Research Question & Background

There are countless of scientific researches that have been done on the issue of the effects of the media on children and young adults. More specifically, whether watching TV, surfing the internet and playing video games affects children’s attention span and cognitive skills. There are also many scholarly and academic articles that discuss this topic and claim that children, and even adults, reach their concentration threshold faster due to the constant use of technology and the media. 

Although these studies and scientific articles present valid arguments and concerns that seem to make sense, they only show correlations (mostly weak correlations) but no actual cause-and-effect relationships. Since these types or results are fairly typical and expected of these studies, correlations is all we can go by. 

A different correlation that has been studied even more intensely is the relationship between the media and violence in children. These studies show relatively strong evidence that violent television shows and violent video games do affect aggression and  violence in children and young teens. Since it is safe to assume that this correlation could perhaps point out to other effects technology might have on us, perhaps there are repercussions on our attention span and cognitive skills that we are not yet aware of. 

While the list of cognitive functions that are potentially affected by our perpetual attachment and devotion to media and technology might be exhaustive, I believe that there are two, specific skills that are more seriously degrading in young adults, such as myself these days. These two skills are grammar and vocabulary. Although, there is no definite evidence that correlates these two variables, I truly believe that the television shows and video games that are prevalent and popular today, affect our grammar skills and proficiency in vocabulary. 

It has been well-established that reading (books, newspapers, ect.) can help and improve concentration, vocabulary, memory, reasoning skills, grammar and verbal fluency (to name only a few). All these advantages to reading are especially influential in younger children, nevertheless, reading is beneficial and recommended for all ages.

Sadly, less and less children and teens choose to spend their free time reading, but instead prefer to watch television, play video-games and surf the internet. And since the media has become an inescapable part of our lifestyle, all of these options that substitute reading are readily available and accessible. As a consequence, over the past few years there has been a significant decline in students’ cognitive skills that are most likely a direct result of our proclivity to technology rather than to books and reading. 

This problem, although very serious, is not easy to solve. There isn’t any one in particular that could be blamed, and it is an undeniable fact that media and technology have become essential parts of our lives. The real issue that deserves more attention and consideration is whether the content of video-games and TV programs could somehow be modified and redesigned to be more educational and intellectual. Perhaps, if the time children and teenagers spent using technology could be made more useful, then it wouldn’t be considered a waste of time. 

Once I began to search online for studies on the topic of media, I realized that almost all of them concentrated on children and young adolescents. The focus on younger ages with this particular issue is understandable for many reasons. Children of this age group are in their prime of their development and it is much easier to control studies with teens than with adults. However, I began to ask myself whether college students (in their late teens and early 20s) will show similar results. And if college students were in fact as influenced by media as were younger children, in what ways do these negative effects present themselves? The two key questions that I’m interested in answering are: 

 1 .How many hours does the average college student spend using different forms of media (ie. watching television and films, surfing the internet, playing video games)? 

2. Is the content of these TV shows, films, websites and games educational? 

I think it is important to focus on the content that is delivered from these various media forms just as much as on the time students spend using them. I also decided that the best way to conduct this type of research would be via a survey online, preferably through Facebook. It would be interesting to find out whether the choices we make as young adults have the same influence on our lifestyle as those other studies and articles suggest have on us as children. 

Annotation (Sample)

Media Effects on Attention and Other Cognitive Skills - Source 1

This article found in the journal The Future of Children mentions a few previous studies that have tested the effects of television on young children’s cognitive skills and functions. It briefly touches on a study from the 1980’s that found a weak correlation between those two variables. It also indicates that more recent studies have focused more on the content of the television shows as well as children’s attention span. The main study of this article involved three groups of preschool children that were exposed to three different types of content either on TV or as a film. (prosocial, neutral and violent) The findings suggest that the crucial factor in measuring the effects of television on cognition is content. This article also mentions that there is a much stronger correlation between children’s violence and playing video games. Since most of results from these various experiments can only show weak correlations, the effects of media on young children’s learning is only representative and not conclusive.  

This article is helpful in a couple of different ways. Firstly, it mentions various different researches that were done on the same topic but at different times and with different variables. It is also helpful in summarizing the main points of each experiment and highlights their outcomes and findings. This article is objective, concise and reliable. 

This article might fit in with my research paper on the effects of media and children’s cognitive skills. Or more importantly, the effects of television and video games and children’s attention span. This article could be compared with the other essays I’ve read, such as “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” Although this article is objective and unbiased it does not include some definite and conclusive results from the studies. It is mostly focused on correlations and predictions, but no cause-and-effect relationships. This information could, however, be used to support my main argument and add some scientific evidence to my paper. 

OPEN POST

As far as I can remember, I have always been a fan of television shows. I appreciate and enjoy watching television far more than I do films, and I can safely say I’m familiar with many different programs, in almost every different genre. I truly love watching TV about every possible topic; from sports to food, to dramas to game shows. As a true fan of TV, I’ve read a few articles about many people’s criticisms that television along with the internet has replaced the much more educational activity of reading and other valuable hobbies and interests. In the past, I used to disagree with this notion, and strongly argued that TV can be informative and does have an academic value and importance. However, over the past few years, I have seen a significant increase in television shows that are, for a lack of a better word, trash! 

The “trashy” new genre of programs I’m referring to, also known as Reality, is what I now hate about television. Although reality TV shows have been on the air for quite some time, they have been completely modified and redefined to fit our current and modern culture. I have no problem with ‘Survivor’ , ‘Top Chef’ or even the incredibly obnoxious ‘Bachelor/Bachelorette’ reality shows. What I absolutely cannot stand to watch are shows such as ‘Tool Academy’ , ‘I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here” and the ever- so- popular, ‘Jersey Shore’. 

I understand the appeal of watching game shows such as ‘Survivor’ and/or competitions such as ‘Top Chef’ and ‘Project Runway’, but I cannot understand the appeal in shows such as ‘The Simple Life’, ‘The Girls Next Door’ and ‘Jersey Shore’. It’s hard to defend television programs that have such a low standard, yet are extremely popular among the viewers. Most of the shows that I consider to be shameless and distasteful are in such high demand that the networks and studios are expected to film many more than just a single season. 

Maybe I’m missing the appeal in watching ordinary people humiliate and degrade themselves for the whole world to see, but nevertheless, these shows are legitimizing the arguments made by many people who think television is vulgar and useless. I’m beginning to see the harmful effect that these types of shows could potentially have on younger children, and that these “reality stars” could become the kids’ future role models. 

It’s difficult to point the finger at who’s to blame for this sudden outburst of reality television programs. The only reason the networks and studios keep making these shows is because there is an enormous demand for them from the audience. People keep referring to them as “guilty pleasures” but I fail to see what’s pleasurable about watching celebrities, amateurs and wannabes in scripted situations that are meant to appear real. 

Despite my love, respect and appreciation for television shows, the reality genre has never been my preferred choice. I struggle to understand its massive popularity and I refuse to lower my standards and accept it as valuable or educational in any way, shape or form. In the meantime, while everyone else is still enjoying they Jersey Shore hype, I’ll just wait until this group of “guidos” and “guidettes” runs out of their fifteen minutes of fame.  

Paper 1

“Hello, World”  

In a world where technology has become a ubiquitous and an inescapable part of our everyday lives, we are quickly learning the significant influence it has on everything that we do.  Specifically, the widespread access everyone now has to the different types of media and technology that allows information to be free and readily accessible. People rely on web-sites, films and television programs to provide news from all over the world, all kinds of entertainment and as means of education. The role of the media is rapidly becoming more and more influential and dominant in our society, especially since people of all ages are constantly exposed to it in all different forms. Now more than ever, children are learning to use the internet, watch television and movies at a very young age. Their constant exposure to the media makes technology one of the most important factor in their education.  

As a current student at the University of Southern California, I am majoring in psychology and minoring in critical studies of film and television. I am learning about both the role of the media, as well as its influence in our everyday lives. We are so heavily dependent on technology nowadays that we can’t even imagine a world without it.  In fact, social media has never been more important or more influential in our lives than it is right now. Nevertheless, because information is so easily accessible to everyone and has proven to be an essential part of our day-to-day activities, it is sometimes difficult to determine whether we have gone too far.  

While there is nothing better than watching movies and TV shows at the privacy of our own homes, or having all the information we want with a few simple clicks, we can also see how these entertainment sources are replacing other important leisure time activities such as reading, social interactions and outdoor activities. 

In this blog I intend to describe how social media has infiltrated our lives in both positive and negative ways. Although there are many advantages and benefits to having all of these technological advances, there are also consequences that demonstrate how fast our world is changing. I will specifically focus on the influence internet sites such as Facebook, Twitter and gossip blogs have on our society. In addition, the impact that the ever-growing phenomenon of reality television shows has on our culture. As well as the effects of the internet and the possible repercussions of technology on education. Because every advance we make in science, technology and media can be studied and analyzed from various angles, it is interesting to examine how sometimes we might not use all of these technological advances in the right way, and therefore at times, create more harm than good. 

Profile Post: Rachel (http://www.socialmediatoday.com)

During my search for blogs that explore and discuss the topic of social media, and the role and influence of technology in our modern society, I came across a blog called “The Social Organization”. This blog is written by Rachel, the principal and co-founder at The Community Roundtable (a network of community managers and social media practitioners). She has worked with many prestigious and highly- respectable companies such as Microsoft, IBM, Disney and ABC (to only name a few). Some of her qualification in relation to the field include: product-designer, market-strategist, business-school teacher and creator of social -networking sites. She has an impressive record of being quoted in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and USA today. In addition, she has been interviewed by both NPR and WBUR. Rachel describes the motivation she has for her career as, “I strongly believe that people want to do the right thing for each other - but not at the expense of hurting themselves and that organizational structures and processes can encourage or inhibit this. My passion for solving structural problems in organizations that unleash rather than restrain peoples’ potential.”  Rachel tends to blog at least a few times a month, and at times, even a few times a week. Although I couldn't find The Social Organization on Technorati.com, it does appear on other sites' blogrolls. 

One very interesting post on Rachel’s blog is ‘The Downside of Being Popular on Twitter’ (http://www.thesocialorganization.com/2010/08/the-downside-of-being-popular-on-twitter.html). In this post, Rachel makes an interesting comparison between celebrities, public-figures and/or organizations that have an astonishingly large number of followers on Twitter with the popular clique in high-school. She describes how popularity, whether it be on Twitter or in high-school is never a long-term condition, and like beauty, it will always fade away. Rachel continues by asserting that she has never trusted popularity; not when she was in high-school and not today with popular organizations or celebrities. She claims that the general public should be a more active participant in choosing who they trust and who they listen to in the media. 

Another interesting blog post by Rachel is ‘Social Media is Not Community’ (http://www.thesocialorganization.com/2008/07/social-media-is-not-community.html) In this post, Rachel makes the clear distinction between the concept of social media and the idea of community. She argues that some of the privileges that all individuals have, such as the ability comment on news stories on CNN, or rating books and music on Amazon do not make these sites communities. Instead, communities are built over a long period of time, they discuss a particular topic or issue, in the form of a drawn-out, continuous conversation.  

I think that the blog ‘The Social Organization’ relates very well to the blog I intend to create.  Although it deals with many of the issues and topics that are relevant to my blog, I wouldn't consider Rachel’s blog to be scholarly or academic. Her posts are mostly conversational and informal. They are not very lengthy or detailed, instead they are fairly short and straight to the point. I believe some of the posts and issues Rachel mentions in her blog will definitely inspire some of my own questions and concerns. However, I intend to make my posts more comprehensive and more relatable to my own personal experience. 

Voice Post - Pam Moore “The Marketing Nut”  http://www.pammarketingnut.com/

Although my knowledge and experience with blogs are fairly limited, there is one thing I learned very early on:  the voice of the blogger is what keeps the readers coming back for more.  Other than the few academic blogs that  I’m sometimes required to read for various reasons, it is the blogs I read for fun, on my own time that I enjoy the most. These blogs are usually written in a sophisticated and witty manner, and are often a combination of formal and informal speech. 

The blogger Pam Moore has a funny and clever blog about social media and social marketing. She clearly conveys and expresses her personal voice through her many posts.  Although Pam’s writing isn’t too different from many other social media bloggers’, I’ve noticed her distinct and unusual forms of slang and informal language.  For example, in her post “Surf the Web or Surf Facebook?” she writes: “...I share who I am and what I am. Either ya’ like me or ya’ don’t!” By replacing the conventional “you” with the unofficial “ya”, Pam’s dialogue becomes extremely colloquial and the sentence quickly becomes very informal and conversational. Her slang gives us a better indication of not only how to read her writing but also provides a better understanding of Pam’s personality as a person. 

Another example of Pam’s clear voice that comes through in her writing is the use of short, fragmented sentences for emphasis and attention. She writes, “On Facebook we let people in to who we are, what we are and what we do on the weekends. Big difference!” The last part of that sentence is another example of colloquial speech that is often used in informal, casual and everyday writing. In the same post, Pam provides her readers a list called “The Top 15 Reasons Why We Surf Facebook”. Her choice of a writing out these fifteen points as a list rather than in a paragraph-form is effective in making her voice continue to be casual, relaxed and conversational. She doesn’t include many sophisticated metaphors or intricate language, nevertheless, her posts have a certain flow to them that makes them easy and fun to read. 

In a different post called “All Aboard the Social Media Train!” Pam uses the metaphor of a train to symbolize the growing number of people who are getting interested in the social media world. She writes: “It’s not news to most of us that social media is the train hundreds of thousands want to get on. It’s fast, it’s fun and it is going places.” In this post, similar to all her other ones, Pam’s voice continues to be colloquial, informal and laid-back. She even goes as far as writing “hmmm...” as to point out a pause in her thinking. I’ve also noticed that she often uses rhetorical questions in her writing in quirky and comical ways. Such as: “What many are disregarding is where their train is going? What is your destination? What will be at the other side? How do you know when you get there? What do you do when you get off? What happens if the train gets stuck? What if the seats get filled up and someone takes yours while you make a trip to the ladies or mens room?” 

There is no doubt Pam Moore speaks to her readers as if they were all her friends. Her writing is extremely conversational and have little to no complex language or figures of speech. Although this type of writing could be seen as perhaps a bit childish, I believe it fits perfectly with the subject of social media. This kind of tone and voice is carried throughout Pam’s entire blog and it definitely conveys her friendly and relaxed attitude toward her readers.