Media; the ups and downs

The media is something that has a great influence upon our life; Dictionary.com defines it as any kind of communication (in any form: television, radio etc.) that influences people in wide variety. We know the media as something that connects us to others. Cell phones and computers, emails and text messages allow for this. Along with the positive attributes of the media, it is also greatly acknowledged for its negative attributes.

For children, media is no more then the latest TV show or game console, but even something as little as a Barbie commercial has its negative effects. When playing the latest game, children will often immerse themselves within the game and the reality that the game is trying to portray. Because of this, media plays a part in distracting kids when they work, and it also gives children a false sense of realism which could lead to a very confusing childhood. Commercials often have children under a spell as they appeal to the child’s euphorian thoughts causing them to gain an attraction for a certain product. Though there are several negative effects, there are an equal number of positive ones. For example: media has been used to teach children the way of the world, allowing them to see the world in not only media's perspective, but urging them to see the world through their own eyes. The unrealistic things within the media, such as the good guys always win and the world is always a good place are contradicted and questioned by children as they grow, this allows them to understand that the world is not always good and that life is unexpected; they see what reality truly is. Unfortunately this very subject can be contrasted by the fact that the media is portraying a very unrealistic image of the world.

Bullying in Cyberspace

The assembly on Cyberbullying was very educational. It not only taught us of the eminent consequences of using the web to victimize someone but it also taught us of the common use of Facebook and Myspace to do this. It was a real wake up call and many wondered why the guest speaker had happened upon our school. Of course many of us had subtle thoughts of Myspace comments and Facebook groups, not only targeting students but members of the school faculty as well and as the speaker began to grow upon the subject of the consequences of doing such a heinous thing, the subtle thoughts grew into more of a clear picture. I think that the sudden realization of the immenseness of cyber bullying then began to rear its head.

We believe that Cyberbullying is any type of harassment that takes place on the web or with any type of electronic device. This would put text messages and emails in this category. I believe the best type of punishment for this type of harassment should be possibly a sentencing to a correctional facility for repeat offenders. First time offenders should be suspended from school there electronics should be confiscated and they should go to either counseling with a counselor or peer counseling involving the victim. Ultimately if a person doesn’t want face the consequences they should not bully anyone. Clearly bullying in general is a growing epidemic and is being recognized more and more through out the world. The punishments will get harsher, but nothing compares to the guilty conscience that one has after harassing someone to an extreme point. Cyber bullying should be stopped at any cost, our generation and future generations depend on a safe, and more secure environment. I mean the stress of school and pressure from family and peers is bad enough, does our society really need to be put down by one another? No it doesn’t, we should not have to tolerate such things.

We are the Web

The World Wide Web is not only constantly changing; it is also changing our world. It is truly amazing that the World Wide Web has become a regular partner in our everyday life. A cell phone can be seen in practically every single person’s hand; strangers fumbling to text message some one on the other side of town, or surfing the net looking for polyphonic ring tones. The world has indulged itself with the opportunities that the Web has to offer and though it may seem as though the Web is taking over the world, in reality we are still in control of the web. We are the ones who “teach” the World Wide Web.

Humans are the ones who have created and expanded the Web, we are constantly feeding it information allowing it to grow and adapt to our lifestyles. The web is a way man has thought of to make our life much easier. Web 2.0 is a perceived second generation of web-based communities and hosted services that facilitate collaboration and sharing between users. It is but another way to get closer to our fellow humans. We are able to communicate with people millions of miles away in a matter of seconds via email, because of the web we are much more of a community than every before. A few years ago the web was nothing big, but the trend of emailing and computer usage grew and soon the world was completely indulged in the Web. We are now able to surf the net and see people all around the world, we are able to meet people, see family in distant places, with the use of a web cam and even find love with the constantly changing internet communities.

Wii will rock you

The Wii is something that is obviously thought of as a revolution in the race to produce the better more appealing game console, but is the Wii just hype or is it actually a revolution in gaming technology? I believe that it is both. The Wii’s use of motion technology is truly a revolution to the gaming world.

The average gamer is no longer bound to wires and cords running into the game console itself, but now has the ability to freely move about, with no restrictions. Of course it has set the playing field for other game consoles such as the Sony play station and Microsoft’s X-box, but will it stay at the top of its game forever? Obviously not. Newer and better things that utilize other methods of human involvement will be invented and put into the hands of consumers, but I believe that the Wii will remain as such for the time being. The fact that the Wii has enabled the gaming community to utilize something commonly seen in video cameras and store doors, is truly a revolution of today. The progress gaming systems in general have gone through is truly amazing. I remember the first Nintendo game console, it was bulky and quite hassle to work, but today we see hand held gaming systems, such as the PSP, Gameboy and so on. The gaming world has advanced massively and as a result the competition between rival companies have grown, allowing the consumer to be happily overwhelmed with a variety of gaming utilities.

Though the Wii is a revolution today, will it be so tomorrow? That is a question that can only be answered with time. For now we must enjoy the versatility and revolution provided by the Wii and look forward to what the human mind can come up with next.

My iPod, My.. teacher?

With an ever changing appearance and newer features being thought of everyday, Apple’s, iPod is slowly but surely taking over the world. Not only is it an mp3 player, but now it is a video player, photo album and even a teacher; according to a York university article. Kinesthetic studies and the iPod go hand in hand. It is what separates college from University. This type of learning regiment allows students to experience more freedom and allows them to multi task. Unfortunately it also leaves the constant space for a vigorous amount of distractions.

Mary ward being a school devoted to a self-directed learning system allows for the easy adaptation of this “iPod education”. Yes, the self-directed learning leaves students with a lot of freedom, in preparation for University, but sadly Mary Ward’s self-directed learning system, like KFC, comes with the consequential heart attack students call procrastination. I believe that the iPod learning system would also allow for this. I myself am opposed to it, though it is a new and more efficient way of learning for some, I don’t believe that I would be better off with this type of hands on learning. I’m sure many people would be with this kind of learning; people who prefer to have a lot of freedom, but in my case I profit from sitting in one place and working on one thing for a certain period of time with no major disturbances. Not only does it help me do my work more efficiently it also allows for the better quality of my work. I would be extremely distracted if given the amount of freedom offered by the iPod lectures; certainly many would agree that even the freedom offered at Mary Ward is a bit overwhelming and regularly leads to the popularly known temptation of “HALL WALKING.” Though there are some disadvantages, I believe that an iPod in the hands of a hardworking Mary Ward student would probably benefit them, allowing more to be accomplished in less time. Seminars, being a time consuming task, could be avoided, leaving more time for work and an hour left not wasted by a teacher talking about things one already knows.

In my opinion the iPod learning system allows more freedom at the expense of education itself. Though many would argue that it is a likely opportunity to prepare for university, I believe that it would lead to the eventual down fall of the persona of the hardworking student. The system of kinesthetic studies would let student have the ability to move around and work at the same time, but one has to argue about the amount of concentration placed upon specific tasks. More would be accomplished but at what expense; quality of course. I believe that the V-cast is good in certain situations. If given to a hardworking, concentrated student, it would be very useful and allow them to complete more in a compromised amount of time; but if given to a student who is easily distracted and doesn’t work much it would probably just be the perfect excuse to buy an iPod. The practicing student is the main subject, for the use of the iPod is in their hands; it is their choice to misuse it or to use it to excel in their education.