Pop culture has developed just as rapidly as communication technologies over the last 60 years. Inventions like the television and cellphone have had a profound effect on our culture. No age group has experienced a greater impact than the adolescents of today. Many teens are so consumed with pop culture they do not realize it. The media has shaped teens into clones of pop teen icons. Teens care too much about what others think to be themselves. The main source of this problem is Hollywood, MTV, Much Music, BET and teen magazines.
I think teens are old enough to believe whatever they want but this love for pop culture starts to become a problem when their younger siblings start to imitate their older brothers and sisters. I've noticed the passed few years, while walking through Square One, more and more pre-pre-teens are starting to dress and act like teens. I've seen ten year old white kids wearing Fubu sweaters and talking like "ganstas." I remember when I was ten all I wanted to do was play street hockey with my friends. Now kids want to go to the mall, dress like teens and carry around cellphones. Kids are losing their innocence at a much younger age and its sad.
Article relating to this topic http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061126/ap_on_re_us/teen_tweens
This song by Every Time I Die is all about going against pop culture.
Language is the most important cultural invention known to man. It is a medium mankind created as a form of communicating to each other and is one factor that distinguishes humans from animals. According to Dictionary.com a language is a body of words and the systems for their use common to a people who are of the same community or nation, the same geographical area, or the same cultural tradition. It is the ability to shape events in each other’s brain with exquisite precision; it has the power to connect the members of a community into and information-sharing network. (Pinker, 41) But how do we humans acquire such a gift and what more can we do with it? Steven Pinker provides us with a thorough explanation of how one acquires language and Alder and Rodman provide useful information on how we can use and interpret language. This knowledge will help us use the power of language to its fullest potential.
Most of people believe that language can be taught; that children learn to speak by imitating role models. However, contrary to popular belief, Steven Pinker believes that the ability to use a language is not something that we can learn. As we go through our daily lives we do not realize the complexity of the language we speak, therefore it is natural for one to believe that language, in all its complexity, can be taught. One can not learn a language like one learns to how to do math. “[Language] is a distinct piece of the biological makeup of our brains. Language is a complex, specialized skill, which develops in the child spontaneously, without conscious effort or formal instruction.”(Pinker, 42) In this way Pinker believes that language is more of an instinct that one gradually acquires. Darwin also suggests that language is an instinct, “… for man has an instinctive tendency to speak, as we see in the babble of our young children.” Babies, before even trying to walk, use the only form of language they know to communicate with their parents; noise whether it be random sounds they make or through crying. This noise later turns into random words and then finally into properly structured sentences. In between this process however a child goes through a phase where his or her sentences are grammatically incorrect. Therefore, further proving that humans do not acquire a language through imitation, instead it is an instinct that is acquired spontaneously.
Language is the basis of human communication through speech, however it can be used to achieve so much more. Alder and Rodman believe that the language we used can shape the attitudes of others; in a good ways and bad. A name is typically associated as a method of identification however names can “shape the way others think of us, the way we view ourselves and the way we act.”(Adler and Rodman, 77) Names that are easier to say tend to be more popular. If a speaker were to sound credible by speaking like a scholar it is natural to believe the speaker and accept the speaker’s thoughts as true. But this is a common misconception people get tricked by; when they assume the credibility of someone based on how they talk. Some salespeople use language to trick people into buying their products. Therefore, it is essential to be able to tell the difference between genuine people and frauds. Sexism and racism are other more extreme examples of how language can be used to shape the attitudes of others. We have seen how sexism and racism can have negative impacts on society. How we use language can influence people both positively and negatively. Although names seem harmless, they do have the potential to cause pain when associated with sexism and racism. Therefore, language is a powerful tool that can be used to shape the attitudes of others.
As well as possessing the ability to shape the attitude of others, language also has the ability reflect the attitudes of the speaker as well. Speakers have the ability to persuade their audience with language as seen in the previous section. But this ability is useless if the speaker has no confidence and power when speaking. A listener will be more inclined to listen to a speaker who does not stutter and does not use slang while talking. Powerful speech isn’t the only way one could judge the attitude of the speaker. “Language can also be a way of building and demonstrating solidarity between others.”(Alder and Rodman, 82) Choosing the right vocabulary, the number and proper placement of pauses and level of politeness are all key factors that should be taken into consideration. A good communicator can adapt his or her speech to better suit the style of others. For example an immigrant will strive hard to master the widespread language of the new country in order to be successful there. A good speaker also knows what the right thing to say is for any given situation. For example, if you got a bad haircut and you asked a random person how it looked. A good speaker would lie and says it looks good. Finally a good communicator can also reveal their attitude by accepting responsibility in messages. For example a less responsible speaker would say “It’s not finished” where a more responsible speaker would say “I didn’t finish it.”(Alder and Rodman, 83) Therefore, a listener will be more inclined to listen to a speaker who is powerful but polite and responsible and knows the right thing to say and at the right time.
Language is a very powerful tool if used properly. By properly understanding how humans acquire language we can use it for the greater good of humanity by investing money into researching how the brain and language are connected. By doing this we will one day be able to help cure diseases that affect ones ability to communicate with speech and language. Also, by understanding how to properly interpret and analyze language we can become better communicators and better listeners. We can learn what to look for in genuine communicators and will be able to analyze the attitude and motifs of a speaker. In addition, we can learn how to properly and more effectively communicate with others by using language to its fullest.
Newspapers seem to be a very credible source to receive information from. News from all over the world can be found in print and on paper every morning waiting for readers to digest. However, these papers all have hidden agendas. Almost all the big newspapers in the world today are owned by corporations which happened to be sponsored by Governments. Most articles published in newspapers today can be written from different points of views. For example, two different headlines in newspapers could cover the same topic but convey different messages. "Youth killed at protest" and "Youth killed by protest" These are two completely different messages and one must stop to think what really happened. Newspapers who have sponsorships will never publish an article that goes against the point of view of their sponsors for fear of upsetting and possibly loosing a sponsor. Therefore most newspapers are being censored as true opinions of editors can never be expressed due to the suppression from management.
Here is an example of Jonah Jameson from the Daily Bugle in Spiderman 2. Although this is a fictional paper we see how editors have the power shape the opinions of their readers.
Mr. Jameson was able to turn the people of New York City against Spiderman even though Spiderman was a good guy.
In the movie Behind Enemy Lines we see how a newspaper was able to bring hope, even though it was a sort of false hope, to the people of Russia during World War 2. At that time the Russians were losing the war against Germany but they created a hero to bring hope for other soldiers and to show to civilians that Russia was not losing the war to the Nazis.
This tactic the Russians used paid off as enrollment in the army increased and soldiers had a new found hope and developed nationalism in Russia.
In conclusion, even though newspapers can be used for good, they can also have hidden agendas. We should be aware that what we read in the newspapers may only contain part of the story.
The whole point of communication is to convey a message. Listening to the message that is being conveyed is just as important. By paying closer attention to the speakers we may actually pick up something important. By listening critically to the speaker we can draw up certain conclusions about the speaker such as credibility and motives of the speaker. It is important that we do not let "words go in one ear and out the other." If we learn to become good listeners we will improve our communicating skills. In this clip we see how the unattentiveness of the examiner allows the student to get away with handing in the essay late.
The irony of this clip is that the student would not be in that situation if he LISTENED to the examiner in the first place and handed his test in time.
Leaders and Crowds: With Power Comes Great Responsibilty
"To know the art of impressing the imagination of crowds is to know the art of governing them." - Le Bon
All good leaders know how to captivate his or her audience. They have the power to motivate and influence a crowd to achieve great things. This power could be abused to produce great evil or it could be used to accomplish great good. Hitler was a great leader who abused this power. Before Hitler had any real power he started mesmerizing the small crowd he preached to. At that time Hitler was poor and was jealous of the many successful Jewish businessmen living in Germany. He started preaching his message to a small crowd and slowly he gained support. After he gained power over Germany he started spreading his message of hate through propaganda and through mass gatherings. Le Bon also stated that crowds are stupid. This was true in the case of Nazi Germany. Hitler brainwashed his audience so well, that even though immoral acts were committed no one questioned his decisions. Although leaders can influence crowds negatively they also have the power to influence a crowd positively. For example a priest or minister can influence his congregation to accomplish many good deeds. Other world icons such as Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Teresa have made significant positive differences in the world.
Clip from Gandhi
CCB #4
The Effects of the Internet on Interpersonal Communication
“In one survey, approximately 25 percent of the respondents who used the Internet regularly spent less time talking in person and on the phone with friends and family members.” – Knapp and Vangelisti
Interpersonal communication by definition is the interaction between two people. The internet has made a profound impact on the way interpersonal communication. It has introduced many new mediums of human communication. Some examples are instant messaging, online dating, blogs, forums, etc. The article “Interpersonal Communication and the Internet” points out that more and more people rely heavily on the internet for communicating which in turn causes feelings of isolation. I believe that this statement is false as I the internet presents many opportunities to communicate with others, it is just more electronic. The internet makes interpersonal communication much more convenient. Intimate relationships can start with online dating services. Online communities such as Myspace or Facebook exist for people to interact with each other to avoid feelings of isolation on the internet. Although the internet has created new mediums of communication, I believe that because of this people are avoiding more traditional methods of communication. For example, I have noticed that since my family started using high speed internet I have barely used the phone to talk to friends, most of my communication has been done over MSN Messenger. This past week I completed an assignment with a partner I have never met personally. Since we could not find time to meet up we did our entire assignment over MSN Messenger. Another example would be the use of postal services. My parents used to receive many letters from relatives located all around the world. Now, with the internet they receive letters from relatives much quicker and at no cost via email. These are just examples of the evolution of the human race; however it is important to not forget the past as it can be useful.
