Modern Day Propoganda

threeworldwars.com, "Modern Day Propoganda against Islam." Dec. 6 2009 threeworldwars.com/crchive/wel/welcome09.htm

This is a very interesting article that talks about our modern day propoganda againt Islam. The first thing that comes to our mind when we hear propoganda is WW1 and WW2. We have not thought that we are being exposed to propoganda today about our current war. We often see headlines such as "Islam: A Killing Cult, not a religion." and "Anti-Muslim Abuse Soars After 7/7." We are always told about the radical Islamics and that they are a killing people but in reality they are a religion of peace. There is a just a very small group that are radical Islamics that practice martyrdom. We are fed these false ideas through the media to justify us going to war. If we were to show pictures of their religion of peace then we would be more likely to fight against America going to war.

I believe it is important to recognize propoganda but I do not believe that it is necessarily bad. I believe that it is positive and raises partiotism and unification amongst our nation. The media feeds us what we want to hear and in reality our government is fighting the "Radical Islamic" people and not the "religion of peace." It is not like this propoganda is totally bogus information that makes us brainwashed war supporters. We are just being shown what the government is fighting and supporting and what we should take into account when deciding our position on these certain topics.

Targeted Advertising in Facebook

Marketing Pilgrim. "Facebook Really Does Make Money" 15 Nov 2009. http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2007/08/facebook-really-does-make-money.html


Facebook is a very popular social networking system that is widely used amongst many people. There are varieties of people that use this service. There are many aspects of this service that are so special and different from other social applications and facebook still manages to make it free for its users. They are able to make it free through advertising. If you haven’t noticed on your facebook page, there is a large section that is reserved just for advertisements. Many advertisements cycle through this area and presents many types of services and products for its audience. Facebook was able to create a program that can target the right audience for the right ad to presented too. This program will look at a users interests, age and much other personal information and be able to send an ad that will attract that certain user. Targeted advertising greatly increases the chances of a company getting its product our so companies are willing to pay the big bucks to be able to advertise on facebook. There are not many other places that advertisers can project there products so intimately.

I believe that this is completely necessary for face book to be able to do this. Facebook is a very nice service that many of us prosper from and it is also free. Facebook deserves every cent they get from this advertising money. Most advertisers do not just want to put out their ads if they know only a small percentage will actually be interested in the product. This is a great way for facebook to earn their well deserved money.

Facebook Eases Freshmen Fears, Fosters Friendship

CNN. "Facebook eases freshmen fears, fosters friendship." 1 Nov. 2009. www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/ptech/09/07/cnnu.facebook/index.html

This article talks about one of the positives of facebook, talking others that may live far away. This networking program is a great way for people that live on others side of the world to talk to each other at the press of a button. This article specifically includes a story about a new freshman college student. This new college student was very nervous about her new social life before she left for college. She decieded to look up her roommates so she could talk to them before they get there. She found her roommates and they talked and became very good friends. They set rules and talked about similiar interests. This student said that this process eased the social transition at college. I will most likely be looking up my roommates before I meet them so I can get to know them before hand and have some friends when I go to college.

I completely agree with this statement about how facebook is very positive in helping people meet each other before they move in together. This will be very helpful as I prepare to go to college. I will be able to talk to my roommates and somewhat see what I will expecting with roomates and friends when I first arrice at college. Facebook has many positives especially having the ability to chat with others from all around the world.

Mass Media: The Positives

Tripod. "Mass Media: The Positives." 11 October 2009 http://11061106.tripod.com/id5.html

Summary

We have been talking a lot about the negatives of the media but we should not forget the positives. This article includes many of the luxuries that the media has to offer. It mentions that the media has really expanded our knowledge on certain national and international topics. Without the media, all of our knowledge would take place in our intermediate neighborhood. It also talks about how the news can project certain emergencies before they happen and can give people warnings. They can tell a certain city about a hurricane warning and tell them to evacuate immediately. The media can also give us many how to’s. They can tell us how to cook our favorite pie and how to build a swing set. The media can also feed us information about certain politicians and political views. Although some of these are biased, they are better then the amount we would be getting without the media. Overall the media can have a good effect on our society.

Response

I agree with this article about the positives of the media. The media can tell us about the history, the present, and predictions for the future. We must not forget the most important reason for media, entertainment. Media can be very enjoyable and gives us all a break from our hard lives. We get to learn about other parts of the world and have the ability to watch some of our favorite characters. Although the media has been criticized greatly, we must all recognize the positives.

Effects of Advertising on Children

Lad, Kashmira. "Effects of Advertising on Children." Buzzle. 28 Sept. 2009 http://www.buzzle.com/articles/effects-of-advertising-on-children.html

This article talks about the many problems with advertising on children. It mentions that the media has a strong effect on our needs and wants. Children are a major portion of the advertisers audience so they are constantly making their advertisements appeasing to children. The main job of the advertiser is to make the quality of the product appear high and to make the product a need for the children. Children are a huge buying force. Advertisers will also use glossy images to make the product very attractive and children are very susceptible to these techniques. This creates a lot of problems because the children think that they need this product. They throw temper tantrums until they get what they want. Parents are becoming more easy with allowing their children to control them. They would rather do what the children asks for and not have to deal with the tears and yelling. This is creating a lifestyle for the children that is becoming a problem. They are starting to believe that the only way for happiness is through materialistic joys. This article also includes some tips on how to prevent this from happening to your children. It mentions that parents should be firm and not allow their children to have whatever they want.

I completely agree with this article. As children are watching more television, they are also watching more advertisements. Advertisers are becoming better and better at their job of attracting this young audience. I remember being swayed greatly by these ads when I was younger. I was constantly asking my parents for a new toy and they were always firm with me in telling me that I do not need that toy. This has greatly helped me today as I am more associated with money and make choices with my money. When I am a parent, I will not allow my children to cry there way into getting a toy. The ads are becoming better and better so we need the parents to become more firm with their decisions to prevent a bad lifestyle for the children.

Underage Drinking in the Media

Linnerz. Progressiveu. "Underage Drinking in the Media" 13 Sep. 2009 http://www.progressiveu.org/163020-underage-drinking-in-the-media

This article describes the magnitude and effect that underage drinking has in the media and it's audience. The author shares many feelings about how underage drinking in the media is much too common. She includes the example of banning of selling cigarettes on television and how come they can't ban the selling and use of alcohol in the media. She states that almost all of the popular TV shows have an event where an underage person drinks and gets in an accident and has to face many tribulations and challenges from this mistake. She is very right about this because we do like drama and there is a lot of quality drama to come from someone drinking. She mentions that the media portrays drinking as the only way to have fun. Obviously this is not true and this should not be shown to teens as the only way to have a good time.

I totally agree with what this article has to say about underage drinking in the media. I know many shows that include underage drinking as a common aspect of their show. To name a few, there is Friday Night Lights and Forever Strong. In Forever Strong, the teen is drinking then decides to go for a ride. He is so intoxicated that he wrecks and hurts himself and his girlfriend that was riding with him. They make it seem like it is normal to be able to drink underage. This is not normal. This should not be happening. The media affects teens so greatly and underage drinking should not be as common as it is. This sends out a message to all the teens that it is acceptable to be drinking. We can say that we can do something before it is too late, but in reality, it is too late. I have heard of many stories of people that have experienced the consequences of underage drinking. Something must be done before this becomes too much of a problem.

Positive effects of video games

I am doing my blog on the positive effects of video games. The article I am basing my blog off of is on the site http://www.buzzle.com/articles/positive-effects-of-video-games.html. As a video game fan, I believe that many people have the wrong perspective about video games. Video games can be very positive if not played for abnormally long amounts of time. Many believe that video games are a waste of time and do not create skills that will be needed in life. I do not agree with this because video games can teach us a lot of valuable skills that we will be able to transfer over to the real world. Many of the the video games now simulate life and challenges that come along with it. Players of these games must learn how to cope with these challenges and make the right decision that will make them successful. This will teach the players to be leaders and will increase their leadership skills in real life. Video games can also be a great social event. There have been many times that I have invited friends over to play video games and we have a good time while conversing and playing games. The article mentions that video games are better than TV and listening to music because they are much more interactive thus the players must be much more alert and this can be a very constructive activity. Many critics of video games have noticed that video games can increase players hand-eye coordination. This article also mentions a study of surgeons. The surgeons that were comfortable with video games compared to surgeons that have never played video games before were faster and made less mistakes. Video games can be very positive if played appropriately. They should never replace social, athletic, and educational activities but are a very constructive and positive way to spend free time.