The Audience as a Commodity

The theory of the audience as a commodity is very interesting to me.  Viewing people as a commodity almost seems imorale but in fact it is not.  When you think of using people of a commodity you might think of trading or selling people.  Instead networks use people as commodities when they sell advertisers commercial and product time.  Heavily watched programs are able to sell their ad spots at more expensive rates because more people ( commodity ) are watching at that time.  This is why the the rates for commercials during the Super Bowl are so expensive,  because so many people are watching.

Behavioral Link to Media

Does the Media have a direct effect on our actions, and can it actually teach us to behave a certain way?  Some would say yes, but I don’t know.  An experiment was done with youngsters with a bogo doll, in which they were put into a room and watched somone beat up a bogo doll.  Then they were placed into a toy room with many other toys and a Bogo doll.  They were then watched to see if they would go beat up the Bogo doll just like they had seen on the television.  Many of them in fact did.  One arguement against this study was that the Bogo doll is meant to be beaten up, how would the results differ if it had been a real human?

The Role of Parents in Society

I often wonder how big of an affect ones parents have on them growing up.  To me it seems like parents pass their traits onto their children.  That is why it is so important for kids to have good parents or gaurdians growing up.  Many of the problems people develop stem from not having a proper childhood and parents or gaurdians growing up.  Many people don’t realize how fortunate they are to have parents that care about them.  I had fights with my parents growing up, but i now realize how good they have been to me and how much they have tought me and made me the person I am.

The I-Phone

As everyone knows by now Apple has come out with a new phone called the I-Phone.  This phone is touch sensative and has a new level of technology associated with it.  However, I wonder about the practicality of the I-Phone.  My freinds has one and too me it just seems like a big waste of money for a college student to have.  The actuall phone is $400 or some dollars and the plan is like $65 a month.  This is way too much of a money sink for a college student if you ask me.   They have so many different options that will never be used by a college student as well.  The only way I would get one is if I was making Six figures and needed a good phone.

Is Apple Taking over Microsoft

I have noticed recently Apple products are becoming more and more common.  Before Microsoft had a near monopoly on operating systems and computers, but it appears now Apple is making a steady pace for #1.  With Microsofts near failure of Microsoft Vista and Apples much better Leopard system the change may come sooner than expected.  Right now all the hype on the street is about Apples.  All of my freinds tell me their next computers are going to be Apples.  The Ipod blasts Microsofts Zune out of the water aswell.  It will be interesting to see how things unfold.

If Mercer Was Made a Wet Campus

THe thought crossed my mind the other day what would happen if Mercer was turned into a wet campus.  What type of effects would it have on enrollement and popularity of the school.  Even inderect effects such as school spirit and revenue.  In my opinion if Mercer became a wet campus the school would be much better off.  Popularity would sore, people would go to more sporting events, and the school could make much more money.  Some of the cons would be liability, it might change the view of the school, and might lose some supporters of the dry campus.

What you know, or Who you know?

Many people have heard the saying, “it’s not what you know, but who you know.”  I’ve thought about this and concluded its partly right but not totaly true.  Sadly in the world we live in today, many people get ahead because of the people they know not the skills they have.  Just because they know somone high up in a company they might get a job over somone who is much more qualified.  However,  through hard work anything can be accomplished.  If you know everything on a subject matter and smart you can make your way to the top without knowing anyone. 

The Value of a Dollar

One of the biggest things I see as a problem with kids these days is their ignorance of the value of a dollar.  So many kids go out to the malls and stores and buy whatever they see like it doesn’t mean anything.  Kids are becoming more and more spoiled.  They dont realize the effort that goes into earning those dollars that they so carelessly spend.  They don’t realize the importance of good spending habbits and preparing now for financial independants from their parents.  They may say oh I’ll be fine, or it’s just money.  Thats the biggest balogny I’ve ever heard, It’s just money, give me a break.  I’d like to hear them say that when they are on their own trying to provide for themselves without mommy and daddy.

Foreign Scholarships

I play on the Tennis Team for Mercer and something that has always bothered me was the amount of foreign players we come across in our travels.  Many teams will have only one or two Americans on their teams which is ridiculous.  This is America, we should give our fellow Americans priority over others.  I know their is not a shortage of American tennis players either, its not like teams are forced to recruit out of our boarders.  Foreigners also do not have to follow the same NCAA rules as Americans do in order to be eligable to play which is total BS. They can play Pro tournaments and earn money and then come over to America and play on a team when us Americans are not aloud to do that.  THis needs to be changed.

Feminism or Actuality

In the book it talked about the roles that women play in movies.  It said that they are usualy portreyed as supressed non-masculine characters, and if they aren’t they are either killed out or Married at the end.  This claim was totaly ridiculous to me.  Since the beginning of time women have preformed some duties and men others.  Its encoded in our DNA.  It has nothing to do with sexism or prosecution.  Only a hand full of woman complain about this situation and in any group you will have some that disagree.  Women are treated perfectly and represented acurately in the movies.