Response to Wired by Emily Listfield

This is a response to the article Wired by Emily Listfield.

All in all, it was an interesting article that brought up good points, but mostly, I didn't like it. I found myself shaking my head many times throughout the article. I found some parts I did agree with however. At the beginning of the article, when the author shuts off her phone and places it at the other side of the room while getting ready for bed and her daughter begins to freak out because it is "too far away", I know the exact feeling. Part of my "bed time routine" is to plug my phone into the charger right next to my bed so I can text up until I fall asleep. I know it's bad, but I have an obsessive need that needs to be fulfilled.

A part that I completely disagreed with was in the transcript of the MSNBC's Morning Joe with Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough. Mika, who has two daughters, 13 and 15, says that she's "constantly popping in to see what's going on. I will take my daughter's computer and immediately look at the history, before she has time to do anything" (Listfield 10). What happened to trusting your children? It's not even like they're very young where they probably should be watched to make sure they aren't somewhere they shouldn't be. Her children are 13 and 15. Both teenagers and soon-to-be adults. When they go to college, they aren't going to have someone breathing down their necks watching what they're doing. In addition, the fact that they know their parents don't trust them is terrible. Children should feel trusted so that they can develop into independent and confident members of society. If they know their parents don't trust them, then who will? It sends a completely wrong message.

On the other hand, I understand where Mika is coming from. The Internet is not a very safe place. Its one of those things that you have to have your guard up at all times. People can gather a great deal of information about you off the internet by nearly clicking a few buttons and pressing a few keys. I get that she is trying to protect her children from giving out too much information, but it's her and her husbands job to teach their children about how to protect themselves while on the internet. If someone on the other side of the world knows what their 13 year old got on her last History exam, that's the parents' faults for not teaching their child how to keep information private.

A last part of technology that the article touched upon was cyber-bullying. "For some kids, it's a positive experience, strengthening friendships and communication. Others though, may feel left out, obsessively comparing themselves to peers and seeing the fun others are having... Social media sites like Facebook, as well as texting, can also lead to cyber-bullying" (10). I can honestly say that I have never seen real life cyber-bullying going on, which may be why I find it difficult to believe that Facebook and texting can go hand in hand with cyber-bullying. I completely agree with the first part of the quote, however. Facebook is a big way my friends and I communicate. My best friend moved to New York almost 4 years ago and we've stayed in contact through Facebook and texting. Also, any party invitations go through Facebook. Facebook and texting a great tools for my life and imagining life without them is a little difficult. (In no way am I proud to say that...) The second part of the quote, the people being left out on Facebook, I don't think that actually happens. Facebook is one of those things that you make it what you want it to be. If you want it to be a way of communication to other friends, that's what it is. If you want it to see into other peoples' lives, then that's what it is. Facebook isn't one of those things that you are excluded from. You have the same capabilities to go onto someone's wall to say "Hey, how's it going"? as the next person.

My closing statement isn't that I hated the article and thought it was trash-- it wasn't! It was an intriguing article that I just simply didn't agree with. The fact of the matter is, we are a world run by Facebook and our phones. I honestly think that its just the wave of the future and people like Emily Listfield need to come to terms with it. Now I will publish this and go check Facebook and my phone.

Good night.

Media's Effects On Today's Society

An argument being made is that media has a massive negative effect on today's society, especially teens, and adolescents. Media creates an image for men and women alike that is pressed upon the viewers that they are the definitions of perfect. For women, you must be tall, skinny, and beautiful. For men, you must be tall muscular, and handsome. The message this sends is that if you are anything else, you are ugly and need to change. 

In the video "How Media Influences Image", the music video to "My Humps" by The Black Eyed Peas is shown and then the music is taken away. You see women acting in a very sexual way. Fergie, who is a role model to many young girls out there, acts in a very provocative way in the music video. These young girls automatically believe that this is what they have to do to grab the attention of the opposite sex. Or what they need to do to become a celebrity. 

The majority of the men and women you see in magazines, on television, or in advertisements, spend most of their day working out to look that good. It is their job to stay fit so they can look good. Unless that is your job too, there is close to no way you would look the same. Also, most all pictures in magazines and advertisements are photo shopped. Telling yourself that you have to look like those people to be accepted is unrealistic and unfair to yourself. 

Media's negative effect on how we see ourselves is detrimental and the only way it will end is if we stop the attitude of "I have to look like this" to "I accept myself for who I am".