Our media is able to link us to one-another allowing us to be a part of an exchange of information. Today we have the option of filtering out, on a wider scale, where we receive and exchange that information. All types of individuals in many different walks of life are able to be a part of that exchange. Whether or not the mass media exchanges are having a positive or negative effect on our lives, will be a question only the future can answer. Some may believe that we have made the world a bit smaller and are able to find more of a connection; while others may find it dividing us even more. Maybe we will find ourselves struggling with trying to find quiet time, peace, and serenity in our new evermore digital world.
Tackling social media for some, like me, can be an intimidating endeavor. Social media includes: facebook, twitter, YouTube, linkedIn, blogs, etc.; it is a form of media where people are able to interact, sharing and discussing numerous amount of topics. Topics can vary from personal to business related. Individuals share pictures, videos, audio, and written forms. “At these Web sites, individuals and groups create and exchange content and engage in person-to-person conversations” (Curtis, 2013). It’s truly eye opening when becoming more involved in social media, because of the amount of information that can be found through others personal experiences.
A LITTLE SOCIAL MEDIA HISTORY
In 2003 “ LinkedIn was started as a business-oriented social networking site for professionals... [In 2005] Bebo, an acronym for Blog Early, Blog Often, was started as another social networking website. Facebook launched a version for high school students. YouTube began storing and retrieving videos. MySpace was the most popular social networking site in the U.S. However, based on monthly unique visitors, Facebook would take away that lead later, in 2008. Twitter was launched as a social networking and microblogging site, enabling members to send and receive 140-character messages called tweets. Facebook membership was expanded and opened to anyone over age 13... [In 2012 ]More than half of adults 25-34 use social media at the office. Almost a third of young adults 18-24 use social media in the bathroom. All use social networks to stay connected with acquaintances, be informed and be amused” (Curtis, 2013).
Of course social media is not all glory and no shame. We are experiencing a sensory overload of irreversible communication. At any point in our daily lives we are subjected to being recorded and/or filmed with or without our knowledge or consent. With that in mind this would definitely be the time to hone in on our communication skills.
PRINT MEDIA: A THING OF THE PAST?
Shredding evidence may now be a thing of the past. Print media includes newspapers, magazines, etc. “Newspaper reading is also a way to search out mundane information; people look to see what’s on sale at the local department store or what’s playing at the nearest movie theater. As much as 60 percent of a newspaper may be devoted to ads. Readers don’t complain, because the ads provide them with needed information”(Trenholm, 2011). Reading the newspaper is a way for people to stay informed. In order to keep people interested in the reading the newspaper, “news worthy” story that are considered entertaining to the majority should be printed.
Yesterday I was reading the newspaper and the wind was blowing so hard, making it difficult, almost impossible to complete my reading comfortably. Luckily with many newspapers offering a digital version of their paper, this problem can be avoided. “Financial viability for newspapers and most magazines, at least for now, requires retaining as many existing print readers as possible. Yet the trends are clear: people, especially the young, are turning to the Internet for more and more of their news” (Grabowicz, 2013).
Magazines unlike newspapers provide people with an insight to the world of who they could be. “The typical magazine is written to attract young, middle-class, reasonably well-educated readers, the people demographic analyses show are heavy purchasers. To make any further generalizations about readers is difficult, however, because magazines tend to specialize” (Trenholm, 2011). Differing from newspapers, magazines are targeting a specific demographic in society.
Trying to relate to popular magazines can be difficult at times not only because they tend to give unrealistic views of the type of people we desire to be, or the type of things we should have. It can also be difficult if your skin color is a part of the minority. A few models that were able to be represented for the African American community between 1950-1980 were: Dorothea Towles, 1950, Sara Lou Harris, 1954, Donyale Luna, 1967, Naomi Sims, 1971, Pat Cleveland, 1973, Beverly Johnson, 1974, Iman, 1975, Mounia, 1978, and Grace Jones, 1980 ("The history of," 2013). I have to say, personally, it’s great to be able to see your ethnicity represented to the world. Makes it feel as though I am a part of my community.
TV, RADIO, AND NOISE OH MY!!!
Television one of the most popular forms of media can have as many as 100 million viewers, on any given night, when a television special is aired. The audience varies from different ages, social classes, backgrounds, and interests. Topics can include anything from documentaries, reality TV, to meal preparation shows. People look toward this form of media for entertainment. Advertisers spend a lot of money in order to advertise to consumers in a television format.
Radio is considered to be a form of “old media”, which “refers to traditional one-to-many forms of mediated communication” (Trenholm, 2011). Radio, similar to the newspaper provides individuals with information on some stations and also entertainment on others. Some stations combine both entertainment and information. This type of media is able to reach a massive diverse audience- separating themselves by one-another and by stations airing topics.
Today television and radio can be seen and/or, pretty much, anywhere we go. Along with being able to be entertained at a moment’s notice; we have to make a sacrifice, and that sacrifice is being subjected to advertisements more often. I’m, not sure how everyone else is doing; but I myself am now used to having multiple amounts of media playing at the same time. For example, my television can be on, but muted, my laptop can be playing music, and at the same time I can be searching for entertainment or working on a project. Silence may now be a thing of the past….
BE WARY OF YOUR MESSAGES
With all of our media options available to us we must now be more prepared when communicating with each other; keeping in mind that what we decide to communicate is now viewable by many, around the world, for the foreseeable future. So now, more than ever, being able to identify what type of communicator we are and the type of messages we’re sending may be of the up-most importance. Otherwise we need to be prepared to face our receivers (societies) opinion.
References
Curtis, D. A. (2013). the brief history of social media: Where people interact freely, sharing and discussing information about their lives.. Retrieved from http://www.uncp.edu/home/acurtis
Grabowicz, P. (2013, October 02). The transition to digital journalism. Retrieved from http://multimedia.journalism.berkeley.edu/tutorials/digital-transform/print-and-broadcast-news-vs-internet/
The history of black models. (2013). Retrieved from http://living.msn.com/style-beauty/celebrity-style/the-history-of-black-models
Trenholm, S. (2011). Thinking through communication: An introduction to the study of human communication (6th ed.). Boston: Pearson Education
Tackling social media for some, like me, can be an intimidating endeavor. Social media includes: facebook, twitter, YouTube, linkedIn, blogs, etc.; it is a form of media where people are able to interact, sharing and discussing numerous amount of topics. Topics can vary from personal to business related. Individuals share pictures, videos, audio, and written forms. “At these Web sites, individuals and groups create and exchange content and engage in person-to-person conversations” (Curtis, 2013). It’s truly eye opening when becoming more involved in social media, because of the amount of information that can be found through others personal experiences.
A LITTLE SOCIAL MEDIA HISTORY
In 2003 “ LinkedIn was started as a business-oriented social networking site for professionals... [In 2005] Bebo, an acronym for Blog Early, Blog Often, was started as another social networking website. Facebook launched a version for high school students. YouTube began storing and retrieving videos. MySpace was the most popular social networking site in the U.S. However, based on monthly unique visitors, Facebook would take away that lead later, in 2008. Twitter was launched as a social networking and microblogging site, enabling members to send and receive 140-character messages called tweets. Facebook membership was expanded and opened to anyone over age 13... [In 2012 ]More than half of adults 25-34 use social media at the office. Almost a third of young adults 18-24 use social media in the bathroom. All use social networks to stay connected with acquaintances, be informed and be amused” (Curtis, 2013).
Of course social media is not all glory and no shame. We are experiencing a sensory overload of irreversible communication. At any point in our daily lives we are subjected to being recorded and/or filmed with or without our knowledge or consent. With that in mind this would definitely be the time to hone in on our communication skills.
PRINT MEDIA: A THING OF THE PAST?
Shredding evidence may now be a thing of the past. Print media includes newspapers, magazines, etc. “Newspaper reading is also a way to search out mundane information; people look to see what’s on sale at the local department store or what’s playing at the nearest movie theater. As much as 60 percent of a newspaper may be devoted to ads. Readers don’t complain, because the ads provide them with needed information”(Trenholm, 2011). Reading the newspaper is a way for people to stay informed. In order to keep people interested in the reading the newspaper, “news worthy” story that are considered entertaining to the majority should be printed.
Yesterday I was reading the newspaper and the wind was blowing so hard, making it difficult, almost impossible to complete my reading comfortably. Luckily with many newspapers offering a digital version of their paper, this problem can be avoided. “Financial viability for newspapers and most magazines, at least for now, requires retaining as many existing print readers as possible. Yet the trends are clear: people, especially the young, are turning to the Internet for more and more of their news” (Grabowicz, 2013).
Magazines unlike newspapers provide people with an insight to the world of who they could be. “The typical magazine is written to attract young, middle-class, reasonably well-educated readers, the people demographic analyses show are heavy purchasers. To make any further generalizations about readers is difficult, however, because magazines tend to specialize” (Trenholm, 2011). Differing from newspapers, magazines are targeting a specific demographic in society.
Trying to relate to popular magazines can be difficult at times not only because they tend to give unrealistic views of the type of people we desire to be, or the type of things we should have. It can also be difficult if your skin color is a part of the minority. A few models that were able to be represented for the African American community between 1950-1980 were: Dorothea Towles, 1950, Sara Lou Harris, 1954, Donyale Luna, 1967, Naomi Sims, 1971, Pat Cleveland, 1973, Beverly Johnson, 1974, Iman, 1975, Mounia, 1978, and Grace Jones, 1980 ("The history of," 2013). I have to say, personally, it’s great to be able to see your ethnicity represented to the world. Makes it feel as though I am a part of my community.
TV, RADIO, AND NOISE OH MY!!!
Television one of the most popular forms of media can have as many as 100 million viewers, on any given night, when a television special is aired. The audience varies from different ages, social classes, backgrounds, and interests. Topics can include anything from documentaries, reality TV, to meal preparation shows. People look toward this form of media for entertainment. Advertisers spend a lot of money in order to advertise to consumers in a television format.
Radio is considered to be a form of “old media”, which “refers to traditional one-to-many forms of mediated communication” (Trenholm, 2011). Radio, similar to the newspaper provides individuals with information on some stations and also entertainment on others. Some stations combine both entertainment and information. This type of media is able to reach a massive diverse audience- separating themselves by one-another and by stations airing topics.
Today television and radio can be seen and/or, pretty much, anywhere we go. Along with being able to be entertained at a moment’s notice; we have to make a sacrifice, and that sacrifice is being subjected to advertisements more often. I’m, not sure how everyone else is doing; but I myself am now used to having multiple amounts of media playing at the same time. For example, my television can be on, but muted, my laptop can be playing music, and at the same time I can be searching for entertainment or working on a project. Silence may now be a thing of the past….
BE WARY OF YOUR MESSAGES
With all of our media options available to us we must now be more prepared when communicating with each other; keeping in mind that what we decide to communicate is now viewable by many, around the world, for the foreseeable future. So now, more than ever, being able to identify what type of communicator we are and the type of messages we’re sending may be of the up-most importance. Otherwise we need to be prepared to face our receivers (societies) opinion.
References
Curtis, D. A. (2013). the brief history of social media: Where people interact freely, sharing and discussing information about their lives.. Retrieved from http://www.uncp.edu/home/acurtis
Grabowicz, P. (2013, October 02). The transition to digital journalism. Retrieved from http://multimedia.journalism.berkeley.edu/tutorials/digital-transform/print-and-broadcast-news-vs-internet/
The history of black models. (2013). Retrieved from http://living.msn.com/style-beauty/celebrity-style/the-history-of-black-models
Trenholm, S. (2011). Thinking through communication: An introduction to the study of human communication (6th ed.). Boston: Pearson Education
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