Learning Outcome

Media has the power to influence young people especially through reality TV. Earlier this year we did a project about media’s influences. My group chose to look at reality TV’s influence on young people and how it compares to scripted fare. After observing many different shows we found that reality TV seems to overdramatize everything while more sitcom-like shows poked fun at things.

Two of the shows we looked at were Teen Mom and Jersey Shore. Teen Mom illustrates and glamorizes the lives of pregnant teenagers. There have been many stories in the news media recently that interview young pregnant girls who say that the show influenced them and their pregnancy. Jersey Shore on the other hand radicalized partying and promoted negative Italian-American stereotypes. Many teenagers and young adults watch Jersey Shore and are influenced by its views. The cast treat drinking and sex as a nonissue and blatantly do all of that and much more. This has the potential to influence young people into thinking that every Italian-American goes out drinking and partying.

 Scripted shows, however, while they do their fair share of dramatizing, do it in a more lighthearted way. One of the shows that we looked at for this was Suburgatory. We used a clip from this show that showed one of the main characters asking another character if she could blink with all of her makeup on. She could not blink with all of her makeup on. That character is portrayed as the superficial dumb blonde but on this show she does have some depth given to her character as well. This show provides an outlet for young girls to realize that sometimes wearing a lot of makeup and being superficial is not the best thing.

Overall we found that all types of television have the power to influence people. However, it’s how the shows handle these issues that really makes all the difference. Reality TV shows like Jersey Shore or Teen Mom both have the power to influence but they take that advantage and use it in a negative way. Scripted shows, especially sitcoms, generally influence in a more positive way either by making fun of the issue itself, or by providing healthy realistic portrayals of young people. What we found connects directly back to learning outcome two on how media has the potential to influence. We found that media has the power to influence especially on such an accessible platform such as television.

The Machine Stops Claim

In Mondello's article he claims that in the movie industry, the future is portrayed as "sterile and characterless" (Mondello 1). He states that now "we are catching up to that vision of the future" (1). I agree with Mondello's claims about where society is now.

Today’s society is seeing a heavier reliance on technology and a lack in traditional methods of physical sales. Mondello illustrates how the sale of actual books has fallen while e-books are on the rise. DVD sales have also fallen and online streaming has become the new normal. CDs are nowhere near as prominent as they used to be. All of these changes provide evidence of how society is relying too heavily on technology.

Technology has become too much in recent days and if we continue on by increasing our reliance on technology we will end up just like the characters in E.M. Forster’s classic short story, The Machine Stops. The Machine Stops tells the story of a dystopian society where the people rely on the Machine to accomplish every single task for them. When it begins to fail the people cannot go on. “But there came a day when, without the slightest warning, without any previous hint of feebleness, the entire communication-system broke down, all over the world, and the world, as they understood it, ended” (Forster 20). This story provides reasons as to why we should not rely too heavily on technology to live our lives for us.  

However this reliance on technology can be a good thing. If it wasn’t for technology we would not have Google, a great problem solver and ender of many an argument. We wouldn’t have advances in medicine that can potentially save numerous more lives than we already do. We would not have almost instant access to any of our friends or family no matter where they are at any given moment with multiple platforms to communicate with them on.

But we should not rely on technology. Take for example cell phones. The cell phone is an incredible invention that has only gotten better with time. It is a wonderful device to have with you not only because of its entertainment purposes but also in the case of an emergency. However, are we capable of being competent in an emergency without our phones? I always have my cell phone with me and in case of an emergency I know to dial 911. I also know what to do after that. But some people rely too much on their phones. After you use your phone to call, what else can it do? We need to actually know how to survive on our own. We need to know how to get to safety. We need to be able to do things by ourselves. Our reliance on technology can sometimes inhibit these abilities.

The Machine Stops is a great example of how technology slows our competence in a real life emergency. When the Machine stopped its citizens panicked. They had no idea what to do. They had relied on technology for their entire lives. They were born into it. “Ever since her birth she had been surrounded by the steady hum” (20). Forster’s story reinforces the claim that Mondello and I both made. Society is relying too much on technology and, if we continue on in this same fashion, the effects could be potentially devastating.

Banksy Image Analysis

The Banksy image shows a white dove carrying an olive branch while wearing a bulletproof vest. Even though the dove is carrying an olive branch it still has a target on it. The target represents how peace is never good enough and the white dove represents peace and surrender in a time of war. There always seem to be a war going on even if peace is a viable option. Peace terms and surrender are not always accepted in today’s world.  

            This image doesn’t have any text but in my opinion it doesn’t need any. The message clearly shines through with the image alone. Banksy’s message of anti-war is fitting in virtually any time period. There is always a war being fought, just fought, or about to be fought. This message applies to any country that has been involved in a war. The image's target audience could really be anybody with knowledge of war. So many countries are in wars right now, that anybody can have knowledge of war.

            Banksy himself is clearly not a supporter of war based on this image. This image says that war is not good. It is not friendly. It is not practical. War is not easy and war is not fair. Peace and surrender are not accepted as terms for winning the war as they do not show as much dominance. The image itself is very persuasive in getting its message across. The use of imagery and symbolism is very specific and well thought out. Banksy presents the white dove as very fierce yet very innocent. The dove’s bulletproof vest shows fierceness while the olive branch shows innocence. Also, the dove itself is the very picture of innocence and peace. A white dove is seen as an innocent creature. At weddings people will sometimes let off white doves after they are married. Upon seeing a white dove one immediately thinks of innocence and serenity.

            The image is trying to show people how war is not good. It is trying to say that in war even if you surrender and offer up peace terms that will not be good enough. Nothing in war is good. There is never really any peace even if it is accepted because that country will still have a target on its back. There is no escaping war even after it is over. So, if war will never truly end, why have it. If peace will never be accepted then why offer it? In truth, war is a part of our society. Banksy’s image provides an alternative to society’s norm. Banksy’s image shows how war really is in an attempt to demonstrate why war is bad. His alternative is to not have war. In war, the country surrendering is not always treated justly. Whether they deserve it or not they are treated unjustly. War is unfair even after it has ended.

            Banksy’s image speaks for itself. It gives viewers a reason to stop and think again on the subject of war. It makes viewers pause what they are doing and think about war and its effects. Is war good? Is war bad? Is there really peace in the end of war? Banksy’s image makes its viewers ask these questions and hopefully change their ways of thinking.

Final Exam: Vocabulary Lessons by Tara Kennon

One of my favorite pieces of writing that we have read this year was Vocabulary Lessons by Tara Kennon. In this piece Kennon uproots herself and moves to Lija, Malta where she experiences a culture shock. This directly relates back to one of the three learning outcomes, demonstrate an awareness of how language and meaning are shaped by culture and context. In this article, before she leaves for Malta, Kennon was told that the Maltese speak good English due to their colonization by Britain. This soon proves to be false as stated in, "University Lesson Number One: Just because they speak English doesn't mean you can understand." One of the reasons the Maltese’s English is different is due to their different culture. Their English is a mix of British English and their own Maltese language. And even still, their language has also diverged from Modern Standard Arabic. So, not only does their own Maltese culture influence how they speak and how they use words, but Britain and Arabic also influence their cultural language. One of the words Kennon learns while in Malta is "Wahdi," which means alone. Kennon says that before she moved she never really felt alone in the true sense of the word. "In conversation, it implies an aloneness surrounded by others who are alike." Here in Malta, the word alone has a different context for her. Here the word “Wahdi,” for her, truly means, being, “different in a place where you are surrounded by people who are in so many surface ways identical to one another.” The context of the new environment changed not only the language but also the meaning of words for her. This article accurately showcases how important culture and context are to language and meaning.