Self-Construction: Virtual Identities 3/3

Virtual Identities can be a very controversial topic, depending on the individuals who speak on it.  Me personally I can't understand or see why or how people portray themselves to be a completely different person in their private virtual worlds outside of the real, reality world.  Today in class we watched some videos of people who openly admitted to portraying themselves as soemone different than who they are in real life, either to "make themselves feel better", or to "make their lifestyle livings more appropriate or okay."  Me personally, I think that just means those individuals just have not yet matured and grown.  A part of growing and learning is learning and knowing and accepting yourself, so if those individuals who portray themselves differently in the virtual world then obviously they have not yet grown to accept and know themselves.  With that being said, I do find it interesting how the acceptance of certain things and people reactions are different between reality and virtual worlds.  How was it that in both cases of the two girls who portrayed differently on the internet was accepted yet in reality they were not?  What is the difference and why are they more likely to be accepted when in reality they are reaching out more in the virtual world?

I think the concept of the virtual world seems easier to people, that regardless of acceptance and non acceptance, in the virtual world it doesn't matter as much because it doesn't, in reality, really exist, perhaps?  The problem with this concept is people are getting lost and deceiving others through the virtual world which in turn can be dangerous and problematic.  This can consist and yes far stretching but it does occur, through child molestors and falso identities.  Personally speaking virtual identities is a stretch and risky and unacceptable.

Media Use/ Audience 2/24

Today's media consumption is an overload.  I must admit that I am apart of this media consumption and at times I get lost in media and all of it's uses; but the media had provided a lot "reasons" more or less, for us to use it.  People use media to pass time, gain information, motivation, encouragement, happiness, social interaction, to hide and create someone new of themselves, the reasons are really endless.  But I think people have been lost in it now and there's that line of always on and always connected.  Just the other day I actually had forgotten my phone at home when I went to work.  When I got home that night and checked it, I had 32 text messages and 12 missed calls!  When I went through all of my missed texts and calls, there were 8 people who were scared and had thought something tragic had happened to me.

Our society had become reliant on technology, it had surpassed the point of what technology was actually made for, but now is a huge play in people's lives now.  It's like impossible for people to go throughout the day without their technology, being phones, ipods, etc, computers, social networking sites.  Technology has become so popular and life necessity that text books are beginning to disappear!!! 
That right there, is enough to support the idea that technology has taken over our lives and everything in it and how we do it.

Pro-Social Effects 2/15

I think Pro-Social Media is very helpful to society.  It can creat altruism, and acceptance of diversity, cooperation, etc; but wht doesn't work is how media can inflict and portray it which can counter-act to be negative.  Beyond pro-social media creating this melting pot of acceptance, I think the media also still defines separation.  When channel surfing, there are the shows attempting to demonstrate all races and ethnicities, but there are the channels that do separate and divide race and focus towards certain ethnicities and cultures.  channels such as BET, CMT, and foreign channels all can be viewed as such, because the channel BET actually stands for the black race entertainment, and CMT country music television is portrayed for the country foke; with all that being said, how can we determine what is positive media and negative media? How can we draw a defined line, it depends on the individual and their own outlooks.  It depends on that individual, their perception on races and other cultures, and whether they interact with only their race or all races, or certain in particular.]

Prosocial effects of videogames is a grey area for me.  When I think of prosocial effects and videogames I wonder just how well connected it is.  Can someone really lose track between the virtual world of video games and reality?  If this is possible why are we inventing, selling and allowing for kids and people to play these threatening, violent video games?  I personally cannot draw a connection between the two, I can't understand how someone can get so involved in the video game that it plays through individuals in reality.  If this is the case, then they shouldn't be involved in playing it.  These videogames are not only allowing violence but they are promoting it! They do this by making and selling the games, and despite psychologist discovering connections of reality violence to virtual violence is a key sellar that perhaps we should stop with the violent games.

Body Images 2/10/11

Both of the articles conducted tests surrounding body image in media depictions. The first was about the thin ideal image for women in the media causing eating disorders. They studied Anglo and Latina women and how they felt about these images, and how that affected diet and exercise.  I found this interesting how they criticized the images for being unrealistic.  Me personally speaking I can almost relate because although I know they are unrealistic I still strive for just that, perfection.   I do see media's images affecting my perception on myself.  I think one thing the media has forgotten but are trying to redeam themselves, is beyond these perfect images of media's perfection they forgot to focus on the healthier side of life.  They kind of focused on showing us the result and what we should be but not how to do it.   

Then the article spoke of women of color resisiting these media images and perceptions.  Isn't this a little far fetched?  How can we classify one race of avoiding perceptions and others being victimized.  So if people are educated and persuaded to no compare themselves with these unrealistic images, the more negative impact will disappear. This made me think about myself as a person.

Gender Perceptions 2/2/11

Gender roles have always existed.  Although they have varied throughout mankind but they still exist and always will.  The general perception of gender back until probably the late 80's early 90's was the man should be hard working, strong, and financially take care, support, and protect his family white the woman is petite, and cleans the house and cooks for her family and to teach and care for her children while the man is at work. Now though, things have changed, women are actually working more than men, but I do believe the concept of men being the stronger independent gender still exist. 

Media has really taken perceptions of men and women to a new level too.  Media has portrayed women to be sex objects.  In majority adds where "sexual" is being applied you'll almost always see a woman, even for when the ad is for women.  Women are a sexual object displayed in media today; from video games to selling products, women are displayed sexually and every aspect. 

In the article about video game perceptions, they have definitely displayed gender role perceptions.  Again, women are sexualized by their "perfect bodies" to pretty faces, where men are still displayed as the bigger and stronger gender.  They are huge compared to women, with they big muscles and special powers.  These perceptions from the video games I think coassign and almost encourage the same perception that media and advertisement do already. 

Race Separation 1/18/11

I think media does provide the idea of separation and social distance with certain programs and images but maybe not necessarioly promotes it.  I think it kind of depends on each individual and their perception on separation and social distance with programs and images.  Channels and networks like BET, CMT, (the international channels) all could play a factor of seperation and social distance.  Some people will look at these channels as separation and socially distancing diversity and races, but I look at them as separation of likes and dislikes.  Granted BET is devoted to the "Black Entertainment Television" but that doesn't mean other races and can't respect or enjoy that entertainment as well.  Just like CMT, (country music television), the stereotype is only white people listen to country music but again, that's not a hundred percent true.  One careful perception these channels must avoid is the typcial stereotypes that can be developed because these networks look like they are for only certain races.  These networks are promoting very different musics and cultures but also are providing certain easy to take perceptions and stereotypes which is where the seperation begins. For example, when watching music video's on BET one of the first things I think of when thinking of those videos is rap, drugs, smoking, and guns; when watching CMT music video's I think of country music, the country easy small town lives, and farms.  Now to evaluate my own perceptions and thoughts of these channels you can easily see the huge difference of the two; and to go more in depth; I think I can go as far as to say which perception seems easier and safer?  If you had to choose between both video's to be in and be around, which one is safer or more attractive? So the separation continues all the way through our perceptions because of how the networks display themselves, so then I wonder, how would an African American or black person feel about both networks and their perceptions of both. 

Media Portrayls 1/12/11

I think the article's description of media's portrayls of minorities as both infrequent and stereotypical is right and wrong.  I can see where the author is coming from and that the media does portray some minorities wrong but I think it depends on what aspect we are speaking of.  When I think of the media and their portrayls of minorities I think of the actual "stereotypical mindset."  Not only did the media develop a stereotype of ethnicities, and people (majority and minorities) but the people, speaking of us in general, have helped create and develop those stereotypical mind sets. either of observations and perceptions but also of what is known and actually seen in the world.  In the article he mentions the exclusion of minorities from their "circle" in the show Friends.  In this particular reasoning I understand the different thoughts and concepts of it, but aren't their shows and movies made where the majority don't exist, nor or they mentioned?  What about the channel "BET"; with this the entire channel, network itself excludes the majority and other minorities.  Although we are a melting pot, Americans are still in need of acceptance and reliance on each other, instead of competition and judgement. 

The second article speaks on others perception and influence on minorities.  I think this is true and false.  It kind of depends on the person and their interaction with diversity.  If one has not been around a lot of diversity and has not encountered with people outside of their own race and culture, then of course their perception of them could be very wrong or off due to misconceptions.  They could gain a mindset and stereotype of a certain minority group based off of how much they see that race on the news or in trouble, or how majority dress, etc.  But if one can and does intereact with diversity and other races than their own, then their perception will be more accurate and less stereotypical. As years progress though, the media is keeping up and almost encouraging diversity and interacial relationship and friendships.  With these media changes I think it will help reshape perceptions and stereotypes of people.