Lit Review Topic

Topic: How does children’s programming affect their school readiness?

Boudrea states research from Grant and Brown (1986) that “found that in comparing early readers and nonreading kindergartners, early readers were significantly more likely than nonreaders to have caregivers who read magazines and newspapers, watched more television, and provided more help in areas related to learning to read” (Boudreau, 2005, p. 35).

Using open-ended questions, the results from the questionnaire showed higher statistics for typically developed children over learning impaired children over the assessment of early literacy skills (Boudreau, 2005).

Based on the results of the study children with a learning impairment watched significantly more television and videos per week than typically developed children, however the trips to the library were nearly identical, with only a .10 deviation. The results also showed that learning impaired children began reading on average eight months after typically developed children did.

Reference

Boudreau, D. (2005). Use of a parent questionnaire in emergent and early literacy assessment of preschool children.Language, Speech & Hearing Services in Schools, 36(1), 33-47.      Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/232589835?accountid=11824.

To Grow up in a Cyber World

This documentary left me torn. I remember growing up online. My uncle worked with computers and we had our first computer in our home by the early 90s. We just played games with the old floppy discs until AOL came about. Then the whole world changed. All of a sudden we could talk to anyone. I think growing up with computers the way I did I never really lost control of reality. It was something that had almost always been there. I think I was roughly 6 or 7 when my uncle put a computer in the room I shared with my two cousins. By the time I was 10 I knew my way around the internet and thanks to shows like So Weird and Alex Mack, a computer was a way to meet people and find out information.

That of course is my personal experience with computers and as such has left me concerned about the children depicted in the documentary. I believe the mother of four was over-bearing, but I also think it was very smart of her to put the computer somewhere very public like that. I do not think she had anything to worry about with her kids, they seemed pretty mature.

Autumn Edows I think just wanted people to like her and having her modeling page on myspace gave her that sense of self that she was so desperately seeking, however, I think she was much too young to be sharing those particular images.

As for Ryan, Ryan made me so very sad. He was so young. Watching that part of the documentary made me realize how important it is stand up against bullying of any kind.

And finally there was Sarah and thinspiration.

Both Ryan had fallen victim to websites that glamorized the wrong messages. Ryan searching for ways to commit suicide and Sarah trying to find a sense of camaraderie in other anorexics.

The cyber world is a vast open space. Will it ever be regulated? That is hard to answer because of the nature of the internet. Nevertheless, one thing is for certain, bullying must end. Ryan’s death could have been prevented had more people known about the abuse he was enduring and how it was affecting him.

I think most people who grew up online, like I did, being online is very natural and instinctual to them. They do not get bogged down by things people say and do, let themselves be harassed, or even use the internet for purposes other than education and entertainment. However, there are the few that slip through the cracks and those are the folks we need to keep an eye out for. I am reminded of something I heard years ago about the effects a smile can have on someone. A smile can change someone’s entire day.

Or maybe I am too optimistic for my own good.

Face-ism

 

Face-ism is based on “the tendency to represent people in terms of their face or head as opposed to their body.” Until this class I did not even notice this phenomenon. It upsets me that as society we have become so used to things like face-ism that we are unaware they even exist. Take for example these two works of art… John William Waterhouse completed Ophelia in 1894, while Escher completed a self portrait in 1929. I chose these works based on my preference for these artists. Even so, just looking at these images we can see how face-ism works. Ophelia is a fragile woman, seated by lily pads, seductive and innocent. Escher is portrays himself serious and contemplative of his surroundings.

Why are women more often shown depicted using a medium and long shots and men are depicted using close-ups?

This is the kind of question face-ism asks. And the answer is because it how it has been done for centuries.   Speaking in terms of a feminist, face-ism is a form of sexism. Women are depicted in magazines, photographs and art the way they are because of the cultural norm. Men are perceived through the images as intelligent, driven, successful, whereas women the concern is with her beauty and less on her brains.

These are the sorts of things that need to be changed. Society is coming into an era where issues such as face-ism need to be a thing of the past. There needs to be equality for everyone. It all starts with one person.

 

 

 

 

 

Case Study 2: Target’s Music Teacher Advertisement

Media Scares

Okay, so I did not do much scary tv-watching as a child. Sure I had seen the classics like The Wizard of Oz and The Little Mermaid, as well as Drop Dead Fred and Babar, but I was never afraid of these programs. That is until I got older and all of a sudden Chucky was no longer a silly doll, Chucky was crazy and I had a doll that bore a striking resemblance. Only her name was Megan.

As I got older the more I was allowed to watch the same shows that my older cousin was allowed to see. One program in particular that I only recently stopped being afraid of was an episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark? where a high school had been built over a cemetery that had been re-located to accommodate the school and they had missed one of the bodies. The corpse then proceeded to haunt the pool. Needless to say I was too afraid to swim in a pool for years. I would wait for my cousins to swim for a while before I even ventured over to the steps. Let the spirit get them first, all the better for me. 🙂

Fortunately I overcame my fears. However, very similar to the Theory of Excitation Transfer that the book refers to, I seek out thrills. I have a friend that loves horror movies. She loves to be afraid. I am not like that. I like going to Haunted Houses, participating in high-adrenaline activities like Bungee-Jumping, but I will not watch scary movies outside of psychological thrillers. The reason for my one-but-not-the-other mentality is this, the things I have even a small amount of control over do not scare. It is the part where I have no control that scares me.

Despite knowing these things I still run up every set of stairs.

Reaction to Sex in the Media Lectures

Last week we covered sex in the media. The first lecture revolved around a discussion on pornography and how it affects society. The second lecture we watched Dreamworlds by Sut Jhally.

During the activity, while I found research online that coincided with what everyone else had come up with. My personal feelings about pornography is less one way or another. I have dated guys who wanted to watch the stuff and frankly I could not care less. It is their business. However, after our classmate shared her own personal experience I guess my feelings on the subject changed. What she and her family went through was unbelievable. I guess sex addiction is not something that just happens to golfers.

My sentiments towards the second lecture were less PG-13. I came home belligerent about the world at large! How dare those crowds in NY and WA treat women in that way. Blaming the media is just a way for people to excuse bad behavior. It boiled down to the group mentality. Because I could hardly believe any one of those guys would have done something like that if they were on their own. It was just ridiculous! I was disgusted.

It probably was not until I was in high school that I actually began to listen to the lyrics in songs. Prior to that, I would sing the songs but really paid no attention to what I was humming along to. Nowadays I turn off the radio the moment Shaggy’s It Wasn’t Me comes on. What kind of message are young people getting from listening to these kinds of songs? I was at the North Georgia Fair this past Saturday and I could not believe my ears when I heard the music being played. But I think I might have been the only person who noticed and/or cared because no one else seemed to feel the music was out of place.

Unfortunately, I think it all comes back to desensitivity. We are creating a world where less and less fazes us. It is a shame, it really is.

Media Deprivation

So I was out of town all week last week and did not get home until 7:30 p.m. tonight Sunday, 9/18. After looking for my kitten that had gone missing I sat down at the computer to catch up on school things and found this assignment by browsing everyone else’s blogs. I feel like maybe Dr. Ryan got this idea after speaking with me. The first day of class I let her know I would be out of town the past week, a week before I was set to go I discovered I would not have access to a phone or the internet without having to pay a ridiculous fee, so my husband and I decided to just do without.

Due to the similarity between the assignment and my lack of media, I feel like I can respond honestly to this writing prompt.

From Sunday, September the 11th at 2:00 p.m. when I last updated my Facebook status until Sunday, September the 18th around 8:00 a.m. when I could check into Foursquare, I was without my phone and the internet. Let me tell you, it was horrible.

Now I was kept pretty busy but when there were times of lull I consistently had the urge to grab my phone and check Facebook or text a friend. None of these things were possible and on more than one occassion I considered paying the exorbitant fees to use the internet.

Not being connected was difficult for nearly 7 whole days. Obviously it was not impossible. I made it. I survived. But I will be honest the moment I was clear to use my phone I was checking emails and voice-mail for the following hour.

If I had to have done this assignment as my peers had done,  I think I would have failed as some of my peers had done.

The fact of the matter is that we use the media so much that it is an integral part of our every day lives. I can foresee this being an assignment that is conducted in grade school in the future, as an exercise in life before the internet and cell phones. The fact that I can remember a day when I could recall all the phone numbers I used from memory alone and now can only remember a handful off the top of my head is not something I like to dwell on.

At least my days are more efficient…

Tiffany Lempesis

 

The 1st cell phone.

Experiment Testing meet Elle Woods

In class on Wednesday, September 31st we had just begun to talk about experiments when we learned we would be watching Legally Blonde. My first reaction was confusion, because I am pretty familiar with the movie and I could not factor in how Legally Blonde related to experiments, moreover media effecting research. Once the clip was over and the testing complete, it all made sense. Initially, however I made the executive decision to just go with it, because even though I could not see a parallel to the movie and experiments there had to be one.

Upon completion of the testing, I have to admit experimental testing based solely on the activity in class, I would say is very beneficial to how media effects research. Earlier in the week while in small groups, I had contributed the question to our set of five questions for our topic of advertising, about whether or not subliminal advertising was effective. While we did not receive many responses, of the responses, only one of the individuals felt subliminal messaging was an effective means of advertising. The exercise we conducted in class on Wednesday rather disproved any assumptions that subliminal messaging was not in fact effective.

Who knew that we were being introduced to products in movies and television that was not completely apparent? Okay, you got me, I did know. However, what I did not know was how prevalent these products were. Usually I can spot blatant, unabashed advertising. And not just the kind the professor used as an example like from the TV show Heroes. I pride myself on my observatory skills, I do not miss too much, especially in moves. So let me blame lack of sleep on momentary lapse Wednesday during the Legally Blonde clip.

Something that surprised me was that these messages stick with you. Not just the ones you are aware of but the ones you are not, too. It is almost a bit scary to think that brands like Pepsi and Prada are making an impression on us without our being aware of it.

Now back to the whether or not I feel like experiments are beneficial to studying how media effects research. My answer is yes. According to our textbook, “the experiment seeks to gather [this] data under controlled conditions” (pg. 35). Unlike qualitative surveys and open-ended questions used for survey purposes, experiments are less subject to the participants and capable of more control by the researcher. The book goes on to discuss variables using an example of the sugar substitute in diet coke in relation to cancer. The sugar substitute is the independent variable causing the dependent variable, the cancer. In comparison to the movie clip we watched, the independent variable would be the product placement causing and increase or decrease in sales, the dependent variable.

Random assignment and identical treatment are then discussed, imparting on the reader the importance of keeping the experimental conditions equivalent (pg. 36). Ensuring that everyone has an equal exposure to the products placed in the moved and that they are being introduced to them in the same ways ensures equality in the research process with no group more likely to be affected than another.

Another key factor in experiments is the control group. A control group is vital to the success of an experiment, because a researcher’s results can be completely changed by the results of a control group (pg. 37).

When reading over the example assessing the effects of mood on music listening choice, the role of experiments as it pertains to media effecting research is enhanced by the careful detail the experimental testing had on the research. And I completely agree.

Tiffany Lempesis

Content Analysis: Blue’s Clues Ep. 53 (Signs)

Let me start by saying, as a nanny for many years, over the years I have watched my share of Blue’s Clues. However never once did I notice the “signs” being shown. Now maybe that has something to do with my attempt to pay as little attention to the new era of preschool television as possible, I do not know. What I do know is that the twins I care for at the moment watch Blue’s Clues every evening before bed and have done so for over a year, with this in mind, not once have I ever seen them repeat any “signs” they have seen from the show. So without further ado I will reflect on the particular episode our class watched Monday, August 29th.

Our group (Erica, Maisah, Tiffany, Lenisha, Ariana) found a series of signs, while only about 10 of them were repeated enough times to be memorable. Here is a list of the signs our group noticed: blue, eat, no, goodbye, quiet, writing, help, drive, go, this way, bridge, thank you, outside, hi Steve, good morning friends, good morning sun, good morning kitten, good morning book, good morning dog, good morning blue, good morning Steve, have a wonderful day, C, see, definitely, one sunny day, a girl, was sitting by a tree, great, eating, i understand, stood up, walking, next part, scared, elephant, friends, bye, table, thinking, where, signs. And this list is just a list of the individual signs seen, not of how often either of these signs was portrayed.

In response to whether or not content analysis is the best way to study media effects, my opinion is that on its own no it is not, but as part of a bigger research project it has its merits. According to Glenn G. Sparks, author of Media Effects Research our textbook for this class, “Content analysis […] helps us to discover what content is present that might be bringing about various effects” (pg. 20). Content analysis allowed us to compile a collection of the various signs used, by whom, how and when. The data collected would be useful for research.

Last semester, I worked on a quantitative research project where content analysis, had we decided to use it, would have been very helpful when categorizing the verbal and nonverbal communication we were observing. If only as a means of organizing the abundance of data we collected for the qualitative research paper.

As a means of objectivity and systematic, content analysis is very effective for a team of researchers, so that all the data is fluid and consistent. In terms of efficiency, content analysis is overwhelming in regards to the Blue’s Clues episode the class viewed. My group stumbled through the parts where the signs were being fired at us rapidly, even with the professor rewinding and replaying the episode. And if a group of college-aged students find the episode and the information it contained overwhelming, it is no wonder the 4-year-old twins I look after have no idea they are getting a crash course in American Sign language.

Tiffany Lempesis

Little Dede Got Peppermints So Everyone Is Occupied

…Logical, Deterministic, General, Parsimonius, Specific, Empirically verifiable, Intersubjective, Open to modifications…

“Little Dede Got Peppermints So Everyone Is Occupied,” has a nice ring to it don’t you think? This is what I came up with to help to remember the Nature of Science.

The above catchy sentence would be easy for me to recall during a test because I am a nanny. I work with kids and the easiest way to quiet a child is to give them a peppermint or some other form of food. This is something I learned from my grandmother who used to give me and my cousins peppermints while at church so that we would be still. When I am not thinking about school, I am thinking about work. This sentence would come very naturally to my memory even during times of high stress like a test.

Litte Dede got peppermints so everyone is occupied. Makes perfect sense to me.

Tiffany Lempesis