Blog 8: Why Youth Heart MySpace

Although I never got involved with MySpace or opened an account, I, like every other youth, am very well aware of it. Like Facebook, MySpace quickly evolved into a social tool that permeated almost every aspect of a young person’s life. It’s interesting to note that celebrities have even evolved from the MySpace craze- a female by the name of Tila Tequila is now known for having the most friends in the history of MySpace-which was over 1 million friends! The author of “Why Youth Heart MySpace” not only describes MySpace is detail but also brings up three critical issues; being (1) identity-production, (2) hanging out and (3) digital publics.

I would like to discuss the pros and cons of the MySpace craze. Before beginning, however, I would like to describe what I mean by a “craze”. “Crazes”, in my opinion, are intense temporary trends that permeate the lives of youth for a certain period of time. Crazes obviously change with respect to the targeted age group and seem to be the most intense during adolescence. It is also important to remember that crazes such as MySpace are very critical to social networking and culture. For example, MySpace messages were even taking over from cell phone messages.

With respect to the pros of MySpace, I believe it is a good social networking tool because it enables students who are shyer to engage in social interactions. However, by the same token, it also allows for students to escape human contact.

A downside to a computerized social network tool such as MySpace is that it only worsens the issue inactivity, obesity and sedentary lifestyles that are present in the youth of our society. Being able to “hang out” with friends online, as the author points out, is a major problem. I believe that young people need to be getting out more and spending more time exercising and being active outside. I think we would all be shocked at how many teenagers spend entire days and weekends alone, inside their rooms with their computers.

Another downside to sites such as MySpace (but not restricted to MySpace) is the issue of cyberbullying. I believe it is the lack of face-to-face contact that makes cyberbullying so popular.

Perhaps one of the biggest pros of the MySpace craze is that it adapts young people to technology in a very fun and positive way, which paves the way for a technological-savvy generation, which by this point is necessary for success in our society.

A big issue with MySpace, or any internet networking tool, is the security scare it brings up for parents. Some MySpace users are as young as 8, 9, 10 years old. Do parents want strangers seeing pictures of their children, chatting with them online and perhaps meet in person? There are dangers associated with online chatrooms. It’s a very scary reality. The truth is, however, that parents need to play an active role in every aspect of their children’s lives. It is my opinion that parents reserve the right to monitor their children’s access and activity on the computer. Having your children think you are “overbearing” or “embarrassing” is simply much better than the nightmares than can arise with online chat rooms.

Blog 6: Queer Youth and the Media

This chapter was really interesting because I never thought of the Internet as an outlet for queer youth to construct their emerging sexual identity. It makes sense though, now that I do think about it because it is an anonymous way of feeling accepted and learning from others’ experience of coming out and telling their friends and family that they are gay, especially in traditional families. Because homosexuals tend to be marginalized in society and as the chapter pointed out, there is no book to read on being gay or class you can take on how to come out. It is for these reasons that the media, which is widely accessible and can be used privately has become an outlet for this purpose.

“Like any person becoming part of a culture, gays, lesbians, and transgendered people have to learn the ways of being, knowing, and acting sociodiscursively within the community. For young queers, learning the discourse very often begins with media. Many coming out stories include memories of a favorite character from a book on which the young reader closely studied and patterned parts of her or his emerging persona.” (Macedo & Steinberg, p.465).

While thinking of homosexuals as occupying an important place in our media, as I mentioned in a previous blog, I find some gay approval groups take it a little far. I believe I am tolerant of all sexual orientations and have some really amazing friends who happen to be homosexual or bisexual. However, because heterosexuality is much more common in society, I believe it is normal for television and media, which are supposed to be a microcosm of society, to represent the various groups, homosexuals and heterosexuals, accordingly. I do, however, believe it is important that individuals, especially young teens, see people on television who are going through similar things-which brings comfort during difficult times.

“When not relying on tragedy to tell the stories of gay youths, writers often fall back on comedy. Many television shows, as well as films and books, rely on the stock character of the shallow by funny gay character. While these “non-threatening” characters have been able to make their way onto television and into the movies, thus increasing queer visibility, they do not offer well-rounded, substantive role models for young people. When the only characterizations others see of your culture are comedians or clowns, it is not likely that you will be taken seriously in real life” (Macedo & Steinberg, p. 465)

I could have not said that any better. Having queer individuals visible on the television is not the whole story. The queer individuals need to be realistic, respectable and serious. And the plot lines, the issues and events they confront need to be equally serious and well-respected. Shows such as “Will & Grace”, despite being very funny-exemplify this dichotomy very well they distinguish between Will, a respectable, hard-working man and Jack, a flamboyant, terrible actor.

The point is, media texts such as online chat rooms and websites can serve as an outlet for individuals who are struggling with their identity. However, there is still a need to maintain positive stereotypes in the media and breakdown other barriers in society that keep homophobia alive. 

Blog 5: Masculinity in the O.C.

I loved this chapter-probably because I loved the show when I was in high school. As a psychology major, I was also comfortable with Sandra Bem’s gender schema theory so this text was an enjoyable read!

Before beginning to read this chapter, the first thing I remembered about the show when I read the title was that it appealed to both girls and guys-which was kind of a big deal at that age (I think I was in grade 10 or 11) because so few shows appealed to both sexes.

I did not know this fact, but the show, for the most part, is directed by men and only men. So this ultimately does influence the way in which characters are portrayed and the way in which the dynamic between men and women is depicted.

As I mentioned in another blog, an interesting aspect to the interpretation of media texts such as television is the multiple levels of meaning in a show even as shallow as the O.C. I have to admit I never looked at the show’s storyline or characters with an analytical eye but in reading the chapter, I realize that there was more to the show than I thought.

At first glance, the show is about a troubled poor kid, Ryan, who luckily gets taken in by his attorney and his wealthy family who live in Newport Beach. There are classic love storylines, a mother who suffers from alcoholism, an emotionally detached father and grandfather and adolescents who struggle with crime, acceptance and their sexuality. You would also think that most of the women in the show, such as Kirsten, are powerful individuals who have good careers and are good mothers and friends. Julie, the most notable exception to this rule, is money hungry and dependent on men, but is almost ridiculed for this quality by other characters on the show.

But by the same token, as was pointed out by the text, the hegemonic men in the show, such as Ryan, often “save” women, which not only suggests their power and strength but also the women’s vulnerability. Interactions such as Ryan rescuing Marissa after drug and alcohol overdoses exemplify this point very well.

When thinking about the marginalized individuals in society, such as people of color and different ethnic backgrounds or people with disabilities, they are virtually non-existent on the O.C. While Marissa does have a short-lived romance with a woman, Seth’s friend Alex, it is clear that Marissa is in the relationship to rebel against her mother and the people around her.

Another thing that you can for sure notice from the beginning is that there are no mediocre looking people! Everybody on the show is good-looking, even when they’re tired or drunk or passed out-they are always beautiful! Because television shows, as the text mentions, play a role in identity formation, especially of the young people in our society, I think it’s important to show that nobody is perfect all the time-but again that would go against what people want to see! Lastly, while I do believe it is important to make shows realistic in that they parallel the subgroups we have in society, I think a lot of people take it too far. I find Degrassi High makes too much of a point to make sure they’ve covered all of their bases-there’s always a person with a disability, a teen struggling with their identity and sexual issues-I just feel it’s too set up!

Blog 4: A Queer Read

Despite never having watched the show Bewitched, I found that the descriptions in the chapter enabled me to understand the show and it’s context very well. From what I took from the text, the show is built around much more than Barbara the witch trying to hide her magical powers from the mortal world, especially her husband. It seems that her family was the picture perfect family, at least from an outsider’s perspective. Another lesson I am learning from this course is that media texts rarely are as simple as they first appear. They tend to put forth serious assumptions and issues about our culture and parallel the major subgroups of society, especially those who are normally marginalized and subject to negative stereotypes.

Because media can be seen as a microcosm of society, Barbara’s big secret about being a witch can, through the lens of the queer theory, be seen as a metaphor for one’s secret about being homosexual. There are many issues seen through the show also apply to the secret of homosexuality. Firstly, the main thing that comes across with the show if you think about it as a queer metaphor is the fact that “a front”, meaning pretending to be someone or something that they are not. As far as I know, Barbara was able to cover the fact that she was a witch, besides her little nose twitches, but the unfortunate reality is that most people who are struggling with coming out of the closet cannot lead a double live completely problem-free. These individuals are more prone to mental health issues such as depression, substance abuse as well as suicide and tend to perform less well academically and socially.

There was one part that I found particularly interesting. Again, because I never saw the show or ever interpreted the storyline as a metaphor for homosexuality I would have never thought about this. The text mentioned that Barbara, even though she had the magical power to clean the house in about 30 seconds, she still completely daily chores, such as doing laundry on one day and others every other day of the week. I think this point was also more important than one would realize from the start because cleaning, for most people, has a negative connotation. So doing something that you don’t necessarily like doing or even that you dislike doing, is still worth it to maintain the status quo and the perception of normalcy that is so important to one’s reputation and like in general.

With respect to the essentialist vs. constructionist debate, I believe that the notion of sexuality is socially constructed because the connotation of sexuality is completely dependent on the culture in which is it received. However, this is not to say that sexuality is a choice, there is a lot of scientific evidence to suggest that it is biological in nature.

This topic reminded me of other relevant material I have learned in University as a psychology major. Although we are in a more tolerant time in 2009, it is important to remember that everything in society, especially media, is also related to the historical and political context of the times. For example, Masters and Johnson researched sexuality in the 1960s and actually came up with scale of sexuality, wherein they people are rated on a scale from solely homosexual to solely heterosexual. 

Blog 3: Television’s Mature Women

This chapter essentially discussed the perception of aging women in our society and the discrimination against older women that exists in the media. It is fair to say that we live in a culture that emphasizes youth and that most of this obsession is with the physical beauty and power that is inherent in youth. Even words in our every day life exemplify this obsession; it is a compliment to be told you look young or youthful and it is an insult to be told you look old-or to even be told you look your age. It’s funny that I read this chapter at this time because my sister and I were having a conversation about how ageist members of our family are today. From a very early age, birthday party’s for young children are huge fun and whenever you ask a young kid how old they are, they can tell it to you to at least to the month, or even to the day! A kid I used to babysit would always give me updates, “I will be 4 and 2/3^rd next week!” But even in my family, my sister and I were socialized early enough that asking a woman her age was blasphemy. We would often go to birthday parties for my grandmother or great grandmother and seriously not know how old they were. We knew because of the gray hair and the aging skin, however, that a candle for every year would be impossible to fit on an average size cake so we would just go along with a “Happy Birthday” and their name. It is unfair, however, to include my mother in this stereotype because she has also told us that again should be a beautiful and natural process that is not to be ashamed or sad about.

In reflecting critically about media texts that I engage in, such as television and movies, it is very easy to see discrimination that exists. Like the text mentions, there is a “young” vs. “old” dichotomy in female characters portrayed on television or in movies. Unfortunately, the “old” tends to represent, or be a metaphor for senile, weak, unappealing, vulnerable and diseased. It is unfair that society and the media place unfair standards on women for maintaining youth and beauty forever. I myself, find beauty at all different ages and resent the fact that growing old is something I should be afraid of. An example in the media of this ageist view is articulated by Debbie in “Knocked Up” who, in tears, mentions how unfair the double standard is in society and how her husband gets better looking as he gets older and how she gets less attractive. This difference also has to do with basic gender inequalities that have plagued our society. Men, compared to women, are seen as appealing and attractive at 60, 65 and 70, not necessarily because of their looks but for the fact that they have reached their career peeks by that time and are often earning the most they have in their lifetime.

There have been a couple of things I have noticed even in my life that have kind of stuck with me concerning ageism. Because I have very fair skin, I do not tan, I burn. But, being like most girls, I try to get darker when I’m on vacation and during the summer. My mother would always tell me never to suntan because it will ruin my skin later in life. Everybody knows the fact that the sun is damaging and will result in wrinkles but it doesn’t seem to bother anybody because there’s this understanding that “no one is looking at me anyway at that age so what he hell!”

Media Photo Album

http://www.flickr.com/photos/samanthawellsaug201987/sets/72157613440293056/

BLOG 2: Media and War

These two chapters, concerning Noam Chomsky’s work as a political critic of United State’s foreign policy was not only an important read in terms of understanding world politics with an analytical mind but also with respect to the role media can play on the global scene. Many individuals believe, in a somewhat naive fashion, that printed media, such as newspapers, journals, books and textbooks cannot be biased and are therefore inherently reliable sources of information. What very few people realize is that even educational curriculum’s are created by individuals who have political agendas and reputations that must be upheld. Even in my own experience, I have taken Quebec, Canadian and World History classes throughout highschool, CEGEP and University. It is only through my own interest and research, outside of the history classes I have taken, that I have learnt of atrocities propogated by Canadians such as the Komagata Maru incident whereby Indians immigrating to British Columbia were denied access onto the land and were left for weeks without food or water or the horrific incidents against Native Americans in our own province.

 

Because Chomsky tends to focus on the United States, he describes a “Vietnam Syndrome” that has been prevalent in American citizens since the Civil War Movement. It is characterized by peace movements and anti-war demonstrations but picks out the inconsistency in their thinking because the majority of Americans backed Bush up when he decided to invade Iraq in 2003 for the well being of the democratic world because he was on a mission to find ”so-called” nuclear threats and Al-Qaeda. This is exactly where the importance of news media comes in. Any news station can slant world events so that the coverage sheds a positive light and preserves the self-interest and reputation of their own party.

 

As a psychology major, a useful analogy comes to mind when reflecting on media bias. It’s kind of like hearing about a great new drug that’s hit the market and “studies” have confirmed it’s effectiveness and safety! Well what you’re also not hearing about is that it is the drug companies in the first place that pay for these expensive trials, experiments and studies and they withhold results that are not in their best interest and only release those that will increase the drug’s market appeal and profits. Even in the few education courses I have taken for my minor in Education, I have learned that so much of media, especially that geared towards young children, is so biased.

On the global arena, we are supposed to be the free, democratic world where everything goes and we are the ones who actually “shun” (and are willing to invade/kill/destroy) nations where oppression and violence are present. But I can seem to remember many occassions wherein celebrities, such as Kanye West and the Dixie Chix, have publicly opposed the president’s motives and have undergone massive public scrutiny as a consequence.

 

I believe the most important lesson that can be taken from Chomsky’s work is for teachers, parents and institutions alike to instill in students and children the importance of looking at the media with a critical and analytical mind. Young people need to be aware that everything they see in the media, even if it is in a reputable textbook or on a well-known television network, is subject to bias and has the potential to be self-serving. It’s important to realize that everybody, including nation’s as a whole, make bad decisions (and big ones such as genocides) and that they need to do their own research to find the whole truth.

BLOG 1: Youth, Identity and Digital Media

 

I would like to use this opportunity to blog about the chapter entitled “Youth, Identity and Digital Media” from the online article assigned to us this week. The text begins with a description of a cartoon of a child being born with a cell-phone in hand, articulating the growing importance various technologies have come to play in the lives of many individuals, including children.

Even in my own experience, at only 21 years old, I can vividly remember a day when you had to buy CDs if you wanted to listen to music and most telephone conversations actually took place in the home on landlines. The most interesting aspect of these changes is the way in which technological advances affect culture. For instance, you can think about the way in which people make plans. Today, because most people have cell phones, if you want to get together with a friend for a coffee or a spontaneous lunch date, all you have to do is try them on their cell phone and work out a plan. Most plans also involve ambiguity or vague statements such as “I’ll call you around 2 ish” or “I’ll meet you around McGill”. Twenty years ago, people could never have plans like this-plans had to be concrete. Meeting places had to be set in advance and there was little room for spontaneity, such as meeting a friend for coffee on the way home from work.

One of my best friends does not have a cell phone and I cannot emphasize how difficult and inconvenient it is to make plans with her! When we do decide to meet after school, I have to contact her while she is still at work or at her house. Because she travels for the most part by public transportation, it has often happened that she misses a train or a bus and I’m left waiting. It has also happened that I am held up in a meeting or a miss a bus and cannot get a hold of her to tell her that I will be late.

I can relate to Walia, the African refugee living in East London who created the project “Get my phone back or die trying”. I too, am always a phone-call away and also sleep with my cell phone in my bed. I believe it brings me a certain amount of comfort knowing that if something is wrong I can be alerted right away and take the appropriate action. Although I never thought of my cell phone this way, I guess it does contribute to my identity.

My favorite part of this chapter was the last part in which the author discussed the issue of reflexivity, whereby technologies mediate the process by which people learn about their own identities. I think this idea is especially important for adolescents and young people, who are at ease with technology throughout their identity crisis. As a psychology major who hopes to pursue a career in clinical psychology, perhaps in treating children, I can see how the use of technologies, similar to those that Walia utilized, as a therapeutic tool.

Phone’s Now Have a Place in Some Bedrooms!

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