Final Paper!!!

We encounter a mass amount of different media frequently on a daily basis. Before taking this class I was unaware of the constant bombardment we experience. Different people have different experiences with media simply because they encounter specific types geared toward their taste. My experiences are explained below.

The textbook touches on how music has been said to have “corrupting influences” (73), but I disagree. Downloading music is something I do most days for at least an hour. Depending on my mood, I search accordingly. I have been influenced by music on most given days and often play it to create or embrace my attitude. I listen to a very vast variety of music and even form some of my weekends around it by going to shows. Live music is intoxicating and instantly grabs my attention. I was at a party this weekend with a band in the basement and sound recording consumed my night. I stood in the front of the crowd dancing and listening intently. Sound recording is the most prominent media in my life.

photo credit to: http://klap4music.com/images/bassnectar.jpg

Since sound recordings consume a good portion of my day I hardly listen to the radio. I am aware of the radio in public settings like shopping on Church street or eating out. I always find it interesting to listen to the different voices of the people on different radio stations. They are very distinct and enjoyable to listen to. Its very amusing that, “The telegraph [was] the precursor of radio technology” (109). To think that Morse code inspired the invention of the radio makes me realize just how far it has come.

photo credit to: http://jukon.net/media/cache/20090313-radio.jpg

Television is a social experience for my roommates and I. We share a mutual love for “The Office” and watch at least one episode most days. The music in the beginning prepares the Limbic part of my brain for the show. After learning that “TV runs at 30 frames per second, [and] the conscious mind can process about 8 frames per second” (3 Dr. Rob Williams) I try to pay closer attention to the show. I notice more of Michael Scotts awkward mannerisms. I also pick up on the depth that the actors put into their characters.

photo credit to:http://www.feedflare.ca/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/dell_lcd_tv.jpg

I am currently taking art history and the other day we touched on the photographs of Muybridge and his subject the race horse. This pertains to my “everyday” and movies because this was the experiment that sparked the concept of movies. One of the reasons I chose to come to Vermont was to snowboard. When my friends and I are not on the mountain chances are we have a snowboard movie playing on the television. Some of the time its just background noise but we watch a good majority of them. I also try to see a movie once every couple of months because going to the movie theatre is an enjoyable experience.

My phone allows me to have access to the Internet all day throughout the day. I also have my laptop with me the majority of the day as well. Especially on campus and in clasess. The book got me thinking about the scale of all of the information I have access to. I also was unaware that different countries have different laws and regulations about the Internet and computers in general. “South Korea is one of the worlds most wired countries whereas North Korea has few computers, almost no Internet access outside the capital Pyongyang and teaches students about the web by showing them photocopied papers of monitor displays” (44). That fact gives me a greater appreciation for the Internet regulations in this country. I use it so frequently my life would be vastly different without it.

During the summer months I tend to devote my time to other activities besides books. I spend the school year using them almost everyday and feel a break is deserved. The majority of my book usage is done through schoolwork. I still remember the commercial for the Kindle that amazon makes. I think its a really cool concept to store books on a portable device. “Amazon hopes that the Kindle becomes the ipod of the literary world, challenging the printed book” (314). This makes me think of my ipod and sound recordings. I could not go a day without it and I am sure avid readers feel the same about their Kindles.

I do not really spend time reading magazines. Sometimes if I am waiting on line at a gas station or convenience store I flip through them. Since I do not read magazines that often I tend to pick up ones like National Geographic because of the pictures. The book talks about the evolution of photojournalism on 293 and that magazine is geared towards that field. The book states, “There is a dark side to digital technology as well” (291). I agree with this because I am constantly hearing stories about celebrities, the paparazzi, and controversial pictures.

I really like that Champlain gives us free access to the New York Times. Sometimes in the morning before classes at the cafeteria I read it. Because I am a communications major I like to be informed the events of the world and the people that live in it. I do not read the whole thing but I do like the front and art sections. It’s also really convenient when no one can accompany me to eat. It passes the time and I also don’t look as lonely.