Gloria+Sok

=** Journal Entry #1** __My Experiences with Media__ =

Every day we are surrounded by media, no matter where we go or what we do, we always have media following us in every direction. Media has become a part of our lives because we are constantly exposed to it and it's become a routine in our daily lives. For example, in the morning we check the news on television, pass advertisements while we walk to school, text and call our friends and many more. One form of media that is widely used by people is cell phones. Cell phones in today's society have improved so much that we can basically do almost anything we want to wherever we go. Cell phones have become very convenient. We can check our e-mails, look at documents on the go, search up maps and buy things online or simply surf the internet for interesting news/facts. I think cell phones have become significant part of everyone's life including mine. One day as I was on my cell phone, text messaging my friends, I stopped and thought to myself "What would I do without my cell phone? How different would the world be without them?" I use my phone to text my friends for homework which helps me a lot and is very convenient. I got lost once and I easily found my way back by simply taking out my cell phone and calling my dad. Cell phones have made my life and my parents' lives easier as well. My parents are able to know where I am and if I need them to pick me up or if they need me for anything, they can easily text or call me. Also, I was out with my family and we were looking for a store and we were able to effortlessly find the location of the store by searching it up on my cell phone. These are just a few examples that show the importance and dependence people may have on advanced technology, such as a mobile phone. In addition, it is a fast way to communicate or connect with others, use the internet all the while being able to carry it around in your pocket. Although cells phones benefit our lives greatly, there are some negative impacts to it as well. With everyone on their cell phones, it inevitably becomes a distraction, it impedes our social skills, and studies show that they affect our health. Texting on mobile phones can be a distraction when walking at the same time. There was a time I almost got into a car accident if it were not for my friends who pulled me away from the car. Texting while walking is a very dangerous task when put together. Cell phones have definitely become a huge part of our lives as they are very convenient and useful in our everyday routines however there are negative impacts to it as well.

This video show that cell phones can cause brain cancer. media type="youtube" key="mdfBNohDI5U" width="425" height="350"

=** Journal Entry #2 __Peep Culture__   **=

After watching the documentary on //Peep Culture// in calss, it was intresting how people choose to upload videos of their daily lives, show short videos of their opinions and their day and allow others to view them. I wouldn't expose any part of my life to millions of strangers accross the world because it is an invasion to my privacy and I think it is unnecessary. However, as shown in documentary, many people out there upload videos of themselve because they want to be remembered, and recognized for the things they do. For example, Lisa, who underwent weight loss surgery, uploaded videos of herself going through the process of her weight loss and wanted other people to feel sympathy for her and cheer her on. She wanted to be recognized for what she was doing and she wanted to get something out it. In my opinion, I feel like it was needless of her to do that because she could have simply gotten help and recognization from her loved ones and from her family members and friends. I rather have people who love me and know me help me through my hardships than uploading videos of myself to millions of people i don't know. People who expose themselves and make videos of their daily lives are people who purely desire, attention, acknowledgement, and fame.

Hal Niedzviecki said, "Put a camera in front of us and we change," and I agree. When people are placed in front of a camera, they automatically change there character and their behaviour in the way it appeals to others and seems interesting. People want others to view their videos and so they dramatize and exaggerate a sitution. People would come up with wild ideas to gain more viewers and fame. If you have a friend and you see a video they uploaded, you would be surprised of what you see because you would probably think, " I have never seen her/ him act this way" Many people post pictures of themselves, update their statuses and upload videos of them because they want to gain more friends and they want meaningful realtionships. I strongly oppose that people can make meaningful realtionships with strangers online. Friends you meet online only show and tell you what they want you to see and know. You can't create a relationship with anyone just from looking at their pictures or through a video becuase they might be different when you see them in person. You make real friends when you communicate, interact and socialize with others face to face. You make close friends that way because you get to know them better and you know them by what you see, not by what they want you to see.

=**Journal Entry #3 ** __**Pop Culture**__ =

Pop culture happens everyday and everywhere around us. One aspect of pop culture that has been around for years is fashion. Fashion has been a part of pop culture from around the 1920's. Once a fashion item or a clothing has been considered popular, it imediately spreads around millions of people and they all want it. As soon as a specific style of clothing, bag or shoe is in considered a trend every designer trys to make similar porducts of the same style becase they know everyone is going to want to buy them. When you go shopping, you look to see what kinds of clothes are popular and fashionable. Everyone wants the to know what everyone is wearing, what kind of shoes they're wearing, hair styles and more. In the malls you see people carrying the same shopping bags because they buy their clothes from popular brand names. When teenagers at home watch T.V, they see advertisments of the newest fashion items and they go out and buy them because it is popular and everyone is getting them. Hundreds of people attend fashion shows to see what kind of clothings and styles are fashionable. When I went to Korea, the trend there at the time was having short hair with straight bangs. Everywhere I went all the girls had the same hairstyles, even my cousins in Korea. At school I see most of the girls wearing similar styles of clothing and shoes and carring simialr bags. I also follow fashion trends and when I go shopping I look at what kinds of styles are popular. Aslo I enjoy searching new trendy clothings on different websites so that I know what the new styles are. Fashion infulences everyone around the world and it has always been and always will be a part of pop culture.

=**Journal Entry #4 **Celebrity = They are showered with love, they have massive about of riches, they have endless fame, they are idolized, they are CELEBRITES. Many people want to meet celebrites because they are famous and they idolize them for their, skills, talent and beauty. People gossip about them with their friends, they look them up in magazines, on T.V and on the internet. I don't keep up to date of whats going on in the celebrity world because I am not really interested. The last big news I heard about hollywood stars was about [|Justin Bieber]and [|Selena Gomez][|dating.] This is news from a long time ago. Justin Bieber is one of the top and famous singers in Hollywood and when the news spread about his new girlfriend, Selena Gomez, everyone was surprised. It's amazing how serious people take celebrity news and how fast they find out. There were pictures everwheree of the couple and millions of people were veiwing them every second. Justin and Selena were the top news, they became so popular that people were making youtube videos of them and slide shows of them. With the intensive popularity of the two celebrities, many fans and others were making rude comments and they were taking their actions way too far. I watched a youtube video of when Selena Gomez was on stage and a person from the audience threw a water bottle at her. Also people were putting up comments all over the internet talking about the couple which I think is a waste of time. People are spending their time typing up comments about poeple don't even know them well. I feel bad for celebrities because they have their whole life exposed to everyone and they have no absolute privacy. Other people's personal lives shouldn't be the concern of anyone else. I think celebrities should have their privacy and other indiviuals should leave them alone.

=**Journal Enrty #5 __Provincial elections ads/brochures __ **= = = Every time the provinical elections are on, my mail box is filled with brochures and adveritisements. On the streets I receive brochures from people supporting different provincial parties. When I walk to school flyers jump in my face as if it's yelling "Read me or else!" All these advertisements and borchures look appealing so that it catches peoples attention and get them to vote. What I find interesting is that whenever I read the brochures, all I see is information on their achievements and their experience, it doesn't really tell me what they will do for the city and how they will do it. Parties spend so much time, money and effort to make their ads convincing and attracting to others. They use different colors, fonts, pictures and sometimes they even have products attached to them to make people want the brochures. If I was a voter I think i would vote for candidates based on their knowledge and actions, not based on their apperance and the details on their advertisements. However, I know that in reality everyone goes for the ones that look more attractive and they would obviously go for the ones that even have free products instead of brochures filled with boring information. I think provinical election advertisements draw attention to things that are insignificant to their purpose.