What Is Reading, Really?

In today's world, we are constantly on the internet searching for movie times, updating our social networks, and (occasionally) checking our email. As we spend countless hours plowing through search engines online, are we losing our ability to critically analyze information? Are books the only way to read? Is it possible to read online and gather just as much information as if you were reading a book? In his article, "Literacy Debate- Online, R U Really Reading?" Motoko Rich contemplates all of these questions. His conclusion may not be yours, though. Do you think that reading from a screen is just as valuable as reading from a book? Let's dive right in and take a look. (I hope you appreciated my rhyming right there.)

The world today is vastly different than it was twenty or even just ten years ago. Almost everywhere you  turn there is some sort of reference to the internet. Even hotels and restaurants are offering Wi-Fi internet for those of us who are on the go! Convenience is the reason for this, but it takes away from a simpler time of musty books and libraries. What happened to musty books and comfy chairs? The Google Generation, my generation, has turned to the internet for answers. The question is: Have we lost something that the internet can never replace?

I can honestly say that I miss the days of curling up with a good book and just losing track of time. There used to be a time when I would read two or three books a week; the librarians knew me by name. There's just something about reading a good book that relaxes you. When you're reading a book, you don't have to worry about the stress of the world. You can take a break and really engross yourself in the story. A book can be your home. Something happened, though. Things changed. The world got too fast. I no longer have time to sit down and read a book. Rather, I spend hours on the internet, using my time to acquire a different kind of knowledge- digital knowledge.

Though reading is a grand past-time of mine, I can still enjoy participating in digital learning. Digital learning is an entirely different experience from reading a book. When reading a book, your eyes tend to wander off the page, you might get bored and restless, you might even fall asleep. If you're learning digitally; however, your mind is constantly moving. With digital learning, you are involved. Rather than reading what an author has written, you have a choice in what will be written next. You are the author of your fate in digital learning. You are the author. You are in control. That's the appeal to digital learning. Rather than taking a backseat in the event, you are at the driver's seat making each and every decision as to where you would like to go.

Reading is a very effective tool for learning; that is not to be debated. What is to be debated; however, is if literal textbook reading is the only way to read. The answer is an emphatic no. With today's technology growing as fast as it is, we should be taking these new innovations and utilizing them. Rather than remaining focused on the past, why not choose to advance our minds into the future? Don't dwell on what's already happened; anticipate what will come next.

We Is Who We Is

This video, though seemingly random and odd in nature, demonstrates the meaning of the lyrics throughout the piece. Though it is goofy and fun, the point of the song is that we are who we are, and we don't care what other people have to say about that. No matter what, we will hold true to ourselves and our personalities. Through our silly dancing and strange filming clips, we wanted to show the audience that we will always be who we are, and we are totally ok with that.

What You See Is What You Get... Maybe

Is a movie ever just a movie? Can we truly consume entertainment simply for the pleasure of its content, or is there always an underlying meaning whether we notice it or not? What happens when we are constantly being given messages beneath the surface, if we even choose to pay close enough attention? Reality can be a scary place if you actually think about it. The world of media is incessantly trying to think of new and improved ways to produce media that will appeal to the consumers. You may be able to run, but you will never be able to hide from media.

One topic we discussed this past week in COM103 was the realization of certain angles or styles that are used in media, specifically in cinematography. The director of the film, television show, or documentary makes thousand of stylistic choices that help to decide how the viewers will interpret the piece. Lighting, camera angles, and even background music are all essential to the viewing experience. Without each of these elements, the piece will fall flat, and the story will be lost.

A show that is particular popular in my age and gender demographic is Pretty Little Liars. In this murder mystery show (though it is oh so cute and teen-loved, as well), four best friends suffer the loss of their "leader," Alison, under very peculiar circumstances. Evidence points towards homicide, but even after the body is found, the police cannot seem to nail down a viable suspect. During this time, the four girls begin to receive frightening text messages from someone who calls him/herself "A." Throughout the show, these four friends search to find out the truth of just what happened to their best friend on that unforgettable night.

In the picture above, we see a one of the texts that the girls receive from "A." This scene is shot particularly well because it allows the viewer to not only see the reaction of the reader (the friends' faces are shown before this frame), but it also shows the viewer the message itself. This angle truly puts you in the shoes of the girl receiving the text, because it is angled as if you were reading it yourself. The story is really brought to life simply by the angle of the camera.

A more obvious effect used during the show is the use of background music to intensify a scene. Because the show is typically classified as a murder mystery, it is probable that you expected a lot of dramatic or even frightening sequences to take place-- You're absolutely correct in this assumption. There are many "jump" scenes in Pretty Little Liars, and almost each of these is characterized by climatic background music. The slow, eery music only adds to the sense of fear that is already building as the viewers watch the scene play out.

Pretty Little Liars has a genre; it has a theme; it has a story. Each different camera angle, every note of background music; it's all chosen to help fully encompass the feeling of the show. It is the director's job to fully engage the viewer. By the end of the first episode, viewers should be totally hooked and longing to see more. This ability to draw you in and engross you in the characters and the plot is what directors pride themselves on. It is their decisions that make us care. Without them, the stories that we all care so much about would be lost.

Advertising: How Do You Consume?

Advertisement is everywhere we go. It is estimated that the average American consumer is exposed to 1,500 advertising messages per day (Silverblatt, 177). This means that in just your every day, average activities, you come across 1,500 different advertising campaigns. Each of these campaigns is specific to a target demographic and they are specifically crafted to cater to a specific age group, gender, or even race. Advertisement is one of the most prevalent topics in all of current media.



In this commercial, we are presented with a character. This character is used to represent mayhem, specifically mayhem that affects your car. This advertising campaign is useful on many levels because it is not only humorous, but it is informative. While is it very amusing to see a grown man acting like a teenage girl, it is also very educational in that it presents you with a very real-life problem regarding cut-rate insurance. Allstate does a good job of both making the consumers laugh with their commercial as well as promoting their insurance agency.

(Food) For Thought

This morning in Sunday School, we were blessed with the opportunity to have a panel of five mormon missionaries and one mormon “regional judge” come and have an open Q&A with our the senior class. Let me start off by commending them for their openness and bravery in coming to a “hostile” crowd of Baptist high school students. Their kindness should not go unstated, because it was truly an act of courage to walk into that auditorium knowing that they were going to face an intense amount of controversy and discordance. So, to these five elders and one regional judge, thank you. Thank you for your time, and thank you for your tolerance.

That said, I have never been so strongly in spiritual disagreement with one group of people in my entire life. I have discussed debated various doctrinal standpoints with many different denominations, I’ve talked about Jesus and my beliefs with friends who say they just wish we could all have “one big religion,” but I have never been so rattled by a single spiritual discussion. With other denominations, I can take comfort in the fact that I believe that they are saved and simply have a different view about baptism, etc. Even with lost friends, I realize that all I can do is pray for them and leave the rest to God. With mormons, my heart is broken. These people genuinely believe that they are going to heaven. Every ounce of their body, soul, and mind is working towards achieving the ultimate status in the mormon faith- the celestial heaven. Apart from works, the mormon faith is empty.

At one time during the Q&A, I read Proverbs 30:5-6, which says, “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.” When I pointed out that the Book of Mormon is an addition to the Bible, the regional judge (basically, the “top dog”) intervened to answer that I myself did not know how the Bible was written in a chronological sense, and therefore could not say that Revelation was even the last book of the Bible. This irked me more than I can say, and I quickly rebutted saying that the Bible is inspired by God and was constructed and compiled by his disciplines whom he sovereignly chose. Somehow he managed to avoid answering my question.

Just a quick tid-bit about the mormon faith: mormons believe that their founder, Joseph Smith, received a divine vision from God, along with encrypted “holy” messages on several golden plates. Yes, you read that right. Mormons believe that God spoke to Joseph Smith by writing on dinner dishes. Personally, I find that absolutely ridiculous. Matthew 24:24 says, “For false Christs and prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect- if that were possible.” Somehow, the regional judge again managed to divert my question. Later while discussing the same topic, Jacob King came to my defense and read Galatians 1:8, which says, “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!” I don’t think it could be said more clearly that that.

The thing about mormonism is it is so close to Christianity in so many ways that non-believers can be very easily deceived. Both religions claim to believe in grace, both read and (claim to) believe the Bible, and both have very faithful believers. Apart from religion, mormons are some of the nicest people you will ever meet. There’s a reason that mormonism is one of the fastest growing faiths in the world- they’re great people! They’re kind, they’re honest, they’re loving; they’re everything you could want in a neighbor and more! What they lack is doctrine.

As a Christian, I believe in the unfailing grace of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Without Him, I am nothing. My works, my efforts; they amount to nothing when compared to His surpassing greatness! Isaiah 64:4a says, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” Filthy rags are the best I have to offer Jesus. Jesus who is perfect. Jesus who is all things good and holy. Jesus, my Savior. All I can give Him are my disgusting, polluted, putrid rags! And yet in his surpassing kindness, He forgave me! Despite the fact that I literally have nothing to offer Him in return, He loved me. He took me in. He made me His child. 1 Corinthians 15:9 says, “But by grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them- yet not I, but the grace of God was with me.” 

No matter how hard I work, I will always fall short. No matter how many times I pray, I will always sin. No matter how often I read the Bible, I will never be perfect. Nothing can take my humanity away from me. But get this: God made me human! He created me in His likeness as a human, and He has a special and divine plan for my life! What could be greater than that?! He knows the past, the present, and the future. He is totally in control, and I could not be any happier with that. I have confidence that the world is in good hands. I leave you with 1 Corinthians 16:13-14, which says, “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.” 

Journal(ism)

Journalism is defined as, "The collection and editing of news for presentation through the media." The ablitiy to compile and present factual material in an appealing and informative way; that is journalism. Without gathering the information in an efficient way, the system would fall apart. It is also essential that the news be presented in a way that is not only visually but auditorially stimiulating. You need your readers to want to read what you have to say! If your audience isn't interested in what you're writing, you are in trouble. How many journalists would use the picture to the right as their headliner? None, because the picture itself would discourage the audience from even attempting to read whatever the journalist had wrote. All of a sudden, the picture has caused a complete lack of interest, and the journalist's writing has gone to waste.

Journalism is just as much about pictures as it is words. Though typically someone is going to think of writing when they hear the word "journalism," the pictures are absolutely crucial to getting his or her message across. The visuals help to reel your readers in and get them really focused on what you're trying to say. They also can really help to capture the message you're trying to convey. Through pictures, you can communicate so much more effectively than through words alone.

Journalism is media. Media is journalism. You cannot have one without the other.

Alternative Thinking

After our discussion in COM 103 on Monday, my views of movie media drastically changed. I was really brought to realize just how much effort and intentional design goes into creating a film. Angles. Lighting. Weather. Every seemingly minuscule detail is actually used to convey a very specific, purposeful message to the viewers. By using certain angles and filming techniques, the director is able to subconsciously plant an idea in your head. You are only seeing what they want you to see. 

So then the question becomes, what do they want you to see? Well, I recently went and saw "The Roommate" with a couple of friends. While watching this film, I became acutely aware of how important each and every angle is. In one scene in particular, the assumed crazy roommate is supposedly lurking in the bathroom, while another girl is in the shower. Rather than just filming the girl in the shower, or the girl who is sneaking around the bathroom, the camera pans from several angles across the bathroom. This technique brings a lot of added suspense to the scene. 

Lighting is also a very important element when making a film. Darker lighting could suggest an underlying evil, sadness, or even death; whereas brighter lighting could point to hope, joy, or ultimate freedom or salvation. When I was watching "The Roommate," I noticed that darker lighting was especially used in scenes of deception or evil. Whenever the (crazy) roommate was causing trouble, the lighting was dark as if to suggest the mischief.

One more scene that particularly caught my attention in this film was the library scene. The angles as well as the lighting in this scene were both very instrumental in creating a very specific vibe. As the roommate is stalking her roommate's boyfriend, the camera shifts back and forth between his face and hers. This creates a massive amount of suspense because you absolutely cannot wait to see if Stephen (the boyfriend) will notice her staring at him! Not only that, but the lighting is very dull and creepy, which only adds to the mood.

As you can see, there are many different ways to shape what viewers are truly seeing when they watch a movie. Through camera angles, lighting, and various other techniques, directors are virtually able to control exactly what the viewers perceive. It no longer becomes a matter of what you're seeing, it becomes a matter of why.

Why Care What We See?

Why should we analyze what we see in film and television? At first glance this question seems rather dull, if not unnecessary. Contrary to popular belief; however, critical analysis of film and television is absolutely vital. It would be a tragedy if we mindlessly received all this media with little to no concern about its content and intent.

Many things in today's world seem as though they are just absent-mindly put into place, like there is no real reason or cause behind it being created and displayed. The truth is that all media has some purpose- whether hidden or not, and it is our job as the consumers to disipher and disencode this purpose. If we do not analyze the media we are presented with, we become pawns in the media's hands, only doing their wishes. Who would want to be a pawn when they can be the queen?

Smith says in Chapter 1, "There is a temptation to treat film and television in a similar manner, as if spontaneous things occur by chance. Nothing could be further from the truth." This statement is so true, especially in today's world. It is our responsibility as consumers of today's media to critically study and critque the media messages we are confronted with in every day life.

When Reality Isn't Real At All...

These days, media is everywhere. No matter where you might go, you are going to come in contact with some form of media constantly. How do you know that what you are receiving it true? Factual media and media are two very different things. Media reserves the right to be as extreme as the author feels necessary, and the truth is often lost in the scuffle. When investigating the trustworthiness of a specific piece of media, you need to consider not only the author, but also the premise of the media, and the cause for it being developed.

Reality itself can never be completely captured unless filmed 24/7/365. Anything less than that would be one's own perception of reality. Cutting out any pieces of the filming would be a personal decision, and would therefore be "altering reality," or at least other people's views of reality. According to Smith, "Reality occurs 24 hours a day with an enormous 'cast' of characters, each with his/her own perceptions." In short, media will always be suceptible to one's own views, emotions, and opinions if there is any editing involved, and therefore it cannot be totally factual.

One story that I do feel is factual; however, is this story about lethal injections and foreign drug policies. When I read this story, I was immediately confronted with my own personal perceptions, and I was extremely frustrated with Daniel Cook's appeal. This man was convicted of a double murder, and yet he wants to be spared any sort of physical pain. I'm sorry, but that's a ridiculous. If you had the strength to kill those two innocent people, then you have the strength to die a painful death.

Apart from my own opinions; though, there are the facts. This man was convicted. This man is on deathrow. This man will die eventually. Personally, I think this piece of media is factual because of the strong amount of evidence. Though news teams have been known to exaggerate, I feel it is absolutely proposterous to believe they would make up a false double murder conviction. To say that would be over the line is an understatement. Also, there are several other sources that back up the news team's claims. The large number of outside sources is particularly convincing to me.

Understanding the need to question everything you are presented with is essential to surviving in today's media-saturated world. If we do not question what we receive, how can we ever validate its truthfulness? Though the truth may be hard to find, it's worth it. John 8:32 says, "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

Media and Audiences: Its Effects on Society

When I was asked to interview a parent about their opinions regarding media and its effects on their children, I immediately went to my own parents. Now I know it probably seems silly to ask my own parents about their standards and beliefs regarding media, but I think you will find that most parents probably feel the same way that mine do.

To begin with, my parents have always been very strict regarding the media that my brothers and I were able to access. From music to movies to television, our media outlets were always very closely monitored. My parents have very strong spiritual beliefs which definitely had a strong influence over the media they felt was appropriate for their children.The content of the shows we watched was always very important to my parents. If they did not view it was appropriate material, we were not going to watch it. It was just that simple. However, they also monitored our media for educational purposes.

As children, we were always limited to a certain amount of television and computer each day. My parents felt that limiting our "screen time," as they called it, would help promote a healthier mind. Not only would it promote a healthier mind, but it would also promote a healthier lifestyle. By spending less time in front of a computer or television screen, we spent more time outside playing and encouraging our young muscles to develop, as well as more time reading and encouraging the strengthening of our brains.

Statistically speaking, television impacts children today more than ever. When a group of 4-to-6 year-old children were asked if they preferred their television or their father, 54% preferred their television! Personally, I find this very upsetting. A piece of technology should never be able to replace a meaningful relative in your life, especially not your father! Not only that, but on average, American youth spend 1500 hours a year watching television, while spending only 900 hours in school.

When I researched the effects of television on intelligence, I found a website that listed the top 5 ways to increase your intelligence. Number one on the list was to limit the amount of time you spend watching television. Clearly, television and other sources of media can be a major detriment to the lifestyles of children. Overall, I feel that it is definitely necessary to not only limit the television permitted in your household, but to also encourage children to exercise their minds and bodies. Don't let your children die in front of a television screen. What a sad death it would be.

Media Concentration

When researching top media companies, one would expect to see Walt Disney and Viacom. One company you might not expect to see; however, is AOL Time Warner. AOL Time Warner is run by CEO Gerald Levin and Chair Steve Case. Founded in 1990, Time Warner is one of the top media companies in the world. Besides owning Warner Bros, Time Warner also owns twenty-four different book labels, Time Magazine, and even CNN. Time Warner’s subsidiary companies are countless, and the company as a whole brings in a revenue of approximately $31.8 billion. 

There are downsides to such media concentration, though. When a company become so large and powerful, there is a high risk of unethical political and economic influence. Capitalism is what our nation was founded on, but if a company creates an economic monopoly, it will wreak havoc. If a country becomes entirely dependent upon one company in particular, that company is able to virtually single-handedly control the entire economy just by raising or lowering its prices. Think about the simple concept of supply and demand- if this company is essential to everyday life, the demand will be unstoppable, and so will the company.

Secondly, if a company is extremely influential in society, then political candidates become subject to their wishes and possibly even their demands. No governor, or even president, would risk having a company shut down that has the ability to shatter the economy as a whole. The entire political race(s) can become completely dependent upon the needs of this company, rather than the needs of the nation. So on top of an economic monopoly, this company has also placed itself at the head of a political monopoly.

Yet there are also advantages to media concentration. Capitalism is something our nation was founded on. It encourages healthy economic competition, and it keeps competing companies honest with their prices and policies. Without this opposition, a single company could potentially come to control the nation as a whole. Competitors in the business industry are always looking for ways to get a leg up on the competition, and media concentration is often what comes from this contention. Controlling other subsidiary companies is frequently how a major company eventually rises up over other rival companies. This keeps the entire economy balanced and in check because companies are always battling to be the best.

Overall, media concentration is nothing more than a fancy term for overactive competition. When a company competes especially well, they become more likely to achieve a higher level of concentration of media, which enables them to be more dominant in their particular field of business. Though there are many concerns about the ethics of media concentration, it continues. The world we live in is absolutely, totally, without question, completely media saturated.

Semiotics: Non-Verbal Communication

We judge and stereotype people every day, just by interpreting what they do or say. Because this is our own interpretation, and not a set fact, we are unintentionally making snap judgements about what other people "are." These interpretations and judgements may come from body language, style of clothing, or even what they own. This is called semiotics. 

When I googled "punk," this was the first image that came up on my screen:

So what this picture is saying to you and I, if we had absolutely no idea about what a "punk" person looks like, is that someone who is considered to be "punk" they must have crazy hair and leather vests with spiky jewelry. By google's own "definition," these people are punk. 

Next, I googled "preppy." The image that came up is exactly what I expected.

Ah, khaki pants and a polo. My boyfriend and I often joke about dressing him up like a typical (douche) prep, and we always describe him with khaki shorts and a polo. The fact that this image is exactly what I expected it to be shows that I participate in semiotics even without trying to. It's just a natural occurrence. 

After handling both the "preps," and the "punks," I went with a more hardcore stereotype- the "emo kids."What do you think of when you hear the word "emo" or "hardcore"? Be honest. Loose, black clothes; dark makeup, lots of eyeliner? More than likely, you answered (if not oud-loud, then in your head) yes to at least one of those qualifications. These kind of judgements and interpretations are exactly what semiotics is.

This picture demonstrates what most people think it means to be "emo."

Stereotypes are something created by culture, but expressions and emotions are genetically programmed into humans from birth. Therefore, I decided to search certain emotions or expressions because these will be entirely affected by our own interpretation more than anything else, because emotions and expressions can never be directly affected by culture or society. 

According to google, this man is angry. Psychologists have actually conducted research with facial expressions by taking pictures of college students in the United States demonstrating certain emotions and then asking villagers in New Guinea to identify the emotions that the students in the pictures were feeling. Regardless of their different culture, the villagers were almost always able to identify the expressions and/or emotions correctly.

What about this picture? What do you immediately think of when you see someone biting their lip? Typically, if someone bites their lip they are either stumped on a math problem or interested in whoever they're looking at. Yes, I know you knew that all ready. That's the beauty of semiotics. Semiotics is the study of pictures such as this one that help you understand what people are trying to convey through their reactions and/or images, etc. This study helps us learn what pictures, body language, and style lead us to believe about other people, and that is semiotics.

Human Genome Project

For my PSY 101 class, I had to do research about the Human Genome Project. What I found absolutely disgusted me. This project was intended to research and identify all 20,000-25,000 human DNA. These intentions seem harmless at first glance, but what most people do not know is what the scientific community intends to do with the information they glean. Once all DNA had been successfully identified, scientists began to do specific, targeted searches for genetic illnesses and other diseases. Again, this all seems like a good attempt to simply protect us from unnecessary sickness.

Enter: genetic counselors. A genetic counselor’s job is to study your’s and your partner’s DNA to determine what your child may be potentially at risk for inheriting from either of you when he or she is conceived. The genetic counselor will review your DNA and help you decide whether or not you intend to keep your child’s DNA the same. Yes, you read that correctly. These scientists will help you genetically alter your child. Even if your child is not in any danger, genetically speaking, you will still have the option to choose whether or not to keep your child in their current state. Brown eyes? You’d rather have blue. Maybe a little darker skin tone wouldn’t hurt. Oh, let’s give them a little extra of daddy’s tall height genes while we’re at it. No harm in making the kid attractive, right? WRONG.

Excuse me, but I believe that the human body is sacred and holy. We are all made in the image of God! He constructed and formed us all individually as He desired, and we have no right to change that! Ethically, or otherwise. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” YOU. ARE. NOT. YOUR. OWN. You are God’s. He created you, and He bought you with the precious blood of His son. Why would you ever want to change God’s precious creation?

Digital Natives

What does the term, "Digital native" mean to you? Does it even bear any significance at all in today's world, or is it simply an over-used term used to make the younger generation feel superior? Let's back up a bit. What does, "Native" mean? Native is defined as, "Being the place or environment in which a person was born or a thing came into being." A native is someone who grew up in a certain way or environment, and they're totally comfortable in their surroundings because those surroundings are all they ever knew. In simpler terms, a digital native is an individual who has grown up in the digital age. 

Digital natives are familiar with all kinds of technology and whatnot because they have been around it their entire lives. There is no adapting. There is no change. They are truly natives in the digital world.
Being a digital native is something I pride myself on. Though the rest of the academic world may frown upon the fast-paced track of technology and its constant changes which it brings to the educational field, I welcome the change. Tehcnology is something that we have been gifted with. Think back a few years when there weren't cell phones. What happens when your car breaks down? Who do you call? What do you do? This is a perfect example of how technology has not only made our lifes simpler and easier, but also safer. Why worry about your young teenager out late at night driving around when you can track them on the built in GPS? Computers, cell phones- these are the foundations of our my generation.

I realize that growing up with such incredible technology leads to a problem for those who were not as fortunate, however. My mother often comes to me simply needing to copy and paste something to a document. For me, that's something I've been able to do since I was ten. Right-click, copy, right-click, paste. And yet to the older generation(s), this is new material. They are having to learn and adapt to a totally new way of thinking and behaving. What is common sense for me may be an extremely difficult concept for my aunt to grasp. This can be frustrating at times, but I think the key to being a digital native is taking advantage of your upbringing. As a digital native, I was raised in an environment where computers and cell phones have almost always been present. Now, I can do one of two things with this knowledge- one, I can waste it on myself; or two, I can help my mother, my aunt, my uncle, to learn more about this technology which they are not as familiar with as myself.

The world is changing, my friends. Technology is shaping our lives, whether we realize it or not. What used to be unheard of is now commonplace, and yet it doesn't stop. Technology is always changing, always moving, always improving. "The young people becoming university students and new entrants in the workforce, while living much of their lives online, are different from us along many dimensions. Unlike those of us just a shade older, this new generation didn’t have to relearn anything to live lives of digital immersion. They learned in digital the first time around; they only know a world that is digital."

Media Literacy

Literacy is a term that most of us are familiar with. Typically speaking literacy is simply defined as, "The quality or state of being literate, especially the ability to read and write." This definition has drastically changed in the past ten years, however. Where being literate used to be as simple as English skills, literacy has now morphed into an entirely different concept. Literacy has now shaped and changed into being able communicate your thoughts and findings in a respectful, socially acceptable manner, while also being able to read and interpret other people's messages. Literacy now requires a whole new skill set, specifically along the technological front.

Media literacy is a very new concept to most of us. For the majority of people today, the internet is just an everyday tool. Media literacy is about taking this tool and using it to further your understanding of what messages people sending. Jane Tallim defines media literacy as, "The ability to sift through and analyze the messages that inform, entertain and sell to us every day. It's the ability to bring critical thinking skills to bear on all media— from music videos and Web environments to product placement in films and virtual displays on NHL hockey boards." In more simple terms, media literacy is all about understanding. You may see the web page, but do you really grasp the message that it is trying to convey?

Stop and think about how much media you truly take in every day. Facebook posts, YouTube videos, google searches- all of these are media! Media is everywhere, and it is constantly changing and shaping not only those who see it, but the world as a whole. Yet we all have the power to use media! Just by writing this blog, I am adding to the world of media. How will you use media to get across your message?

Who Am I?

Who am I, exactly? Well, to begin with, I'm a southern girl who was raised in the backwoods of Georgia. Oglethorpe is the name of my tiny hometown.  I realize that even the name itself sounds like the south, but I love it. I was raised in the south, and I'm proud of that. Southern hospitality is something that everyone should practice. Secondly, I'm an athlete. I play lacrosse at Reinhardt University in Waleska, Georgia, but I played basketball in high school. I've been a pretty active person my entire life. Sports is just something I grew up with. Thirdly, I'm a musician. I have played piano for eight years, and I've taught myself guitar and ukulele over the past two years. Music is my passion. It's how I communicate with other people, and it's how I vent frustrations of my own. Lastly, I'm a Christian. Everything I do should not be for myself, but for a greater purpose-to bring others to the Gospel of Christ. He is the reason I am here, and I live my life to honor Him.
So, who am I? I'll let you make that decision for yourself.