Comments on News Media

I agreed with this presentation that the way Blacks are portrayed is deleterious. News outlets in this country are playing into racist stereotypes and disregarding the truth because it gets them viewers. However, this is not the case for all news outlets everywhere. In other place like Europe, Blacks are actually respected and issues of racism are not based on the color of skin. Instead, racism is based on things like employment and nationalism. Yet and still, we need to understand the fall of media in general in order to understand why it is that the news in this country is always bashing our kind.

In recent years, new outlets have scaled down their employees. When I last checked, CNN had stopped covering over twenty countries. Why would CNN stop covering areas that they have for decades? They are streamlining themselves and that is a trend seen in many other news outlets. It all comes down to what is most popular at the time as popularity sells and the news is a business like anything else. The effect of all this is that what we hear in the news is slanted and biased towards what people are most interested in hearing as the truth is not something we generally find interesting. Also, it is something we would not know about because no one is covering it here. For a more accurate depiction of the world and news we have to look outside this country to things like the BBC which is renowned world over for its media coverage. Sadly, in this country what is seen on television and heard on the radio is what people tend to believe. We are a very insular nation despite our efforts in other countries. We care about ourselves and will easily believe the media while disregarding the idea that good journalism is based on fact, not opinion. There will continue to be racist attacks on Blacks as well as any other race that makes them money until we demand that they show us truth instead of comedy.

Comments on Spending Habits

The average American is over twenty thousand dollars in debt. As staggering a statistic as that is, the majority of Americans are living well beyond their means. I enjoyed this presentation very much as it dealt with some of the more psychological issues of debt like compulsive shopping and spending in general.

The majority of what we spend our money on is not necessary. In countries like Japan or China, where people tend to make less than they would here, they save over half of what they make. This is in addition to not using credit as credit cards never caught on in Japan. It is interesting to see the differences between cultures regarding the same issues. Here you are expected to have a credit card by the time you enter college in order to build what we are told is credit. The whole idea of credit in this country is ridiculous and creates unnecessary problems for our people. It is for this reason that there are so many bills in congress that deal with limiting the influence of credit companies and credit bureaus.

However, even if we were to remove credit people would still be in some form of debt. This relates back to the psychological aspects of money as we buy for emotional reasons. We enjoy buying new things as this can oftentimes be tied to our feeling of self-worth. To some of us, what we have makes us who we are and as a result they can never hold on their money for long. This can even be seen on campus with people that wear only designer clothing and live off of their credit cards. These people graduate thousands of dollars in debt and with a shoddy foothold on financial solvency. It is vital to make the distinction between what you own and who you are because the two will never be equal.

Comments on Video Games

In recent years video game censorship has reached new heights. There have been efforts made to edit these games by creating regulatory restrictions and closely monitoring game contents. These actions are supposed to nullify any negative effects video games have on video game players. It is important to understand why video games are censored, and how that censorship affects society.

Video games are censored using various methods, the most prevalent being the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). Their main function of assigning content ratings breaks games down into categories based on the age of those who should play them, and also who can buy them. This limits what content can be added to games as designers must follow the criticisms of this board of their games will not be sold. Games are also censored removing or altering content. Some games, suffer an even worse fate by not being allowed to enter this country.

Overall the majority of video game censorship is in relation to its contents and how it will be viewed by its target audiences. It has been shown that even violent games inspire friendliness in gamers. The attacks on videogames are based on a select few individuals who commit hate crimes. The opinion that video games influence these crimes is common, but is statistically incorrect as over half of the gaming population is female and hate crimes are virtually almost always committed by men.

Arguments for and against video games are often based on faulty logic and personal morals, instead of proven evidence. There will continue to be debates on videogames until we are honest enough to realize that we can not blame a product for our problems. We must see hate crimes and other issues as calls for help from those that commit them.

Comments on American Language

In some parts of the world, referring to the English spoken in America as American English can be considered an insult. In Britain especially, American accents are considered lazy and without sophistication. Oddly enough, these accents are emulated by people from all over the world. However, as America is a cultural melting pot, the American language has become one of borrowing. Similar to English in that it takes from any language in comes in contact with the American language contains words from every conceivable continent and is amassing new words by the day. When it comes to an American language it is clear that we do not have one.

Where a person grows up normally will determine how they speak. Normally a person born in Madrid, Spain will speak like a Spaniard. However, in this country we speak in whatever manner we feel. Some of us have Southern accents, others northern accents. Some of us change accents because we want to. Others speak no English at all. America is one of the dominant countries at present and as a result has constant influx of people and ever changing times. There is no one American Language. There are people all over the country who are fluent in multiple languages and use them in their daily lives. The concept of one American Language is deceptive as English is not one language in and of itself. It is important to realize that what makes us American is not the language that we speak, but who we are.

Comments on Do Words Matter?

This presentation brought to mind a film I watched in the third grade where the word master challenged the math master to see who was more important. Interestingly enough, the math master won. In truth, mathematics is the language of the universe. As such, words pale in comparison. However, like the presentation argued, words do matter. The words we say and how we say them are our most important abilities.

The saying that the pen is mightier than the sword is correct. How we communicate can influence the world. Take the word famous for example. If we insert the letters ‘in’ in the word become infamous and now has a different meaning. Words are powerful and misusing them often leads to negative results. Spelling is commonly accepted to be how we put words together correctly to bring about a meaning or context. Originally, however, the word referred to spelling or spell casting as it was believed that what one said bound earth and heaven. Another example is when someone says something that can negatively affect someone. In these situations we say that the person who spoke the words jinxed the other. If our words are enough to cause us to doubt outcomes, that should be all the more reason to watch what we say. We should not take what we say lightly as words can have a power all their own.

Comments on Gender

This presentation was very interesting as I enjoy hearing thoughts on gender because it is commonly viewed as such a restrictive thing. People tend to be bipolar in their understandings and the way we approach gender as shows this. Generally, when a child is born we consider it either a boy or girl. This is simply not the case scientifically speaking. Most of us do fall into one of these categories but as much as 1 in 5 children can be born unisex or in any state contrary to our normal definitions. The way we handle such people is appalling at best as the arguments used in the justification of sexism for men and women pale in comparison.

To be honest, what makes us who we are is at best a personal choice. There are men who believe they are women and vice versa. The traditional confines of gender no longer apply and the restrictions we place on ourselves are being lifted with new technology and forms of support. Our conceptions of gender show how willingly we accept things without understanding them fully and how in doing so we ostracize and limit ourselves. We need to remove our outdated thought patterns and to begin taking the world for what it is. If we are able to this we will then find the world to be exceedingly interesting.

Comments on Genetics

The genetics presentation surprised me as I thought that there would be an argument of God vs. DNA. Our composition, especially our DNA is a touchy subject for different reasons; some people believe that what makes us physically makes us human while others argue that we are human because we have been bestowed life by an omnipotent creator. However, the arguments in the presentation about diversity amongst the races inspired me. I agree that people should embrace diversity but I think people get too hung up on labels and beliefs.

It has been proven that we genetically all share over 90% of the same materials. If one were to make the argument about DNA they could make this the basis of their argument. But they would also have to take into account the fact that we also share over 90% of our DNA with monkeys. Discussions on genetics and diversity among what we consider to be different races of human are bunk. Someone said in class that we should all just recognize each other as people and move on with out lives. I concur wholeheartedly with that sentiment.

Comments on Cultural Identities

The presentation dealt heavily with Blacks and our struggle to find a culture of our own in America. From an anthropology class I took in high school, I learned that culture is the looking glass through which we see the world. It is not something that you can ever give up as this lens is the one through which you perceive all things. As such, I agree that family and environment directly contribute to how we see the world and that change is necessary for Blacks to have an identifiable culture in this country.

There seems to be a lack of fathers in families and that trend is not only seen in Black families. With the growth of feelings personal identity and rights, there has been dissolution of the traditional family model that was prevalent in the 1900’s. Family does not have the same weight as it used to. People no longer place as much importance on having a strong family as they do themselves. It is now believed that we are entitled to worry-free lives and that consequences do not affect them. It amazes me every time I read an article and the divorce rate in America has increased. I do not mean to patronize anyone, but no marriage can work in the absence of struggle. Think back to times where marriage was a contract where men and women had to work together to survive. Try getting a divorce when you and your husband have to work together or you end up hungry, sad and dead. These relationships were cemented by the fact that people actually needed each other. If we place a greater weight on the partnership of marriage and on family, many of the problems caused by a lack of family will be solved.

With strong family units we can then build an identifiable culture as we will begin to excel in all other aspects of life. We need to decide if we want to hold on to the negative ideals of slavery and racism or if are we ready to advance with the rest of the world. We need to progress in education and reduce our numbers in prison. We need to begin to have careers and to invest our money. In truth, far too few of us become what we could if we a sufficient base of support to do so. Many people in class complained that our culture is centered on drug dealing, rapping or professional sports. I can agree with that. However, we can not begin to develop a cultural identity in this country without first building up ourselves.

Comments on Social Networking

The social networking presentation was interesting as I was unaware of the ferocity with which people were attracted to networking sites like FaceBook and MySpace. As a person who has a FaceBook account out of necessity and who has never seen a MySpace page, I can honestly say I am behind the crowd. The presentation gave me other ideas on the subject of networking and lead to a greater understanding of how our social natures will become a blessing and a curse in the coming years.

Social networking sites like the aforementioned FaceBook and MySpace have become exceedingly popular as they provide a service that was unheard of in the past. The rate at which technology has revolutionized communications so websites like these exist is astounding. It is incredible to think that a person can have a conversation with anyone from any part of the globe at will. The lag between hemispheres and the traditional impediments to relaying information are gone in this new digital age. As amazing as this is, the real marvel is the fact that the more technology we develop to communicate the more we actually communicate. This may sound strange at first, but think about it: Why are these online sites so addictive? What drives people to join these networks or to have text-only conversations with people they might possibly have never even met? It is because as people we desire contact. While not all contact is preferred, we grow to need stimulus from others and with the advent of new technology this need is being fulfilled in ways that were inconceivable in the past.

As wonderful as the newer communications technologies have become, the presentation did point out possible problems people may encounter while using them. The most severe of which resulting from unsupervised children and any negative happenings that occur as a direct result of their online actions. This is a personal judgment but I feel the world is horrible enough without those that prey on children. The fact that a growing number of people who frequent MySpace desire to take advantage of children inspires feelings of dread and outrage simultaneously. This problem has no obvious solution as MySpace is in the business of making money and the last time I checked, they were making it hand over foot. Blame could be placed on parents but as one person said in class, what someone does, regardless of what they have been taught is their own personal decision. I agree with that but I hope that parents or kids themselves put some forms of safeguards in place. We need to be vigilant as times are changing rapidly and the lines between safety and danger have been blurred along digital lines.

Comments on Body Image

The ways in which we view ourselves almost always illustrate a strong connection with how we view our bodies. They are the physical manifestations with which we encounter the real world. We each have only one body and that body, as far as I know, can never be exchanged for another. As such, who we see ourselves as can be seen in how we treat our bodies. For instance, some people believe they are too small in relation to everyone else. This form of dismorphia, commonly called “bigarexia” leads people to do anything from becoming avid bodybuilders to using steroids in an attempt to become “normal”. The ideals that we try to reach through makeup, clothing, changes in body composition and other modifications all stem from a desire to make our outside appearance exhibit what out inside dictates it should.

The battle between what we desire to be seen as and who we are is a difficult one as our perceptions run deep from within our subconscious. These aspects can not easily be pinpointed as we are not aware that they are even part of who we are. The most important thing to realize when it comes to body image and a person’s perception of themselves is that everything is relative; who we are, what we become and what we choose to believe are all things without absolute merit. Think hard on what is within you as that is the only way to see who you actually think you are.