To do or not to do; is there really any question?

Cognitive Dissonance
This is the feeling of uncomfortable tension which comes from holding two conflicting thoughts in the mind at the same time.
Dissonance is often strong when we believe something about ourselves and then do something against that belief. If I believe I am good but do something bad, then the discomfort I feel as a result is cognitive dissonance.
Cognitive dissonance is a very powerful motivator which will often lead us to change one or other of the conflicting belief or action. The discomfort often feels like a tension between the two opposing thoughts.
- Changing minds and persuasion

The media creates cognitive dissonance every day. Whether it is television commercials persuading us to buy a Tim Horton's donut when we know we really shouldn’t be eating it because it is bad for us, or a magazine article listing the facts about how recycling is positive but then you go and throw your water bottle in the garbage. The media is present in every decision we make, consciously or subconsciously, it is creating dissonance whether we like it or not. However, the way we decide to act is up to us. Referring to John Berger’s “The Ways of Seeing”, we can make different assumptions about what is good and what is bad by the way we perceive something to be.


Works cited

"Cognitive Dissonance." Changing minds and persuasion -- How we change what others think, believe, feel and do. 13 Oct. 2009 .

Got Healthy?

Women with mustaches? Very attractive. The next time you see an advertisement for milk companies keep in mind the next bit of information:
I recently read a book that helped me to justify why consuming meat, dairy, and animal byproducts are harmful in ways not only directly linked to animal cruelty, but also to human health problems.
Facts:
- “Dairy products have been linked to acne, anemia, anxiety, arthritis, ADD, ADHD, fibromyalgia, headaches, heartburn, indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome, joint pain, osteoporosis, poor immune function, allergies, ear infections, colic, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, autism, Crohn’s disease, breast and prostate cancers, and ovarian cancer” (Freedman. 58-59).
- “Not one study found dairy to be a deterrent to osteoporosis” (Freedman. 58)
- “Dietitians and nutritionists are cheerleaders for the dairy industry” (Freedman 59). They get paid to tell you dairy is good for you without revealing all the facts.
- “Most doctors know nothing about nutrition… doctors receive less than three hours of nutritional training in medical school” (Freedman. 60).
- “Dioxin, one of the most toxic substances in the world, is often found in dairy products” (Freedman 60).
- “Contrary to popular belief, they [cows] do not need to be milked-ever.” (Freedman. 56)
- “Cows milk, by design, grows a 90-pound calf into a 2,000-pound cow over the course of two years. It allows calves to double their birth weight in forty-seven days and leaves their four stomachs feeling full. (Freedman. 56)
- Why cows milk not an elephant, zebra, or gorilla? “Using the animal that produces the largest quantity of milk but is more easily housed than an elephant means more money for farmers. It has nothing to do with health or nutrition” (Freedman. 57)
- “Consuming high amounts of dairy blocks iron absorption, contributing to iron deficiency” (Freedman. 61)
(For all these interesting facts, and dozens more, pick up a copy of Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin. I promise you won’t be disappointed.)

These advertisements make drinking cow’s milk “sexy, attractive, and alluring” when in reality there is nothing attractive about it.
“The dairy industry spends hundreds of millions of dollars every year to market their products. Average consumers don’t spend their time perusing medical journals, but they do read magazines and watch television.” (Freedman. 59)

"The business of the advertiser is to see that we go about our business with some magic spell or tune or slogan throbbing quietly in the background of our minds" - Marshal McLuhan
As my last blog stated: QUESTION EVERYTHING!

Works Cited

Barnouin, Kim, and Rory Freedman. Skinny Bitch. Foster City, CA: Running Press Book Publishers, 2005.

"Marshall McLuhan Quotes." Famous Quotes and Quotations at BrainyQuote. 13 Oct. 2009 .

Question Everything.

Media is the various vehicles that deliver information to people. Mass media therefore must then refer to various vehicles that deliver information to large audiences.
Since the mass media send information to large amounts of people, a large amount of people know or have heard the same thing. Does this make information legitimate or true?
My grade 11 media studies teacher continually taught us to always “Ask Why.” For any given situation, story, or everyday life encounters, a staple 2 words were drilled into our heads: “Question Everything!”
I did not even begin to grasp what he was talking about until near the end of the semester. Throughout the course he used to tell us particularly out of the ordinary stories every couple of days; and he was the type of character you would never know if he was lying or telling us the truth. Near the end of the semester he told us to think of all the things we might question within the classroom. He then reminded us to “question everything”. Later on he told us he had never told a story in class that was 100% true, however, since none of us thought to question the teacher, we all went on believing every word he ever said. He told us not even half of his stories were true. Suddenly the whole year came together; and I started to “question everything.”
So although the mass media may affect the largest amount of people, it does not mean the majority is always right. If you question everything, you will find the answers you weren’t looking for.

Operator. Operator?

“Human beings live in two different kinds of environments. One is the natural environment and consists of things like air, trees, rivers, and caterpillars. The other is the media environment, which consists of language, numbers, images, holograms, and all of the other symbols, techniques, and machinery that make us what we are” –Neil Postman.
When the media environment collides with the natural environment it creates the environment we call technology. Technology is no more than the extension of our natural abilities.
The extension of the ear by the telephone has impacted how our culture has grown and is able to communicate with other cultures around the globe. I personally think the telephone was a great invention, however, what has developed as a result of trying to improve the telephone’s technology may not be so great.
The cell phone is a recent development to the technological world, branching off from the traditional telephone. Many people think technology is a wonderful thing and is improving our world every day, however, not all technology is good technology. Texting on cell phones has degraded our ability for communication face to face.
I will admit if it weren’t for texting I may never speak to some people. I am the type of person who relies on texting rather than a phone call as form of communication. This in turn has broken down my ability to communicate verbally. I get nervous and anxious when speaking with people.
The telephone’s purpose was to increase communication. However, the cell phone that was invented as an extension of the telephone is functioning as a tool to lessen the need for verbal communication.

Work Cited

Postman, Neil . "The Humanism of Media Ecology :: MEA Proceedings." The Media Ecology Association. 12 Oct. 2009 .

Contributor to the online forces.

If you have a working internet connection, one or more fingers, and a functional brain, you are blog worthy. Blogs are no less than people’s personal feelings regarding the planet, how it functions, and the people that walk it.
Setting up a blog for me is probably the closest I will ever come to actually sharing a personal opinion with anyone. Ironically, being published over the internet, my personal thoughts are being shared with over one million people worldwide. I tried to figure this out and asked myself: Why do I feel more comfortable sharing with over one million people rather than just a select few face to face? I’ve managed to come to the conclusion that I am an introvert because I am always too afraid to share what I have to say for the fear of being judged, of my words being wrong, sounding stupid, or just unimportant. Blogging allows for faceless opinions, without staring at judgmental eyes.
Setting up a blog allows me to read and reread my points carefully, choosing just the right wording, and publishing when I am satisfied with the choices I’ve made.
For me, blogging is my contribution to the public sphere. Blogging reminds me that everyone does have an opinion, whether they are conflicting or not, everyone is entitled to their opinion, even me.