"Writing as Social Action" - Education Effect - FIU & MNW

This is a photo blog (for now). 

America VS Family

There is a video I would like you (parents and teens) to watch. It is interesting to know how the media is not just technology based. The press, news, the papers, broadcasting, publishing, billboards . . . are more than technology based, they are psychologically created to keep us bound to their multi-use. This is great! Practically speaking, keeping people addicted and wanting more is excellent to boost the economy, maintain cash flow, and keep media and technology based business growing. Targeting the developing minds of children and adolescents is an even better tactic.

Realistically speaking, I see this new line of teens and it saddens me how parents no longer have time to raise their children. But then again, we live in a country where you live to work (instead of working to live), where money comes before one’s physical being, where mothers continue working only a few weeks after giving birth. It is almost a need to do all of this under the American government. Where as in Spain and other parts of the world, people work to live, their work hours are less, salary is higher, and vacation days are more. Thus, parents can spend more time with their children and engage in activities other than watching T.V. or online.

Ever wonder what children think about this?

I cannot blame the media’s psychological advantages over adolescents. The world is amazingly beautiful and we are missing out on it by being glued to some form of technology. We lose our identity, and ourselves for those of us who even have one.

What do you think about the video?

Should I or Should I Not?

Dear Friends,

So I just saw the movie “He’s Just NOT That Into You” again. This time, I thought out the scenes on a different level. I could not help identifying myself with Drew Barrymore’s character. I thought that about 90% of teen girls would identify with this character too. This movie is the very core of adolescent development including childhood upbringing.

“Do you know why that boy said those mean things to you? Oh honey, it is because he likes you.”

“We are all programmed to believe that if a guy acts like a total jerk that means he likes you.” ~He’s Just Not That Into You.

Years ago I met with two of my friends at one of their houses. The topic of conversation was . . . “boys.” After talking and hoping for some advice, I stopped to realize that we were all in somewhat different stages, I was 20, my friends were 30 and 42. And I thought, ideally, we should get “over/past” the nonsense of boys and their unpleasant behavior towards us. However, it was the opposite.

Thankfully (sarcastically), now we have multiple ways in which we (us girls) can get through to guys. We have, Facebook, MySpace, Text . . . and the list goes on and on and on.

"I had this guy leave me a voicemail at work, so I called him at home, and then he emailed me to my BlackBerry, and so I texted to his cell, and now you just have to go around checking all these different portals just t get rejected by seven different technologies. It's exhausting."

It is not the “media’s fault” that teenage girls develop an obsessive behavior towards boys, but it sure helps. I think parents should be cognizant about today’s day and age. 

Wired Brain

Without a doubt, we live in a world constantly evolving in technology. Its technological advances have alleviated most of us (excluding third world countries) from hassles and trouble to “get things done.” From days in which our parents had to go to the library for hours to complete a “written” report to going online in our homes and access the library resourced to complete a “typed” report for school.

I am a young adult and I cannot help noticing some of the different technology I use now in contrast to when I was an adolescent. A Walkman as oppose to an iPod. A beeper as oppose to a cellphone. Access to e-mails from a smartphone as oppose to a regular desktop computer.

Some people question whether these technological advances make an easier lifestyle. Specifically, do all of these technological advancements improve adolescent development? Personally, I think that it is a good thing to advance, especially in technology. But, I think that this much advancement diminishes adolescent cognitive development. It used to be that people could calculate basic 2-digit mathematical calculations using their brain. Now, this is to be done with the advancements of calculators > scientific calculators > graphic calculators!

These modern devices, especially cellphones are rarely used for emergencies only. Now, people, especially adolescents have grown emotionally and physically attached to this device. So much that anxiety and even stress has developed. I suggest we all schedule ourselves with the technological world. I think that doing so will allow time for intimate family bonding, personal connection, and a happier self. Adolescents will learn to use their brain at a higher level and they will learn to be more social. I am not saying we should go Amish on technology, but it is healthy for us to create technological boundaries.

Monroe was What?!?

It used to be that we all wanted to look like Marilyn Monroe. She had the “perfect” body image all girls wanted. Her thin curves fell in all the right places. Would I sound crazy if I said Marilyn Monroe was a bit overweight? Well, according to the media, Monroe and other women during her time are now considered overweight. Teenage girls are being manipulated into thinking that the thinner they look the better. But, the type of thin images the media portrays in pictures and magazine ads are unnatural. It is not possible for girls to achieve an image like that by following a healthy diet. This is just a glimpse of how teenage girls find themselves engaging in negative behaviors, like bulimia or anorexia nervosa.

Is it all worth it? Is it worth having that unnatural skeleton looking body image like magazine models that have been photo shopped and cropped to look “perfect?”

I think teenage girls are emotionally emerging into young adulthood without a real sense of true worth and values. While parents are cooking dinner, teen girl is vomiting as she showers.

It used to be that girls would either turn out to be a wife and mother or a whore. In other words, you were either a married women with a child or a sex object. Much has changed since then. What has not changed much is how women are looked upon as sex objects.

Ever seen car advertisement commercials or magazines with a woman’s image in lingerie or swimsuit? Questioned the correlation between the two? None, really. It is said cars tell a lot about its driver’s personality. A blue 2012 mustang commercial with a woman walking around it in heels is stereotypically sexually appealing to the male population targeting their sexuality and manhood. 

My Teen is What?

While reading Josh Sleeper’s blog about how the media affects teenage girls, I was able to see how the media might initiate subconscious thoughts into teenage girls. Shows like “Teen Mom” and “16 and Pregnant” incites thoughts of becoming pregnant. It is like, “Do not think of an elephant” and you probably just thought of an elephant. I do not think the purpose of these shows is to promote teenage pregnancy. It is just another way of becoming wealthy and if it is on the expense of adolescents, then so it will be. The new show about Teenager’s mother AND the teenage girl are BOTH pregnant called “My Teen is Pregnant and so am I.” Now, this is something “cool.” Having a dual pregnancy where the teenager’s mother is expecting a child and a grandchild simultaneously. I would hope teenagers would watch these shows and have thoughts towards not wanting to become pregnant as oppose to wanting to become pregnant to be famous and cool.

This leads to vanity. Is there a correlation between females and vanity? It is highly probable. This is noticeable when teens are asked what they want to be when they grow up and they respond, “I want to be famous.” Instead of responding, “I want to be an actor, singer, etc.” Since when is being “famous” an actual career. It is the glamour and the popularity our teenagers crave that is evident.

But, where is the core of all this? Where are the feelings of vanity materialism rising from? I think the root of all this is at home. Are American homes lacking family involvement due to the economic crisis or multiple jobs? Or is it that parents have given up the upbringing of their child? It is a challenge, but it is not impossible.