Tobacco Industry

I watched a Ted Talk earlier this year that reminded me of the topic discussed in class today: The Tobacco Industry and raising awareness of its negative effects. Turning Powerful Statistics into Art by Chris Jordan had a powerful and innovative delivery throughout his presentation. Chris took, what could have been a very dry presentation, and approached it with a very original and creative style. He was informing the audience about statistics and the reality of this world. He was talking a lot of numbers, but did it in a way that brought impact and emotion. He knew his audience and kept them engaged and interested the entire time. He had a steady and effective pace and took appropriate pauses allowing the statistics to sink in, bringing a variety of outlooks and reactions. He really portrayed his deep concern for this world and the reality of all the unknown that most are not aware of. He brought emotion, creativity, facts, passion, insight, and meaningful information into what could have been a very dull, informative presentation. Jordan’s presentation was very memorable. For example, Jordan took the result of an incredibly tragic, unforgettable event, 911, and compared it to the reality of this world regarding deaths due to smoking. Something I believe to be very effective throughout his presentation was the fact that he did not just use numbers on a screen to inform us about the statistics. He took those numbers and turned it into a piece of art to represent each statistic. He not only delivered a powerful presentation, but a created a work of art. His entire presentation brought the “unknown” into the “open”.  His example regarding 911 was not to undermine or reject the tragedy of 911, but it was a bold statement to raise awareness that “x” amount of people died that day, but the same “x” amount of people die every day due to smoking. So these deaths, from his perspective were already going to happen regardless if 911 happened or not because people are still smoking. Now I know that is a harsh and bold statement, but it puts truth and reality at the forefront of our minds and hopefully puts a new perspective on how serious the effects of smoking really are. 

Childhood Branding

As I was reading the article about how three year olds recognize and understand branding through the power of advertisement, it brought me back to my summer job as a nanny. I nannied two little girls, a three year old and a six year old. The more the article proved how kids can recognize this and shape their views on life, the more I realized that these girls totally are in the core of this. Not only are they playing on their iPad's all day and dancing to Rihanna songs, the are getting expensive, brand named clothing and refuse to wear anything else. The three year old knew exactly what she wanted to wear everyday. No matter how much I tried to help or give input on what she should wear for the day, if it wasn't this particular skirt with this shirt, she refused to put it on. The six year old showed me all the things her mom had bought her the day prior and she pulled out the trending shoes that have the hidden heal inside (they look like space sneakers with a flat bottom but have a hidden heel inside). A six year old wearing heels and refuses to wear them with nothing else but her Children's Place skinny jeans. Now I don't think that it is their fault that they are so focused on the things they are wearing and what brand or style it may be. They were born into this culture and lifestyle through nurture. The generations keep getting younger and younger and I think it's incredibly important to pay close attention to the materialism that is developing in very young children.

Catfish

The MTV show Catfish that was shown in class today, is a television show that enters the world of online dating. The people on this show are usually in a serious, committed relationship that is solely based online. Many of the "couples" on the show have been dating for years but have never physically met each other. The online daters reach out the show, Catfish, to get some help and guidance as to how to go about meeting their significant other. The main reason they reach out is because suspicion starts to rise when something always comes up, preventing the couple from actually meeting.  The two hosts of the show investigate and either unite the couple or prove to the person that their "significant other" is not real, which is the case 9 times out of 10. Like many MTV shows, this show is absurd and lacks any form of educational knowledge. I am an advocate for common sense and almost every situation that is presented lacks the one factor that could lead them to their own answers-common sense. The attachment these people form to a person they have never met is unbelievable. From an outsider looking in, it's portrayed as though they are falling in love with a complete stranger. This show just proves how easy it is to hide behind social media and become addicted to lying and advertising false information. The reality of this show is the fact that it is most likely not real; but what is real are situations similar to this where people's hearts are played with as if everything was a game to them.

Social Media

The internet is a brilliant thing. It has encouraged connectivity, fostered creativity, and spread knowledge across borders. Social media is the source of sharing personal stories, reconnecting with friends, family and/or stranger, and keeping in touch with loved ones from all over the world. It is a beautiful resource of how to stay connected and make the world more open. It reaps with benefits, but like any “next best thing” it also sows with problems. The internet has made connection so easy that it’s taken for granted. A study showed that on average, we check our smartphones 150 times a day, with around 50 per cent of us updating our statuses or posting content via them while we’re on the move (A. Beattie). Our generation now is so dependent on connecting with the outside world that when being deprived of it, unfortunately it causes a very sad anxiety and disconnects emotional ties. Because the internet is so embedded into our lives now, it’s subconsciously having a detrimental effect on our well-being. Take Facebook for example, not only are people being consumed in complete strangers lives, but they very well could be leading false information and pictures that alter viewers sense of what is real. The information that is portrayed is most likely to be inadequate and more “grandiose” than actual. Bullying rates have increased due to social media as one can just hide behind their keyboard, and strong anxiety emotions take in to action when one starts to feel left behind or left out. Social media can unfortunately become a deceiving mirror where automatically compare ourselves and determine our own sense of worth. Social media also completely eliminates the benefits and effectiveness of physical human interaction. Technology is gradually brainwashing society of the real value of what it means to actually connect with someone. As technologies increase, our social skills and ideas of worth decrease. Unfortunately, we view our social media life as a high priority, if not the highest, and it’s slowly taking away the reality of what is actually important in this world. You don’t leave a legacy on how your pictures are on Facebook or how funny you are on Twitter- you leave a legacy on the personal impact you make on others and that change you try to make in this world. 

VMA Performance

It has been made very clear from previous class discussions that most, if not all of us, are aware of Miley Cyrus's scandalous performance at the VMA's. To many, it has been viewed as a very inappropriate and degrading performance. Only a select few have voiced that they just see it as another way of expressing herself. The viewers’ opinions have been stated loud and clear, but the way they approached or addressed the situation have varied. Take blog writer, Rihanna, for example. She wrote a blog as if she were talking directly to Miley. Instead of making harsh accusations and scolding her for her wrong-doings, she sympathized and even tried to encourage her. No, she did not support any of the actions Miley had done, but she expressed her opinion in a very refreshing, “mother-like” way. I couldn’t agree more with this blog writer. Sometimes all the hatred in the world can lead people to feel worthless and the constant personal attacks only make matters worse. This blogger took the situation into her own hands and expressed her opinions in a respectful and appropriate manner. She didn’t support any of Miley’s outrageous behaviors; she simply put into perspective how her actions not only affect her image, but the young viewers watching her as well. She sees something much deep than a shameful performance. She sees a broken, pressured, lost girl who just needs some guidance. I appreciate the way this blog was written and give much of my respect to her approach of the situation..Now if only Miley would read it and take it to heart.

Here is the link to the blog:

http://iamrihanna.wordpress.com/2013/08/26/dear-miley/