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Please identify the girl in this pic... (pg. 10)
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| ZzZ The Goddess |
| quote: | Originally posted by Trancer-X
Well, I don't think that you can accurately paint that picture with such broad strokes. We American's haven't destroyed the English language, we've just perverted it a bit. While we're all somewhat responsible for succumbing to the forces of the blanketed, mass-media disseminated ignorance that appears to be so prevalent in our society, the greatest concentration of those people being "dumbed down" seem to be the ones who have no inclination towards either reading and/or raising their own intellectual consciousnesses beyond that of what they see and hear in either magazines, on the radio, or on television.
I think that many Americans would rather just play dumb simply because they've been erroneously led to believe that it's the cool thing to do.
Anyway, here's an interesting tidbit that I was just reading from Robert Sylwester (Emeritus Professor of Education at the University of Oregon):
http://www.brainconnection.com/content/172_1
I don't really expect you guys to read it, though.
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I read it :toothless maybe if u do this ...they will read it ^^
I beleive the media lets us see only what they wants us to see and mass media is controlled by a higher power. There is no freedom of speech unless no one is listening. Filtered news so to speak, many times I find international news is much more accurate depending on the circumstances and the location of the occurence though. I am not very much influenced by the news at all and I actually try to avoid it as much as possible. Not that I dont care to be informed but I dont care to be fed false information or depressed by the tragedies that occur in the world. Call it narrow minded but I connectively sympathize with people far too much already. I would take music and computers over TV anyday.
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Connecting Brain Processes to School Policies and Practices
A monthly column that explores scientific and technological developments that pose problems and possibilities for educational policy and practice.
How Mass Media Affect Our Perception of Reality -- Part 1
December 2001
By Robert Sylwester, Ed.D.
The U.S. mass media were focused on sports, the lives of various celebrities, and a Congressman's relationship with a missing staff member just before September 11. Then everything changed. A skyscraper complex, militant group, and distant country suddenly dominated mass media as people sought to understand what had occurred, what to make of passenger planes turned into missiles, and who to trust for credible information on terrorism.
That dramatic shift in media emphasis is an excellent recent example of how mass media help to shape our shifting concerns and beliefs. Why could we have been so concerned about celebrity lifestyles one week and so unconcerned the next? Why such a prior general disinterest in an already notorious terrorist group, and in festering Middle East countries and cultures? Why the sudden media shift from a Regularly-Criticized-President to an Esteemed-Leader-President?
This column will focus on mass media as an important cultural phenomenon that we must understand if our cognitive processes are to be informed but not unduly influenced by it. Next month's column will focus on the techniques mass media use to shape and distort information and beliefs.
Dramatic advances in mass communication and transportation during the past 50 years have truly created a global village, a mass society. Things occurring anywhere are now quickly known everywhere. Mass media both overwhelm us with information, and help us to sort it out.
Mass media seek a broad audience for a typically narrow (and often biased) message that's typically embedded in entertainment or useful information/opinion. Mass media communication is expensive, so it's funded through participant admissions/subscriptions and contributions, or through sponsorships and advertising (or a combination of these funding sources). It thus must provide something sufficiently valuable to its potential audience to gain that necessary financial support.
The mass media have a slow news day problem. They have pages and time to fill, even when events are mundane. A common solution at such times is to focus on sports and the lives of celebrities (people who are well known for their well-knownness, as Andy Warhol once put it), or to take something relatively trivial and expand it into something important. Think back to the pre-September 11 focus.
Mass media encompass much more than print and electronic forms of communication (such as magazines and television). Sporting events, churches, museums, theme parks, political campaigns, catalogs, and concerts are also forms of mass media, although many people consider them to be something other than mass media.
The U.S. Constitution underscores the importance of the open communication of information and opinion in our democratic society by granting considerable self-direction to the various forms of mass media. A marketplace mentality suggests that useful information and opinions will spread, and the useless will disappear. A free-speech society can thus tolerate instances of false information, stupidity, and vulgarity - assuming them to be a temporary irritant.
Mass media are very competitive. Folks today have many options about the TV and films they watch, the books and magazines they read, the cultural and religious institutions they attend. The challenge for a media program is to get and hold the attention of mass media shoppers -- who are channel surfing, browsing at a bookstore, checking out various churches.
In a stimulating competitive environment, a media program must score quickly. Since you're still reading this column, the title and opening paragraph must have sufficiently caught your attention so you continued. Emotional arousal drives attention, which drives learning and conscious behavior - so it's important for mass media programmers to understand and present content that will emotionally arouse potential participants.
Our basic biological challenge is to survive and get into the gene pool, so avoiding danger and taking advantage of opportunities for eating/shelter/mating are cognitively important. Events related to these needs are inherently emotionally arousing, and successful mass media programmers understand this.
People complain about the amount of violence, sexuality, and commercialism in mass media, but let's look at the issue from a TV programmer's perspective. Channel surfers will give a TV program only a few seconds before moving to the next channel, so programmers focus on content sequences with a high probability for emotional arousal - and program content and commercials related to violence, sexuality, and food/shelter do attract and hold attention. Consider the recent media focus on terrorist violence, the Taliban treatment of women, the food/shelter problems now facing the families of those killed and Afghani refugees -- and the resultant widespread outpouring of anger and support.
Similarly, other forms of mass media, from churches to sporting events explicitly or implicitly include these attention-getters in their programming (consider hell-and-brimstone and sexual purity sermons and the appeal of church suppers; or football violence, cheerleaders, and drinks-and-chips).
Mass media thus exploit areas of strong emotional arousal to help shape our knowledge and opinions - such as with our rapid media-driven increase in knowledge of the terrorists and their victims. Osama bin Laden had previously been a peripheral media figure. The several thousands victims had been invisible office workers until many newspapers published a series of anecdotal obituaries of all of them. Police and firefighters across the country were suddenly elevated in esteem - as was New York's mayor, severely criticized prior to September 11. A nation already beset by a financial downturn had to become emotionally aroused to respond. Charities similarly use examples of a few individuals in desperate straits to encourage contributions for a much broader assistance program.
Given such manipulative potential over our affective processes, it's important to know who determines the content of mass media. A relatively small number of large corporations control much of our nation's print and electronic media (newspapers, publishing houses, radio/TV stations, cable systems, etc.). Further, a relatively small number of media stars reach vast audiences - syndicated newspaper columnists and cartoonists, radio and TV talk show hosts, late night TV comedians. On the other hand, most newspapers include editorial columnists who disagree with each other, and the Sunday morning political TV shows are characterized more by argument than agreement. A major media organization that defines itself too narrowly risks reaching a limited audience when they need a massive audience to survive - so this financial reality forces at least some balance in programming.
Magazines and radio stations are perhaps the most successful narrowly defined mass media formats - typically being upfront about seeking an audience who shares their narrow perspective (e.g., Rolling Stone, Gourmet, Ms., The Christian Century, Sports Illustrated - golden oldies, jazz, classical, rock music radio stations).
The Computer Age has revolutionized mass media. The Internet allows the universal inexpensive publication of ideas, whether it's an email message sent to everyone on one's list or a narrowly-defined website that's available to anyone. Desktop publication and advances in duplicating technology have reduced the need for authors to go through a publisher.
So it's a cultural paradox. We're simultaneously experiencing the centralization of influence in corporate mass media and the rapid expansion of populist mass media. Both pose dangers and opportunities that we'll explore in the next column.
Robert Sylwester is an Emeritus Professor of Education at the University of Oregon. He focuses on the educational implications of new developments in science and technology and has written several books and over 150 journal articles. His most recent books are A biological brain in a cultural classroom: Enhancing cognitive and social development through collaborative classroom management (2003, Corwin Press. second edition) and How to explain a brain: An educator’s handbook of brain terms and cognitive processes (2004, Corwin Press). The Education Press Association of America gave him three Distinguished Achievement Awards for his published syntheses of cognitive science research. He has made over 1400 conference and in-service presentations on educationally significant developments in brain/stress theory and research. |
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| vtec junkie |
| Did anybody find that bitch yet???:disbelief |
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| Miss Bliss |
| quote: | Originally posted by Trancer-X
Well, I don't think that you can accurately paint that picture with such broad strokes. We American's haven't destroyed the English language, we've just perverted it a bit. While we're all somewhat responsible for succumbing to the forces of the blanketed, mass-media disseminated ignorance that appears to be so prevalent in our society, the greatest concentration of those people being "dumbed down" seem to be the ones who have no inclination towards either reading and/or raising their own intellectual consciousnesses beyond that of what they see and hear in either magazines, on the radio, or on television.
I think that many Americans would rather just play dumb simply because they've been erroneously led to believe that it's the cool thing to do.
Anyway, here's an interesting tidbit that I was just reading from Robert Sylwester (Emeritus Professor of Education at the University of Oregon):
http://www.brainconnection.com/content/172_1
I don't really expect you guys to read it, though.
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You are really starting to get on my nerves a bit. :) I say this with a smile. What exactly is "I don't really expect you guys to read it, though" mean? Is that your idea of another condescending thing to say to the rest of TA as though our skimpy education and intellectual inferiority dictates that we're going to spend our lives playing computer games instead of reading the links you give us? And hey, I might have missed this part : what are you trying to prove anyway? I understand that your astute study of linguistics has led you to write big scary words and to use and/or in the hope that everyone will think you're intelligent. You're obviously intelligent, but let's face it, everyone understands what you write, everyone understands the words you use, and your linking to random intellectual-looking people to back you up doesn't make what you write any more exceptional. |
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| Thero40 |
| quote: | Originally posted by Miss Bliss
You are really starting to get on my nerves a bit. :) I say this with a smile. What exactly is "I don't really expect you guys to read it, though" mean? Is that your idea of another condescending thing to say to the rest of TA as though our skimpy education and intellectual inferiority dictates that we're going to spend our lives playing computer games instead of reading the links you give us? And hey, I might have missed this part : what are you trying to prove anyway? I understand that your astute study of linguistics has led you to write big scary words and to use and/or in the hope that everyone will think you're intelligent. You're obviously intelligent, but let's face it, everyone understands what you write, everyone understands the words you use, and your linking to random intellectual-looking people to back you up doesn't make what you write any more exceptional. |
+1 |
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| Trancer-X |
| quote: | Originally posted by Miss Bliss
You are really starting to get on my nerves a bit. :) I say this with a smile. What exactly is "I don't really expect you guys to read it, though" mean? |
Well, I'm happy that I at least provoked a few responses from a few of you whom I would have otherwise considered to be amongst the ranks of the otherwise indifferent masses (not including ZzZ as she actually seems to take an interest in this world.)
In regards to my "I don't expect you to read it" comment, it means exactly what it says - I don't expect you to care enough to even bother clicking my link. You're too content talking about other people to even care about opening your minds to alternative thoughts or ideas. And yeah, I more or less expect you to continue spewing your sophomoric drivel in an attempt to try and suppress my argument (by childishly attacking me instead of the argument itself, no less.)
BTW - that link correlated to what I was talking about, but I guess you missed that part.
You can post all of the +1's that you want, it's no sweat off my back. I didn't join TA in the anticipation of entering another grade school popularity contest - even though it's obvious that's what it's been reduced to over the years. I'm not trying to prove anything to anyone other than myself. ;)
| quote: | Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.
- Eleanor Roosevelt |
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| Thero40 |
| quote: | Originally posted by Trancer-X
Well, I'm happy that I at least provoked a few responses from a few of you whom I would have otherwise considered to be amongst the ranks of the otherwise indifferent masses (not including ZzZ as she actually seems to take an interest in this world.)
In regards to my "I don't expect you to read it" comment, it means exactly what it says - I don't expect you to care enough to even bother clicking my link. You're too content talking about other people to even care about opening your minds to alternative thoughts or ideas. And yeah, I more or less expect you to continue spewing your sophomoric drivel in an attempt to try and suppress my argument (by childishly attacking me instead of the argument itself, no less.)
BTW - that link correlated to what I was talking about, but I guess you missed that part.
You can post all of the +1's that you want, it's no sweat off my back. I didn't join TA in the anticipation of entering another grade school popularity contest - even though it's obvious that's what it's been reduced to over the years. I'm not trying to prove anything to anyone other than myself. ;)
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You take things a little too seriously |
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| Taub |
| quote: | Originally posted by kid nyce
matt you'll hit anything walking standing up right! lols
just like when we was snowboarding...what did you say?
hahah wow snowboarding chicks look hot...
YES I LOVE CHICKS WHO SNOWBOARD...laaav them
ontopic - whats the update? anyone smash this girl in the titty yet? if i see her i'll slip her some G, take her home, steal ur phone back, and take naughty pics with your phone briii lols hehe |
lol yeh...ill do the girl in the pic gowing down hill on a snowboard, thats what i call extreme. Well maybe not with the girl in the pic |
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| tiesto14 |
| quote: | Originally posted by Trancer-X
Well, I'm happy that I at least provoked a few responses from a few of you whom I would have otherwise considered to be amongst the ranks of the otherwise indifferent masses (not including ZzZ as she actually seems to take an interest in this world.)
In regards to my "I don't expect you to read it" comment, it means exactly what it says - I don't expect you to care enough to even bother clicking my link. You're too content talking about other people to even care about opening your minds to alternative thoughts or ideas. And yeah, I more or less expect you to continue spewing your sophomoric drivel in an attempt to try and suppress my argument (by childishly attacking me instead of the argument itself, no less.)
BTW - that link correlated to what I was talking about, but I guess you missed that part.
You can post all of the +1's that you want, it's no sweat off my back. I didn't join TA in the anticipation of entering another grade school popularity contest - even though it's obvious that's what it's been reduced to over the years. I'm not trying to prove anything to anyone other than myself. ;)
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you remind me of that blonde haired kid in the bar from Harvard in the movie "Good Will Hunting" that made fun of Ben Afleck until he got his card pulled by Matt Damon..one day, my old friend, someone will school you and you might find yourself looking mighty foolish.:p |
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| ProggieGuy |
| quote: | Originally posted by tiesto14
you remind me of that blonde haired kid in the bar from Harvard in the movie "Good Will Hunting" that made fun of Ben Afleck until he got his card pulled by Matt Damon..one day, my old friend, someone will school you and you might find yourself looking mighty foolish.:p |
LOL...how you like dem apples? |
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| DJ Skillz |
| Is't this thread supposed to be 'bout sunshine79's stolen phone? |
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| DJslantzz |
| quote: | Originally posted by DJ Skillz
Is't this thread supposed to be 'bout sunshine79's stolen phone? |
Another thread that was jacked...typical.:whip: |
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| tiesto14 |
| quote: | Originally posted by ProggieGuy
LOL...how you like dem apples? |
lol exactly.....that part of the movie is awesomed....i love how Mat Damon puts that kid in his place!!!
(BLONDE KID)
What uh...What class did you..did you say that was?
(Ben Afleck)
History.
(BLONDE KID)
I uh...I remember that class. It was um...it was just between recess and lunch.
(Ben Afleck)
What, are you gunna' have a problem? I don't understand...
(BLONDE KID)
No, no, no, no..no, there's no problem here. I was just hoping you might give me some insight into the evolution of the market economy of the Southern Colonies. My contention is that uh...prior to the Revolutionary War, the economic modalities, especially in the Southern Colonies, could most aptly be characterized as agrarian precapital--
(Matt Damon)
Let me tell you somethin', all right? Of course that's your contention. You're a first year grad student. You just got finished
reading some Marxian historian -- Pete Garrison, probably -- you gunna' be convinced of that till next month when you get to James Lemon, then you're gunna' be talkin' about how the economies of Virginia and Pennsylvania were entrepreneurial and capitalist way back in 1740. That's gunna' last until next year, you're gunna' be in here regurgitatin' Gordon Wood. Talkin' about, you know, the pre-Revolutionary Utopia and the capital forming effects of military mobilization.
(BLONDE KID)
Well, as a matter of fact I won't because Wood drastically underestimates the impact of social di--
(Matt Damon)
Wood drastically...Wood drastically underestimates the impact of social distinctions predicated upon wealth, especially inherited wealth. You got that from Vickers. Work in Essex County, page 98, right? Yeah, I read that, too. You gunna' plagiarize the whole thing for us? Do you have any thoughts that...of your own on this matter? Or do you-- is that your thing? You come into a bar, you read some obscure passage, and then pretend you, you..pawn it off as your own..as your own idea just to impress some girls..? Embarrass my friend? See, the sad thing about a guy like you is in fifty years you're gunna start doing some thinkin' on your own, and you're gunna' come up with the fact that there are two certainties in life: one, don't do that, and, two, you dropped a hundred and fifty grand on a in' education you coulda' got for a dollar fifty in late charges at the public library.
ING CLASSIC!!!!! |
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