Media and Technology: Is it Really to Blame?

Is media and technology causing Americans to become more dumb? This is the very controversial question many have been asking. So, is it true?

Personally, I do not agree with this. We have used technology to make our lives a lot easier; however, it is not to blame. Americans still have to go to school and learn the same things that people have been taught for years. So how is the media and technology to blame? That is a question I would love someone to answer for me. How is it really to blame? I was taught the same fourth grade history facts as every other American student. We still learn the things we need to know to become educated, but now we have the luxury of typing a question into Google and having hundreds of links and articles to help us research what we want to find out instead of having to spend hours in a library reading books. We still learn the same facts, just faster. This might make us lazier, but how does it make us less smart than our older generations?

Many may argue that people know more about what the Kardashian’s are doing that what is going on in the political debates and the upcoming election. I know this to be true, but if we didn’t have the Kardashian’s people would be keeping up with the stats of their favorite baseball or football team or whatever else they find interesting. Everyone has their own interests and media helps that. It gives us more things to be interested in. We have E! News now, but we also have CNN.  The media gives us so many options and new things to become infatuated with. So how does that make us dumb? Just because certain people don’t keep up with the news and what is going on in the world doesn’t make them dumb. They choose to watch E! or HGTV instead of Anderson Cooper or other news broadcasts. You can’t force them to know everything It is their free will to watch whatever they want to. That doesn’t make them less educated.

Jaywalking shows the people that don’t know as many facts as others and try and be funny. If Jay Leno came up to you on the street would you answer correctly or act funny and answer wrong for a chance of maybe getting on his show? I realize some of those people really might not know the answer, but I can’t help but think that some just want attention. How many of you could watch every Jaywalking episode or even Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader and get every question right? I know I am only nineteen years old but fifth grade was a long time ago! Some of those questions are really hard! So is media to blame for me forgetting? Did reading articles on the internet help me forget? I don’t think so.

My Defintion of What Mass Communication and Mass Media Really Means

Mass communication affects everyone in many different ways. For some it rules their lives and for others it gives them new ideas of things they might want to try. The Real World is a perfect example of this. In almost every episode you can see them going to Subway or drinking a Sun Drop. Some people will only buy certain brands because their favorite celebrity endorses it. This is how the media controls us in everything we eat, wear, drink, and even the places we might travel to.  Mass communication is everywhere. It is in the movies and shows we watch, the music we listen to, and on the billboards we drive past every day. Mass communication is how the media connects with the public.

                No matter where you are or what you are doing you are being affected by some kind of mass communication. Advertising, movies, television, and the radio are all forms of mass media. Mass communication is the way these forms of media affect us every day. In one of the latest episodes of Hawaii 5-O they have a commercial inside of the episode for Subway and had an entire scene about the fast food restaurant. The reason for these new commercials that take place during your favorite show is the rising number of people that have DVR’s. People are able to fast forward through commercials and this way we are still subjected to advertisements. Seeing your favorite celebrity trying a new shampoo, make up, food, or trying out the newest fashion makes us want to be more like them. If the Kardashian’s use a certain brand then if we use the same brand as them then maybe we will become more like them.

The media gets into our minds and controls us even if we do not realize it. This is my opinion of what mass media and mass communication really means.

These are a few ads and examples of some of our favorite celbrties endorsing different products that we use every day.

Self Introduction

  Just a Little About Me!

My name is Ashley Pounds and I am from Houston, Ms. I am 19 years old and a freshman at ICC. I love it here, but I plan to transfer to MSU in the fall of 2013 to pursue a degree in communications and broadcasting. My dream is to become a sports broadcaster.

  My parents are Keith and Elizabeth Pounds. My dad is an accountant and owns his own firm and my mother is a teacher. I have two sisters. Amanda is my older sister. She is also an accoutant and lives in Tupelo. Her husband's name is Justin. He is a math professor at Blue Mountain College and teaches a night class at ICC in Tupelo. They have a beautiful eight month old daughter, Lily.

 I have a younger sister, Allison. She is 15 and is a sophomore. She is a cheerleader on the varsity squad. She enjoys being in pageants and is part of the Houston Community Theatre.  

   In my spare time I love watching sports, riding fourwheelers, listening to music, watching movies, and hanging out with my friends. Whenever my group of friends together, no matter what we do, we are always having a good time. Most of us started kindergarten together and then graduated with each other.

 I became interested in sports in high school. I did the music for our varsity baseball team, was a diamond girl, and would help operate the scoreboard and announce for some of the games. I am completely obssessed with the Boston Red Sox. I was also the mascot for my school. I was the Hilltopper. So, it is safe to say I was surrounded by sports all throughout high school. I am also obssessed with MSU and Alabama...Roll Tide!!  

 Here are some more pictures of my family and friends. These pictures will probably help you get to know me a little better.