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MODULE 2

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This week’s module was fun and interesting to me it was very engaging, something that I had already looked at before in a more detailed perspective, if that makes sense.

In the reading The inversion of Visibility Chapter six, there’s was something the author said that really stood out to me, which was “Perhaps the biggest problem that Americans are facing as a society is that we have a hard time believing in possibility, imaging that things could be otherwise.” This was very interesting to me because I always see things this way, that this may be that because we as a society allow it, things continue to be the way they are because society sees it that way, we know better, but we don’t think that there is anything that we can possibly do about it, so we continue to let it just be. This is a great example with all the ads that we were exposed to throughout this module, we see ads like these all the time, especially where the women is being sexualized. Women don’t like to be viewed as this, but instead of changing it, they continue to do the ads for reasons such as it pays them, it’s their job, whatever it may be.

The messages that are being portrayed are not really what women want to be viewed as or what the ads are trying to tell us aren’t really what is going to happen. I mean do we really think that if we wear dolce and Gabana, or spray a famous persons perfume on, we are going to get all this attention? I don’t think so. This falls back on what we also learned about the denotations and connotations of the ads, what we see and view, and what it really is telling you. The ads are very sexualized in the viewers eyes, and what the ads are really trying to possibly say and the way that they are displayed all the get the consumers buying their products, not cool! I think often times because of the way that the ads are displayed we don’t really give it the attention and time it should, we just see it as “it’s just another one of those ads. The steps for deconstructing an ad were described in this module as Making observations, and describing the ads with adjectives, determining the purpose of the ad (selling their products), determine the assumptions the AD & the messages it sends, and considering the possible consequences of these messages.

Which then falls into the five core concepts that we viewed this module as well, all media messages are ‘constructed,’ Media messages are constructed using a creative language with its own rules, different people experience the same media message differently, media have embedded values and points of view. Most media messages are organized to gain profit t and/or power. Which is a great example of the way we all viewed the Vikings track and field recap, some of us may have seen it as what it was just a recap of a meet, others deconstructed the ad and viewed it differently, and gave it more attention, I for example made it be sort of equal display for everyone, because just because one didn’t win first place doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t be acknowledged and recognized like the first place winners, and gave them more of the attention they all deserved.

 

Module 2 Reading Reflection

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In Chapter 3 of Connecting Social Problems and Popular Culture, Sternheimer challenges the paranoia of the Internet causing dangerous trends in youth culture. Although new media has changed our culture and the way people communicate and navigate relationships, Sternheimer argues that there is no solid proof that it is responsible for spiking harmful trends. In fact, Sternheimer even shows convincing evidence that crime rates have gone down significantly over the past several decades. “The stories we hear might be shocking and familiar, and although powerful examples, they are not necessarily representative of a larger trend of increased danger to young people” (Sternheimer, pg. 50). Her argument and evidence is very persuasive, but part of me cannot fully trust anything after studying Carl Hausman’s techniques for lying with words, numbers and images. Since bullying, homophobia, pedophilia, and suicide have existed within our society long before the internet, it is not surprising that these these trends still exist and are now expressed through the Internet (especially due to its uncensored and anonymous nature). As times change, similar trends take different forms to adapt to the present. I agree with Sternheimer that the Internet and social networking is not alone a main cause of depression and suicide. But I also understand “the Internet and new electronic communications create additional complexities in our lives and relationships” (Sternheimer, pg.52). These complexities can be a lot to handle when you are young, making growing up even more hard and confusing than it already is. Especially since things that are posted on the Internet never really go away entirely. I believe that parents should not allow their children to have free rein over the Internet until they are mature enough to handle the responsibility. However, some full grown adults aren’t mature enough to handle the responsibility, proving that there will always be some level of conflict associated with this powerful platform. Whether we love it or hate it, the Internet is only going to become a more invasive, intertwined part of the world we live in. Sure the Internet can be harmful, but so can going to the grocery store or taking the dog for a walk if we are not aware of our surroundings. Learning to navigate the Internet with our best judgement is what determines if it is a safe place or not.

In Chapter 4, Sternheimer challenges another fear that is increasing as fast as our online habits: Is popular culture turning us into a nation of shallow idiots? Sternheimer questions those who believe electronics and popular culture are to blame for educational failure. However, the reality and source of ignorance in our country is much more complex than people realize. Sternheimer explains, “Problems within education stem from structural factors bigger than pop culture: lack of resources, inconsistent family and community support, and inequality” (pg.73). Inequality in American society has lead to a population that is vastly divided when it comes to education and intellectual achievement. While many believe that television is detrimental to the growth of children, there is no evidence that suggests that it has a negative effect on youth. It doesn’t necessarily always support their growth, but it is also not necessarily harmful either (as long as its age appropriate). While the Internet and many TV programs are full of useless junk, there are also many incredible sources to learn from that technological advances have made accessible to almost anyone who has a WiFi connection. Several decades ago, if I wanted to know what the capital of Sweden was, I would have to go down to the local public library and look it up using an encyclopedia. Knowing myself, I probably wouldn’t do that and I would go on the rest of my life without ever knowing what the capital of Sweden was. However, the technological advances of today make it possible for me to look up the capital of Sweden within seconds, something that was not even imaginable 50 years ago. Overall, I agree with Sternheimer that electronics and popular culture cannot be blamed for educational failure. According to the reading, The Inversion of Visibility, the public school system is severely flawed as a result of our culture valuing of corporate over public welfare. Philosopher, Micheal Foucault, coined the phrase “inversion of visibility” to describe the modern of exercise of power. This involves the higher-ups avoiding the public eye in order to control what is not being seen by the public. Since we come from a culture where seeing is believing, it is easy for the those in power to pull the strings of society without being detected or influenced by those who suffer the consequences. Education should be motivated by genuine commitment to public welfare, not motivated by private interest. Even in the different neighborhoods of Santa Barbara, the difference in the quality of schools varies vastly depending on the neighborhood. I agree that we must feel a sense of responsibility in every school and neighborhood in order for all youth the gain access to a bright future.

Young people are exposed to media messages just as often, if not more, than adults. This fact is only going to become more and more evident as the level of media exposure we receive everyday increases. Corporations are shameless when it comes to marketing their products.  Our capitalism fueled society will not hesitate to manipulate even the most vulnerable members of society. In a Common Sense Media article discussing the issue of advertising to young people, Common Sense Media shines a spotlight on the recent explosion of new techniques for advertising to the youth demographic. Researchers have been unable to develop a proper way of measuring young people’s exposure to such marketing and their ability to understand the intent of these messages. While it could be a while before researchers agree upon a way to accurately measure these impacts, it is crucial that in the meantime young people learn the purpose and intentions of these messages so they do not fall into the traps of these highly manipulative corporations. In Struggling with Stereotypes: Uses and Abuses of a Critical Concept, Cortes acknowledges that as humans, we all generalize to make sense of the world around us. However, the creation of stereotypes works more as “a function of selectivity and frequency than of accuracy” (Cortes, 2000, pg.148). The media works as a huge source for fueling stereotypes regarding certain groups, individuals, places, events, etc. These stereotypes can be very limiting and very dangerous at a time when our society desperately needs tolerance and understanding for diversity. In the article, Out of the Mainstream: Sexual Minorities and the Mass Media, Larry Gross expresses his protectionist view on the inaccuracies of mass media. He uses 5 characteristics to describe the role of mass media within our society. (1) Modern industrial society allows few communities or individuals to maintain independent integrity, creating a heterogeneous national community  (2) Groups that do not possess significant power are hardly represented (3) When groups are represented, they are represented in a way that reflects the biases and interests of the elite who create the public agenda (4) News, drama, quiz shows, sports, and commercials share underlying similarities of them , emphasis and value (5) The dominant conventions of our media are those of “realism” and psychologically grounded realism. (Gross, 2001). While children are young and still forming their views on the world, it is crucial that schools help students learn the difference between generalizing and stereotyping, reality and mediated reality, so they can grow to be positive, constructive members of our multicultural communities. Cortes claims, “The issues of mass media stereotyping, as well as the broader goal of helping students learn to generalize without stereotyping, are too important to be deal with in a facile manner. They are also too important for schools to avoid” (2000, pg.161). While other subjects are also important, the subject of media literacy is one that is monumentally important in the 21st century and needs to be recognized on a national level.

Module 2 Readings

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It seems Sebastian and I had some similar thoughts on the readings this week.  Like him, I began to question my own experiences when reading the articles and watching the videos from this week.

Although this was not part of the readings in question, I will be discussing the advertising videos from activity 13. I used to work in retail. I worked at Babies R Us for nearly a year and in that short time I learned how to manipulate objects to get them sold. I mainly worked at the service desk and cashiers, I was good at selling credit cards to my customers. Near my station there was always candy fully stocked. This is surprise to anyone, the placement is normal. However, I would put the more expensive candy at a toddler’s height, just so I could make that one extra sale. Let me be clear though, I did not want to do this, my boss did. I followed orders. I made small sales at the front desk just getting kids to want candy. Normally, kids would throw a tantrum when they would not get the candy they saw, so parents would give into their children’s tantrums and buy the candy for them. I find it fascinating and a little crazy how much placement affects our buying abilities.

Onto the readings now. I know I probably should not have a favorite article, but I do. I found Tollefson’s article, The inversion of visibility. In Volatile knowing: Parents, teachers and the censored story of accountability in American public schools. I found it to be the most important of all articles. “Accountability, not possibility, is the ruling paradigm in the lives of children and teachers in America’s schools.” (Tollefson,  125) I think this quote is the most important quote out of the entire chapter, simply because it involves so much; it’s a broad quote, but I will try to condense it for the sake of my reflection.

Our education system is flawed. This is a known fact and our government has made efforts to change the deterioration of our system. Media, as we all know, is growing rapidly in our society. Many of my peers and I were in school during the blossoming of media education. We grew up in a time where our teachers did not know much media literacy or media education because it was still relatively new. One of the articles from last week stated that media education is not a new concept. I’d have to disagree. Based on the context of our modern society, media education is pretty new. Cortes wrote the article on generalizations and stereotypes. I never learned that in my K-12 education, although that article came out in 2000, when I finishing Kindergarten. I felt that Cortes was telling us to take action. He was telling us we need to teach this to our youth.  Gross discussed the representation of sexual minorities in the media and how we don’t teach these concepts. We have a protectionist ideal of media education. I disagree with that form of media education. I think teaching these ideas to our youth will help them understand these concepts and look at the media with a more analytical eye. I think I, as a future teacher, am accountable for teaching my students to be media literate.

Reflections on Module 2 Readings.

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I want to start off with the very first question we came in contact with once this module opened. The very first question was from Joel Barker , who asked, and studied “where children learn their sense of identity, value and place in the world.” When thinking about this, the first word that came to mind was everything. Children are constantly picking up their identity from the people, and experiences they come into contact with everyday. If someone tells a child that they are useless, because they didn’t quite get a homework assignment right, or because they are being forced to do something they’ve never done before and didn’t quite grasp the concept they are more than likely going to feel as though they don’t have a value, place, or a worthy identity.

I think this is a great start to tie in my reflections, beginning with the section On Visibility, power and Media Literacy. It’s interesting to make the connection between the way media delivers its messages (i.e. message contents, such as words or phrases, the people in it, the objects in it, the scenery, etc.) the way children perceive their value, and the ideas of power and visibility, especially in the hands of media conglomerates. It’s interesting to think about how that connection affects us, affects children, and empowers or dis empowers a particular medium when they are being called out.  In Dr. Tollefson’s book, Volatile knowing, in chapter 6, the first paragraph under the heading Spotlighting accountability, not Possibility, on page 125 really opened my eyes about how we basically accept the idea that corporations are more perceived as more valuable than the public good. We form our schools agendas with the ultimate goal of producing a child who is ready to enter the workforce, doesn’t question things, and is basically a blank slate to be trained as the employer sees fit. Anyone who starts to think outside the box is punished or ridiculed for having an outlandish opinion that couldn’t possibly be accurate because it isn’t the popular opinion. More often than not, this starts at a very early age as well.

I can’t remember off the top of my head which article I remember reading this from in Module 1, but I believe if it was the University of Michigan Health System article about Your Child, in which it states that children’s programming often contains more acts of violence than adult TV programming. (Pg. 4) When thinking about this set of data,  in terms of visibility, I want to connect it to the 5 questions we should be asking as media literate individuals that we learned in module 1. One of the questions in particular, that is preceded by the statement “media does not represent the values of the country, it represents the values of the person who created the media,” asks “What values, lifestyles, and points of view are represented in and from this particular message.” When we think about where children gain their sense of identity, Dr. Tollefson mentioned that according to ourselves, (the population as a general whole) we believe that media is the most influential. While others may disagree, I definitely think this is true when it comes to Generation Z, mainly because of their incredible dependency on technology. Their identities are constantly being built, almost exclusively through technological means, with virtual friends from all over the world. When something exciting happens, they must “experience” the moment by taking a picture of the events, and then posting it on their Instagram or Tumblr. Instead of learning about the rises and pitfalls of a working friendship through face to face interaction, they instead choose to talk with friends via Facebook messenger. It’s no surprise then that children are picking up their sense of identities from what they are surrounded by the most: their technology.

It’s important to think about then, the agenda of media corporations. As stated before, television is teeming with children’s programming that portrays violence, deception, individualization (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but when coupled with ideas of intense competition just to better than others, that’s when it creates problems), tons of sexual references, and more often than not, cut-throat practices. This is not just opinion, but also from experience. I have two younger siblings, one who is just a year younger than me, and another who is about 12 years younger than me. Me and my sister grew up watching shows like Pokemon, Sailor Moon, Fosters home for Imaginary friends, and even more adult shows such as South Park, and once in a while we would be able to catch Adult Swim on cartoon network (this is a variety of live action and cartoon shows created for older audiences, think TV shows where the main themes were raunchy, sarcastic humor). When I compare the programming me and my sister watched as children, to the TV shows that are available to my younger brother, it absolutely blows my mind with what they’re allowing to be viewed by children. I honestly thought that I was watching Comedy Central or another adult-centered channel, and not Cartoon Network, at 3pm when children are just getting home and winding down with some TV.

With these experiences, and the idea of visibility, and identity, it’s no wonder that so many children are confused. Most parents try to raise their kids to become epitomes of well-behaved children; but fail to realize that the media they allow their children to experience (and usually spend the most time with), tends to preach the very ideas that parents try to protect their kids from. It doesn’t help that children, especially Generation Z have lived nearly their whole lives online, and because of it, have created an identity where they feel the most comfortable when they have technology at their disposal. The Internet, Movies, TV, these all contribute heavily to the concept of identity within youths.

Pop culture has always been such a large part of youth culture. Growing up, you weren’t cool if you didn’t have the latest trends, the newest cool toy, clothes, or for kids now– tech. In our textbook, Sternheimer mentions one medium in particular, social media, and the ideas of whether it is affecting the lives of those in the cyber age. As a more technological attuned individual, I have quite a bit to say about this section but will try to keep it short because this post is getting a little long. I mainly want to comment on the specific question Sternheimer raises about the safety of social media (pg. 47). I became a very prominent user of social media at the age of 12 where I joined forums for video games that I would play. Throughout the years, I’ve witnessed many positives of social media, but I think I’ve witnessed more negative interactions, and I’ve had the chance to get to know some of these individuals (both those getting cyber bullied, and doing the cyber bullying). While others may disagree, I definitely think that social media is a safe platform for individuals, at least in the sense of you can somewhat control what content people see. As Sternheimer said “people of all ages are still learning how to navigate [the internet],” (pg. 62) and this is very true. Children are learning what is safe for them to post, through the experiences of feedback from others, and adults are using the internet as an extension of already familiar mediums such as email or letters. There’s also no doubt that many people use the internet in ways it was perhaps not intended. Some seek information about illness, others use the internet as a way to vent, without second thought that they more often than not are taking their anger out on individuals who do not deserve to be treated in such a way where they are put down by strangers. Still, a majority use social media as a way to connect, bring together people with similar ideas, and create safe spaces for people with similar interests to gather and discuss without repercussions.

For this final portion of my reflection, I want to focus on chapter 4 of our readings from the textbook. I think chapter four hit on some key points that is inherently intertwined with the ideas of visibility and power. Sternheimer explains that youths have always been the center of ridicule, often mocked and put down because older generations believe that children now-a-days have no clue about anything in the world.(Sternheimer, p.85) While I believe that there is certainly a trend that seems to be happening, especially in low-income areas, where more and more children are becoming illiterate (I’ve seen it first hand in elementary school, all the way to some of my college classes, where students struggle to keep a steady pace, and often have to stop for assistance for understanding or pronouncing a 6th grade vocabulary word). While some seem to be attributing that incline of illiteracy to increasing TV and new media use, other studies have concluded that TV does not affect literacy, and I think I can positively agree with this. For children, there are many TV shows dedicated to teaching kids how to read, and talk. Sesame Street, Dora the Explorer, Between the Lions, Super Why, Word World, and many more are examples of programming dedicated to increasing literacy among children specifically. While some questions can be raised about certain aspects of these shows, such as agendas, portrayal of certain “scandalous” situations (the first that comes to mind is the Sesame Street episode with Katy Perry that garnered a lot of negative attention from many parents), I think that these kinds of shows are very beneficial to children who may be in a low income area.

I personally grew up reading books, and playing a lot of video games over watching TV. I may be a little biased because of my own personal experiences, but I believe that video games, especially those where you are interacting with other human players, can be so much more beneficial than TV watching. I have several online friends from different non-English-speaking countries who, because of their interactions with English-speaking players have been able to bring themselves to a fluent status in their speaking and understanding abilities. If an adolescent who has never spoken English can learn how to read and write through the use of interactions in video games, I think it can be even more beneficial for children to use these methods as well. Especially when you throw in all of the other benefits that playing video games can introduce into an individuals skill set (such as motor skills, logic, and creative thinking skills, and more).

The biggest draw back to literacy and media literacy is the sad fact that we just don’t put in enough resources for teachers to effectively teach. Instead of small classes where teachers can give more one on one interaction and attention, classrooms are a 40:1 ratio of children per teacher. This leads to having to standardize everything in order to get around to assessing each child, but in the end, the methods are also standardized, and children aren’t praised for their individual strengths, instead they’re punished for their weaknesses, not being able to keep up with the class. Classroom agendas are standardized, children leave the classroom each day with the same or less information than their peers. There’s no individual learning, no critical thinking. What teacher wants to read 40 five to eight page papers? It becomes a burden, and so teachers resort to bare minimums, they align their classrooms to standards set by districts, which in turn have been set by the local or state government by some politician with their own agendas. I remember a couple of year ago when “unschooling” became a popular method where parents would homeschool their children and let them do what they wanted. It reminded me of my childhood. My family often multiple cross country trips, and I missed a lot elementary school, and was in middle school for a total of 1 month before I was pulled out. When we finally settled down in a small town in Tennessee, I had to take a placement test because I had been out of school for so long that they weren’t sure if I was ready to enter high school. After a very long and noisy (the school had me out in the hallway in a tiny wooden desk, and class was released twice during my testing! I’m sure you all can remember high school, the halls filled loudly with kids chatting with friends as they walk to their next class) 3 hours, the test results determined that I was proficient enough in all areas except math (I had to take remedial classes) and was allowed to enter high school. After the first semester, I also took standardized tests given to students to evaluate performance. I scored advance in all areas (English, Sciences, Social Sciences) but still had trouble with my math where I earned an average score.

I’m curious about the opinions that people have for my ideas on chapter 4. I know a lot of people are cynical of video games, argue they’re a waste of time, and that they influence kids to turn aggressive and shoot up schools (definitely NOT the case!). After hearing about my experience where I was out of school, and relied solely on video games, books, and traveling to places such as national parks, do you think this kind of approach, of “unschooling” is more effective than traditional schooling, where children are essentially bred to be the same, blank slate as everyone else. Where they learn skills that only translate to a 9-5, where you spend the rest of your awake time that isn’t dedicated to making a living, and enjoying entertainment mindlessly.

This reflection ended up way longer than I expected to write, but for me at least, it has really helped me bring together concepts I didn’t even make connections to before. I also had the pleasure of getting to talk about some of these aspects with Kam before I wrote this post, and that helped me narrow down some of the ideas from this module I wanted to talk about.

Module 2: Visibility Closing Thoughts

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At the beginning of Module 2, we were called to ask ourselves where we fall in the “ideological continuum” of constructivism or protectionism (Tollefson, 2016).  In chapter 6 of Volatile Knowing, we are reminded that we “have lost the ability to look back, having ceded our own definitional authority to those who own the spotlight (Tollefson, 2010).  Where do these two notions intersect? The intersection is known as visibility.  Visibility contains many facets and the following mediums I will discuss explain the complexity of visibility and the differing ideological perspectives found within.

While many subscribe to the belief that the mass media is perpetuating intolerance and stereotypes, Carlos Cortes takes a different stance.  In “The Children Are Watching: How The Media Teach About Diversity”, he explores stereotypes, generalizations, and labels.  “We all use-we need to use-labels for groups of people” as it aids in the communication of social issues, Cortes argues (Cortes, 2000).  He does not dispute the idea that media contains some level of stereotyping.  In fact, he even says “it may be occurring” (Cortes, 2000).  However, he mentions a solid point-groups stereotype as well, therefore, media is not solely to blame.  Cortes goes on to suggest  3 central points regarding the media: 1. The media recognizes that consumers learn multi-culturally; 2. media realizes their part in internalizing stereotypes; 3. media uses stereotypes to meet consumer expectations and desired reactions/outcomes.  I agree with Cortes’ constructivist view on the media and that in order for students to thrive in this diverse society, “schools should help them learn to work analytically with evidence” from the mass media (Cortes, 2000).

I found Larry Gross’ article, “Out of the Mainstream: Sexual Minorities and the Mass Media” to be particularly fascinating as it had personal relevance.  It reminded me of an anecdote I will share as I believe it corresponds well with this piece.  I have a co-worker who is my superior.  She is a kind, hardworking, and opinionated wife and mother of two.  A couple months back, the subject of television came up and she said her children worship the Disney channel.  It prompted me to inquire if they watch ABC Family (now FreeForm) as well.  To which she replied, “no, I do not allow my kids to watch ABC Family”.  Her reason was she did not want her children being exposed to alternative family units/lifestyles (i.e. gay, lesbian, transgender, etc.).  I feel this is exactly what  Gross was referring to when he discussed the ongoing media “maintenance of the ‘normal’ gender system that requires that children be socialized -and adults retained-within a set of images and expectations which limit…their conceptions of…what is proper for men and women” (Gross, 2001).  Sexual minorities are victim to mass media power and frequently disregarded.  Echoing Tollefson’s view of inversion visibility, Gross concurs by saying “the most effective form of resistance to the hegemonic voice of the dominant media is to speak for oneself” (Gross, 2001).  I, too believe we must question “the instruments” of power in the media and reverse the invisibility in order to move towards a society where power resides within each and every one of us (Tollefson, 2010).

In Chapters 3 and 4 of our textbook, Karen Sternheimer discusses the largely prevalent issue of cyber-bullying and the argument of whether or not the media is hurting our intellectual makeup.  In regards to cyber harassment and social networking, Sternheimer argues that while the Internet can be a dark place, “it clearly can help people who may feel isolated and alone find a sense of community and acceptance” (Sternheimer, 2013).  While parents are fearful of the excessive exposure of their children through these medium platforms, Sternheimer believes “people are gradually learning to protect their privacy” more effectively, and are better equipped to determine what is real versus what is not (Sternheimer, 2013).  Conversely, in the journal “Advertising to Children and Teens: Current Practices” it is strongly recommended that research be conducted “to assess what age (if ever) children can discern the [messages] in [modern] media” and defend against the “persuasive intent” (Common Sense Media, 2014).  While I do agree with the article’s protectivist approach to steady research on the relationship between media messages and children; my views align more with Sternheimer’s constructivist belief that in this progressive society, children are  being given the tools to navigate the cyber world.  Instead of condemning this media shift and panicking that this generation is suffering mental setbacks because of it; we should choose to see “what we gain from these changes” and how visibility can “enhance our education” (Sterheimer, 2013).

 

Module 2 Readings

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The readings and videos in this module presented a number of very important points having to do with major problems in society. They dealt with topics such as gender, sexuality, race, cyber bullying, and education and the ways in which media can have a great influence on them. Many even went a step further, and provided different suggestions in how to either fight against harmful media, or ways in order to work with it to further important causes.

First off, the two videos about the “Smurfette Principle” and the “Bechdel Test” were very well done. Never before had I heard the term Smurfette Principle, but it is very aptly suited. Even though it is obvious seeing this principle happen in movies and televisions, it became something that was just kind of expected because it occurs so constantly. Then seeing all of the example movies flash by on the screen of where this occurs was rather startling, especially because there were some that I recognized which it did not even occur to me that the woman was playing a Smurfette role. It is very disturbing that this is such a common occurrence and the Bechdel test definitely seems like a good place for movie makers to start at.

The chapter from Larry Gross’ book was definitely an important read. It is truly a huge problem how unrepresented as well as misrepresented minorities are in the media, and as the chapter pointed out, homosexuals are particularly disadvantaged. It is truly an embarrassment that there is still so much inequality in society and that the media may even be used to continue to keep people down. Media, especially movies and television, have the potential to aid largely in shaping people’s views and ideals. Gross even goes as far as saying that they have in fact “become primary sources of the common information and images that create and maintain a world view and a value system” (Gross 407). This means that there rests so much power in the media and people definitely take advantage of that power. Minority groups are very often left out or could be portrayed in a wrongful manner. The author also mentions ways in which people can resist the media, the most effective of them being, “to speak for oneself” (Gross 418). This is such a hard thing to do though, especially when media is blocking you out or putting your ideas down. You need to have so much courage to truly step into the light and strive to make a real difference but it is such an important matter for people to do so. The author makes an incredible point in saying, “the ultimate expression of independence for a minority audience struggling to free itself from the dominant culture’s hegemony is to become the creators and not merely the consumers of media images” (Gross 419). Even though this is not talking about advertisements, I feel that quote relates a lot to the final point in step 4 of deconstructing an advertisement having to do with being both a citizen and consumer.

The information from Gross connected somewhat with chapter 3 in the Sternheimer textbook as well. It talked about intolerance, specifically homophobia, and cyber bullying, along with the tragedies that it has caused. The anecdotes in particular were truly heart-breaking. It goes to show how powerful an effect people and the use of media can have on others. This is something we all must take to heart. We need to think through what we are doing, think about what affects our actions cause, and use media wisely.

I really liked the chapter from Volatile Knowledge. There were so many points that caught my eye and wanting to become a teacher myself, there was a lot that I could relate to. One quote that I liked a lot was: “Perhaps the biggest problem that Americans are facing as a society is that we have a hard time believing in possibility, imagining that things could be otherwise” (Tollefson 125). Sadly, this is very true, even I myself have admitted to being like this. I have just accepted things. I have been pessimistic and thought that things won’t change. But this is not at all an acceptable mentality to have. We should be fighting to improve our society rather than just waiting for something to hopefully come. The readings and other materials in class have definitely been an inspiration to me. A second point that caught my attention was the notion that “all students [are] to be held accountable to the same high achievement standards” (Tollefson 125) no matter inequalities between what are available for each child. This also connected to my Computer Literacy for Educators class where we learned that you cannot teach to the same standard for all students because there is no “average” student. Every student is different in their resources, their upbringing, their strengths and weaknesses, etc. It is definitely wrong and irresponsible to hold students accountable, especially when what is being expected of them is completely unrealistic. Lastly, the points about the visibility of power and the ways to change that were very interesting and I definitely agree with the ideas. There are far too many private interests and powers working behind the scenes, and teachers more often than not are the ones that get the blame for any issues that arise when they are not truly the ones with that kind of power. For both teachers and parents to combine their influence together in order to disturb the current status of corporate powers is a nice idea. I just hope that that would be enough and that something like that will really come together someday. In a society were money is power and voice, it is such a frustration.  But obviously, we can’t give up in wanting and striving for change.

There were so many important lessons that could be learned from this Module’s materials. While it is of great importance, it can be somewhat disheartening reading and seeing just the surface of some of the infinite problems with society and media use. But hope was still present as well. Learning and teaching about these issues and generating and circulating ideas in which we can overcome them and help society is of dire necessity.

Module 2 Reflections

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“Drew was later charged and found guilty of three misdemeanor computer crimes in federal court, but the conviction was later thrown out on appeal” (Sternheimer, 2014). What constitutes murder? I am no lawyer and of course have no legal background but what I have read in the chapter of slander through media and cyber bullying, I feel uneasy and distrustful in the legal system. For example, the story of a mother who used social media to imposter as a young male and gain the trust of a minor to emotionally torment and generate revenge for her daughters bullying. Is the act of telling someone to kill himself or herself by jumping off of a bridge any different than actually pushing the person off? Does the blame not have to land on the same person who holds causality of the effect? Although her intention at first may have been to protect her own child and to see what may have happened, it seems Drew had lost her control and ultimately lost her own self by slandering a child who would never deserve such disrespect from a grown woman.

Another example of a “would be crime” is the story of Clementi and Ravi, two different roommates with different beliefs. As one roommate held antigay beliefs, the other was openly homosexual. The closed-minded antigay roommate used media as a tool for bullying in which resulted in the death of Clementi. Media in pop culture has conveyed many homosexual members as very flamboyant and extravagant, a stereotype of that culture now widely believed. According to Cortés, (2000), “Such clues should never harden into assumptions that all individuals who belong to that group must think, feel, or behave a certain way. At that point generalizations have rigidified into stereotypes”. If the media had not conveyed such stereotypes for homosexual males in that way, the generalization made by the antigay roommate would have never existed or perhaps his antigay views may have never existed. Again the question comes to mind, what constitutes murder?

“Is popular culture turning us into a nation of shallow idiots?” (Sternheimer, 2014). According to people who frown upon popular culture believe so. Sternheimer states many critics tend to only focus on popular culture and not the unequal distribution of educational resources. But does the blame really fall on the broad shoulders of media relaying pop culture, as critics tend to argue? Or can the media of which information is conveyed be better expressed across the boards to better facilitate educational learning? Media can be an educational tool for the 21st century that no other children in the past of educational history have had access to. When people tend to think of media the most mainstream idea tends to involve tabloid magazines, “entertainment weekly” platforms and other popular culture, just as the critics tend to argue. What Sternheimer brings to counter argue is not in the expression to dismiss the existence of pop culture influence on youth, but the apparent misuse of a great platform for which education can be utilized. For example, a student at the age of 10 may be able to utilize media that pop culture is normally expressed through such as a vLog or videoblog. Would it be expected that the 10 year old child is from a public school in a low socioeconomic neighborhood of an urban city, or at a private, or even more affluent public school in a richer neighborhood? The latter would be the common assumption in my opinion as well as in Sternheimers argument of relying on educational disparities.

In “Out of the Mainstream: Sexual Minorities and the Mass Media”, Larry Gross attempts to explain how many minority groups find themselves “out of the mainstream”. Minorities are constantly being misrepresented through the media, in particular homosexuals. Typically, media characterizations use popular stereotypes as a code which they know will be readily understood by the audience, thus further reinforcing the presumption of verisimilitude while remaining “officially” innocent of dealing with a sensitive subject (Gross, 2001). I found this statement to be very interesting because it is on point in describing what happens when minority groups receive attention in the media. They are presented to play every bias and stereotypical role that in reality does not represent them at all. Reflecting on my friend who happens to be a gay man and all the shows/movies I watch with gay characters in them (Modern Family, Mean Girls, Vampire’s Diaries, Dallas Buyers Club etc.) seem to have something in common, each character is CLEARLY “gay”. However, what makes someone gay? If I would have been asked this question growing up and being constantly exposed by this false representation of homosexuals that the media portrays, I would have stated a gay person to be; flamboyant, fashionable, high pitch tone of voice, dramatic, and over the top if referring to a gay man. If referring to a gay woman I would have said, boyish body, men’s haircut, tough, and non-attractive. Thankfully, I have educated myself, learned, and continue to learn about these false representations the media has on homosexuals. My friend who happens to be gay could not be more opposite of what the media defines a “gay man” to be. A question that arose through reading this article and reflecting on the media that is being aired today is, what made these stereotypes become acceptable to the public?

From the perspective of inverted visibility, then, “accountability” as a spotlight is perfectly controlled – steadily and brightly illuminating those things that serve the corporate-state in their visibility, diverting attention from those behind the spotlight whose hands are directing its beam” (Tollefson, 2008). This to me translates, when looking at a child/student who exhibits discipline and maturity we first notice these aspects in relation to the child/student (subject). According to the inverted invisibility theory, the diverted attention from the parent/teacher allows the subject rather than the ruler to be illuminated. This coincides with what Foucault calls disciplinary power.

Learning about all the new ways that exist when it comes to advertising children was frightening. Especially when reading about mobile advertising, “Mobile marketing also can involve content targeting children or teens based on their being inside of or in the vicinity of a retail location (Common Sense Media, 2014). I ask myself why have we taken it to such extremities? What is the outcome of having such type of advertisement? It seems to me from reading this article and learning about the 5 core concepts that number 4 seems to take part in this type of advertisement. Number 4 represents: Media have embedded values and points of view. I believe this type of advertisement has embedded a personalized value. By personalizing based on your location, companies are much more likely to show you something relevant. Companies are taking a sensible approach by finding out what you are interested in and then personalizing your message. This type of advertisement just gives me the creeps.

Module 2

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The third chapter in the text book, “Connecting Social Problems and Popular Culture” by  Karen Sternheimer (2013) talks about bullying alot. To be more exact, she talks a lot about cyberbullying. This is a topic that I love learning about. I think it is a big problem that we are having. I have always thought that it was underplayed though. But, the way she makes it seem is that when a teenager is pushed to the point of suicide by cyberbullying, the media goes crazy. I really thought the statistics involving suicide was interesting.  According to the text, “fourty-five to fifty- four- year- olds were the group most likely to commit suicide”. Yet, we hardly ever hear about news story involving older people taking their lives. Any time a teen commits suicide (which are the group less likely to take their own life), the media jumps all over it. I am not saying that it is not a big deal, don’t get me wrong. However, I do think that if the media is going to make it seem like teens are “the most at risk”, they should really put the true statistics out there.  Karen Sternheimer (2013) talks a lot of about sexual orientation and how people are cyberbullied for it. Which leads to to them taking their life. I love how she talked about the subject, however, there are many other reasons people get cyberbullied, that I wish  she would have talked about. Although, I understand why she did that. The media, usually only talks about big news stories. So of course, if a teen is bullied because of their sexual orientation, the media is going to jump all over that. Cyberbullying is something that really hits home for me. I was bullied a lot in highschool and some people would say some mean things.  I had a friend kill himself and people who all of the sudden decided they did not want to be my friends anymore, would say things like “You should go kill yourself like Matt”. Or another great line that stuck with me throughout the years was, “If your dad had two legs, he would run away from you like everyone else!”. They seriously picked on the fact that my dad lost his leg as a teenager. They would post these comments on my Myspace.  Karen Sternheimer, mentions how cyberbullying effects children because not only are they experiencing bullying at school, but cyberbullying provides a way for the bullies to follow them home. I remember feeling so embarrassed because this was all online. So everyone could see what these “friends” were saying. Have any of you had any experiences with cyberbullying? If so, how did you deal with it…did you tell anyone?

To go along with bullying, stereotyping can be a form of bullying. However, generalizing is not. I do agree with Cortes (2000) in the article The Children Are Watching. That there is a big difference between stereotyping and generalizations. I think people mistaken and confuse the two a lot. It is normal to make generalizations. I think that because people confuse the two, they think that we should not be making generalizations about people because it is stereotyping (which could be considered bullying). Coretes (2000) says, “We all generalize. We all need to generalize. We create categories of items, actions, or ideas, and then develop generalizations about common (although not necessarily identical or universal) characteristics of those categorized items. After reading this piece, I learned that it is completely normal to generalize, which I had always tiptoed around to avoid any controversy. Did anyone else confuse the two terms generalizing and stereotyping? Or am I alone here?

In today’s society, we are surrounded by media. It is all around us.  Karen Sternheimer (2013) talks about how popular culture is making people “lazy”. She says that “many parents are made to feel guilty for choosing to allow some television viewing when there is no concrete evidence of harm”. She also says that certain technologies like video games or texting are “unfamiliar” to adults now. Although, they have some experience with video games, their video games are not as advance as the ones today. Also, they never had texting growing up. I can see where it is easy to blame these technologies for changes in youth. However, I think youth are different just because they have different experiences and have these things available. Of course, it is not going to be like how it was when their parents were their age and they would go outside and play. They have the internet now, unlike their parents. So, at times, they may want to stay inside and play on the internet because it is available to them. I do not believe it is fair to blame media, just because the media is available for them to use. “The average American adult spends several hours each day in this television world, children spend even more of their lives immersed in its “fictional reality”.”Gross (2001) He is saying that television has became the primary source for people to get their information. He also mentions how the “assumptions, beliefs, and values of heavy viewers of television differ systematically from those of light viewers in the same demographic groups”. So you can see where the beliefs of  Karen Sternheimer and Gross vary. Gross is blaming media in a way for the change of thoughts due to technology and Sternheimer is saying that television has no effect. I can not say where I stand with this topic right now. It is something that I would like to learn more about.

“The biggest problem that Americans are facing is that we have a hard time believing in possibility and imagining that things could be otherwise”- Tollefson (2008). I really liked this sentence, I completely agree with it. I think that people get stuck in their everyday routine that they do not often stray from the path to question things. The media gives people power. However, we need to try to take away some of the medias power to impact people. “The media environment for children and teens has changed dramatically in recent years, and so, too, has the advertising environment.” (Common Sense Media 2014) Advertising today is crazy because of the help of media. The media uses certain techniques to attract children to see their ads. They post them on gaming websites, videos the children watch on Youtube, banner ads and children’s networks on the television. The way we can take control of this power that the media has, is to research how often young people are exposed to advertisement and what age groups companies are targeting. Children are the “financial runners” of the household today. They can manipulate their parents into buying things they see advertisements for. This is why I believe it is crucial, that we teach the children how to be media literate and see the “hidden messages” in the media they see.

Module 2 Readings

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After completing the readings for Module 1, I was given a strong background of media literacy. When going through Module 2, I was given a deeper look into media literacy and the vast amounts of hidden messages throughout media. Being made aware of the connotations within media, I find it even more important for everyone, especially youth to be media literate. “Visibility is often times controlled by those in power, meaning that media makers with power can hide the truth to those with little or no power” (Tollefson, 2008). I feel this quote, given by Professor Tollefson, is fitting because it brings attention to the fact that media is made with underlying intentions for those viewing it. Which, again brings me back to the importance of media literacy for both youth and the rest of society.

Being enlightened on how media can manipulate an image or provide a deeper meaning behind an image with simply the graphic design of the image, ad, commercial, etc., was disturbingly surprising. I found this to be disturbing because it was not something I was previously aware of, nor looked for within media; but, due to my new found knowledge of the connotations within media, I am now constantly on the lookout for possible hidden meanings throughout media. When completing activity 12, I noticed when flipping through several channels there was significantly more men than women, and when there was a woman she was most of the time a lesser counterpart to the male. This reminded me of the Smurfette Principle, where a story contains a predominately male cast with only one female character (Sarkeesian, 2011). Furthermore, the Bechdel Test has been created to measure a female character’s importance and involvement throughout movies. To not be considered a movie containing the Smurfette Principle, a movie must contain two or more female characters with names, whom interact with one another, and if they communicate about something other than the male characters (Sarkeesian, 2009). Overall, I made the unnerving discovery of the immense amounts of inequality throughout media today.  Americans spend several hours a day watching television (Gross, 2001). Which, gives those within media the power to possibly manipulate the abundance of people whom are watching television. Specifically, media can persuade consumers to purchase products, in turn making those whom have power within media more money. Due to children being so easily persuaded, Anup Shah states in his article, Children as Consumers, that children basically male the food market big money (2010). Thus, displaying the way that media is used to manipulate those who are exposed to it.

Ultimately, Module 2 opened my eyes to the disturbing truth behind media and the hidden messages it can display through its images. Because it is so easy to manipulate media, it is crucial for children and all of society to be media literate. Not only is it important for everyone to become media literate, but it is crucial to educated children on media literacy. I find this to be crucial because as they grow and develop, children should be aware of the possible lies and/or manipulations displayed throughout media. Thus, the importance of media literacy.

Taylor Wing Module 2 Recap 6/6/16

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I would like to begin my recap of module two by expressing my appreciation of how this course is going and my ability to navigate through each module, my increased understanding of voice thread, and how much I enjoy the readings and feedback from my classmates. This week’s readings have helped me understand media study by the five core concepts of media education. As said, “All media messages are constructed” (). If all media messages are constructed, then they can be destructed. The most beneficial concept I got out of the reading is the visibility concept, and how important the questions of why is this message being sent? I am eager to read more about how the media is manipulated those with less power and what kind of power/ profit do media makers use? Another concept I enjoyed reading about is the Smurfette Principle, which is based off of the meaning of tropes. Tropes often perpetuate offensive stereotypes. “The Smurfette principle is the tendency for works of fiction to have exactly one female amongst an ensemble of male characters” (Pollitt 2010). In the past this has been more common than in today’s society. There are movies and TV shows that discriminate women, but more often sexism is not the common issue anymore. The media is beginning to change in a positive way. The chapters for this module I read by Karen Sternheimer has given me more insight on child stereotypes within the media from the past to present.
Stereotypes shape how consumers operate and how viewers form opinions. Not all generalizing and stereotyping is considered a bad thing, but more of a necessary thing to describe people, places or things, for example, Carlos Cortes states, “We all need to generalize. We create categories of items, actions, or ideas, and then develop generalizations about common characteristics of those categorized items” (Cortez 2000). It is almost impossible to avoid generalizing and stereotypes. This article gave a great example of a light switch put into a category of light switches. On the other hand, I agree with what Lindsey has to say about stereotyping homosexuals and generalizing them all into one small category of the same. We need to make generalizations about things in everyday life, but it does not need to be stereotyped.