teens, and adults are ambushed with these commercials constantly advertising perfection. Advertisements of diets, supplements, gym memberships, equipment, weight loss in general and even the continuous use of thin models and actors are a huge catalyst for eating disorders. The responsibility of teaching critical medial literacy should be put on the parent and reinforced in the school setting when given the opportunity. With this direct correlation I place the most responsibility on the parent to teach the child how to have healthy eating habits and avoid the pressure by loving themselves for who they are. Schools can help by looking for signs of children being influenced and continuing to expose advertisements for what they are when given opportunity. This knowledge has always been something that I have personally been aware of. I myself over the years have experienced that same pressure to be thin just not as much as others because of my learned awareness. But every time a diet commercial, or weight loss pill comes on I find myself giving in to that curiosity. In the past I have even found myself researching my favorite stars diets that I deemed to be the “perfect body” in hopes to find out “the secret”. The pressure from the media and weight loss will always exist. It’s terrifying to think that producers are capable of driving consumers to the vulnerable “solution” of eating disorders.

· 42% of 1st-3rd grade girls want to be thinner (Collins, 1991). (1)

· In elementary school fewer than 25% of girls diet regularly. Yet those who do know what dieting involves and can talk about calorie restriction and food choices for weight loss fairly effectively (Smolak, 2011; Wertheim et al., 2009). (1)

· 81% of 10 year olds are afraid of being fat (Mellin et al., 1991). (1)

The statics are beyond disturbing and just motivates me to help protect my children and students by educating them to stay above the influence and create the awareness of critical medial literacy.

· The incidence of bulimia in 10-39 year old women TRIPLED between 1988 and 1993 (Hoek& van Hoeken, 2003). (1)
» In 2001, U.S. advertising expenditures topped $230 billion, more than doubling the $105.97 billion spent in 1980. (6)

These are not coincidence.  

1. www.nationaleatingdisorders.org

2. Starsburger, Victor C., (2001, June) “Children and TV Advertising: Nowhere to run, Nowhere to hide”. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 22, 185

3. Minneapolis Star Tribune, March 10, 1999

4. Rocky Mountain Media Watch

6. McCann-Erickson U.S. Advertising Volume Reports and Bob Coen’s Insider’s Report for December 2001

7. www.medialiteracy.com