Consumerism, consuming people since birth

More than just a statement, consumerism is a bigger part of our lives then we think.  Not only does it teach us things, it actually instills in us ideals for better or for worse.  Companies brand us at birth and have this idea of advertising and capturing our loyalty from cradle to grave.  By taking a step back and seeing where our own loyalties lie, we can then begin to see how they have shaped us and influenced us as human beings.

the FB

So “facebook stalking” has been used way too casually in so many converstations that I hear.  You can go from aquaintance, to fb friends, to whoa overload of personal info/pictures, to stalker in T minus 5 minutes.  Get your stopwatches ready, I believe a lot stalking can be done in just under an hour.  I mean since when did stalking become a hobby, a pastime, a habit???  All I have to say is weird….and the fact that I have a fb…boo.

How long?

Debt and the dreaded credit card reality that a lot of us face is disturbing. I don’t think that I have gone a day where I haven’t heard someone else express their concerns about credit card debt and the fact that they have NO money. Everyday… “I only have $5.24 left in my account.” “Well that’s nothing because I have $2.23 in mine and negative -$3.00 in my savings.” Doesn’t this bother anyone? That the supposed future of America can barely even pay for day-to-day expenses without using a credit card and on top of it they expect us to pay INTEREST annnnd our students LOANS? The cycle seriously does not end and it really hurts so many people and their futures. How can people afford to start a family? Get an abortion? Pay for the asthma medication that they so desperately need? Taxpayers of America will pay for it. So in turn we pay for our mistakes over and over and over again. And um, aren’t we supposed to be learning from our mistakes? How can we when the cost of fixing them is beyond our wildest dreams? It bothers me when celebrities can purchase $182 million dollar lavish homes and people in their own neighborhoods are scrounging around for cans, desperately trying to get money for their next meal. What would happen if we all helped each other? What would happen if we all cared that much more? Must we wait until we are the ones on the streets, before we start seeing the way that things really are? Take a look around, things are going down and soon our own parents will be living without the means to care for themselves. Do we really have to let it get to that point? I do NOT want to wait to find out. Do you?

Self gratification meets choice.

Honestly, how refreshing it is to hear that our generation is adding 4.5 million voters every year, especially because I played a part in this as I went from classroom to classroom with volunteers from one of my communications classes to register students to vote who weren’t already registered. Our goal was to register 2,000 voters and we ended up exceeding that vote by getting almost 3,000 students registered!!! It was a powerful feeling knowing that if we only came together we could accomplish anything that we wanted. The only problem is applying this to other topics that we seem to care so much about, yet so few are willing to do anything. In this country and in our current times, our generation has been programmed to think that they should receive instant gratification for things and if they don’t, then it is not worth their time. People need to open their eyes, this election was proof that we CAN make a difference. I am so tired of people saying “oh, I’m just one vote, it won’t make that much of a difference” the fact of the matter is they are WRONG. The first step toward making a difference is agreeing to participate. That one vote could be the reason that millions of people’s hopes and dreams are crushed. It’s like telling a baseball team in their final game that you don’t want to participate because you don’t think they have a chance of winning. Does that put it in perspective? Because it should. Wipe away the self absorption… go outside and breathe in the fresh air…cherish being alive and for all the hard work of others that allowed you to be where you are, live if not for yourself, then for the others who never got that chance.

Media + technology = life (or human life form?)

Mediated reality? Or real life?

I mean let’s be serious. A computer going sledding in the wintertime? A boy who instead of following his dreams of becoming a musician, just plays Rockstar on his video game and let’s his potential slip away? Who catches your eye? Who makes you swoon? The man of your dreams right? WRONG. Verizon wireless. Hungry for some nutritious breakfast? You get a mini guitar hero game to bring to school and distract you. Even a professional dancer who is a SIZE 4 is criticized as becoming Big Jen because she merely goes from a size 2 to a 4. A new mother struggles to get ready for work, check her email and is surrounded by her persistent technologies as her baby slowly crawls by unnoticed. The accompanying caption? Get ready to simplify your life.

The question I am asking is who’s life? When we think of things in terms of ‘our lives’ are we really thinking for ourselves? It’s tough to imagine a world without the influences that we see on a day to day basis.

We see a computer posing as a child going sledding, we see a multi-tasking mom dealing with several things at once, everything except her own baby. We see a hurt professional dancer who will always judge the way she looks after being criticized by the media one too many times. Verizon wireless is apparently the new bachelor and who isn’t a morning person?

I mean these small ads were things that I found just flipping through your average magazine. Can we even distinguish between our own personal preferences anymore, or do we begin to see media and technology as a huge part of our lives? The scary thing is, do we even see it? Is anybody aware of all the garbage that the media throws at us? Or is it simply life?

I am not open to the fact that a computer is compared to a child. I am not accepting of the fact that a mother chooses virtually everything else over her child. And I am not willing to accept the fact that a boy would rather pretend to be somebody, then actually go out in the world and do it. To me this is not acceptable and we need to be aware of how we, us as humans are being represented. I know where I stand. But do you?

How much can we really do?

I find myself wondering more and more each day.  It is inescapable.  What you may ask? Well the media, the influence, the desire, the attraction to it.  For me is isn’t as much of an issue mostly because I don’t watch TV, mostly because I don’t buy into things and most importantly I feel there is so much more to do, to see.  I consider myself lucky because I was not trapped in the world of media and influences as I spent almost all of my time outdoors causing problems and injuring various parts of my small and curious frame.  I was nearly dangled over the media fire getting a feel for the heat and deciding it was something I could do without.  My brother on the other hand was not as lucky.  If he isn’t involved in some sort of media, consisting of the TV, the computer, his wii, his psp, his touch screen cellphone, it is endless…he literally will complain and berate his loved ones until he can go back to his world of electronics.  A simple walk outside is the bane of his distaste and he makes sure everyone knows how much he despises a mere walk over his true friends.  Even when he is with his friends, they crowd around a computer fixated for hours.  I remember cheering in a Rocky triumph over my first cellphone on my 16th birthday.  My brother was 12.  My phone was a green screen with cheesy black letters that I found fascinating.

It’s a tough call. I mean who really is to blame?  My parents did everything they could and even went against the mainstream of new technologies.  Technology sure is a factor, but certainly not the main culprit.  In my eyes there really is only one beast that breathes influences and creates desires we didn’t even know that we had.  Media. *cringe* to be honest I didn’t see it as much until my eyes were opened freshman year by Sut Jhally.  A great man who like the rest of the world is opininated for sure, but even if you don’t agree with him, the concepts and reality he chooses to expose leaves its mark.  It affects us all and has in the past, present and will in the future.  What bothers me is that it is getting worse.  I truly believe that only the extremely concious, level-headed, involved individuals will be able to resist.

Let’s be serious though who really has the time? The economy is shitty, education is suffering severe budget cuts, afganistan is becoming the next iraq, times are tough.  Where can we find release? After a long day at work, we turn on the tv and lose ourselves.  What ever happened to talking about our days and enjoying the company of each other in a revered silence?  I fear these days are numbered and in a world where we cannot even find the will to turn the other way and change our lifestyles ins small yet powerful ways, how will our kids end up?  Movies like Wall-E have the ability to open our eyes even if it is in a playful way and not necessarily realistic, it has an underlying point.  If we constantly give in to the media and its influences, what will we become?  Puppets? Mongloids? Zombies?  As ridiculous as these may sound, they hold some truths.  We may be puppets that can see our strings, but my question is when will we cut these strings and walk away?  I want my children to see the beauty in life, the facsinating people we meet that change our lives and the desire to make each others lives better and in turn – help others.  Don’t get me wrong there’s nothing better then indulging in mindless media.  My problem is that none of it is mindless and no matter how much we deny it, it influences all of us in some way.

It all starts here. It starts with us.  So I ask you, the next time you pick up the remote and loose yourself, think about it.  Breathe, go for a walk take in what you see.  You never know what you will miss until it is gone.  Be different. I dare you.

Same body two identities

Although some of you may not be familiar with this drawing, once you take a closer look you will see what I mean.  This picture is supposed to represent a boy in his ‘tweens’ who formed his self based on two identities.  The one on the right side refers to his creative side indulging in the great outdoors and 

reading to feed the imaginative fire.  The one on the left side refers to his branded side, influenced by media, technology and the fast pace gratifications in life such as nice name brand clothing.  The tie between them has the young boy torn between reading his favorite book and clutching the mouse to his computer that he uses so much.  The scissors in the middle are representative of the media pressures and outside influences that threaten to sever the ties between the creatice, imaginative heartfelt side and the mundane electronic filled one.

Misrepresentation

Reality vs. Represntation

Reality vs. Representation

It’s tough to face the reality of the situation sometimes, but the fact of that matter is the representation of women in the media is distorted. The most frightening part of it is that no one

is really doing anything about it. Doesn’t it upset anyone else that we are allowing little 2 by 4’s

to waltz around on the tv screens, in magazines, in movies and in ads? Who is going to put their foot down and just say no? Dove’s Campaign For Real Beauty is a start, but is it enough? Coming from a woman’s perspective, I see countless female friends constantly judging themselves in the mirror desperately searching for that perfect body. What ever happened to living, loving, laughing? Instead we are consumed by the desire to constantly better our appearance rather than appreciate and flaunt what we have. The pressures are there and our bodies are proof of our media scars. How much will it take until we finally say no more? I am sick of doubting my appearance because of what they tell me. I take pride in the days I roll out of bed and go to class in my scrubs with unkempt hair, no make-up and a defiant smile.

Why then I ask myself, can’t I do this everyday and simply be free? Media and the representation of my gender is the answer. I may be proud of my days of defiance, yet I refuse to be a black sheep.  Something is not right and somehow we need to get to the bottom of this.