American class divisions through facebook & myspace

Part of our reading included an article on class divisions through social networking sites. I know it was optional to be read, but I thought I'd write about it anyhow.

I thought of it as interesting how the article pointed out that class divisions in the United States have more to do with social networks, than with social capital, cultural capital or attitudes more than income.

Facebook is a social networking site where users get to know the people they know primarily through networks. Already, we get to know the people we know through connections and opportunities as they present themselves in the real world. Facebook functions in much the same fashion.

The author notes that myspace seems to be home to those who aren't in college, therefore not having opportunity to easily meet people like college students would.

The Danah Boyd article speaks of why youth heart (<3) myspace. She mentions that myspacers get to leave comments, but they also get to create a look for their pages. This gives cues to younger generations as to what to wear, and how things work as well as how we fit into the socio-economic class hierarchy. Things aren't always what they might seem. Ultimately both myspace & facebook give users the ability to express themselves in different but very similar ways.

Facebook has a wall, my space has commenting, ect.

In todays world filled with digital natives, a really good networking system is necessary. I believe Prensky's article to be true. Teenagers today process information very differently than their parents once did.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading the material on myspace & facebook, and the instant access that it's users now have.

News articles

While attempting to look for articles relating to teenagers, I ended up coming across many relating to teenage pregnancies, gang violence & how suddenly teenagers are able to use digital access as a form of torment & abuse.

As a teenager, I saw many people in high school get pregnant & others get abortions. Some things I've come to conclude, is that teenage pregnancy might be an issue throughout every teenagers lives. Not just mine, or generation X -- which refers to current teenagers.

The article on gang violence also stood out to me. It kind of hit close to home considering that it was a current situation happening in Providence, within middle schools as well as high schools. I have a sibling in middle school which caused me to dig deeper into the issue. The article stated that with soaring rates of unemployment, lack of access to higher education, and teenagers dropping out of school to work that violence was bound to increase. Warm weather also intensified the situation.

In the third article I found, it spoke about teenagers living in a suburban neighborhood using digital media (instant messaging, text messaging) to harass a classmate. The teenage girls were middle school goers tormenting their 13 year old classmate. Parents also have quite the impression. The article went on to state that a parent was involved with tormenting the child.

All of these articles reminded me of Hines "Rise and Fall of the Teenager". Everyday teenagers are approached with issues that they're forced to make decisions regarding. With mass media readily available, and many tools able to use I feel like it's even more possible for teenagers to fall.

This also ties into Prensky's "Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants". It's become difficult for parents and guardians to keep track of their teenagers when parents/guardians are digital natives. This is something new to them and some don't know how to access information as well as their teenagers do.

Listen up ! Youth Media Network

Listen up ! Is a site where teenagers can speak back against the dominant culture and intense topics such as how lack of funding is really impacting their families, teen pregnancies, domestic violence, stalking and of course the usual sophomoric topic like identity & coming to find ones gender identity.

This a video where teenagers are beating each other up. When I first watched it, it was shocking to see these girls beat each other up. It was absolutely vicious; many of them blamed the media's influence, and ability to watch things from afar without them being the victim. I suppose they simply like watching how other humans react in a fight or flight situation. Other students who were also interviewed stated that it was simply for reputation. Over all.. very shocking.

Listen up ! also has video's of teenagers resisting dominant culture :

I really enjoyed this production, which is a break up letter to the American care system.
The teen takes a stand for talking about her desire to want an efficient health care system which effects everyone at all different stages in their lives, not just teenagers. To watch a teenager have a mature opinion on such a topic shows that teenagers these days are absolutely capable of being intellectual individuals and retaining information that affects themselves as well as their families.

Over all, Listen up! is a web site that gives people insight into the minds of teenagers. There are some sites that are similar, myspace.com being one of them that gives teenagers the advantages of uploading not just photos, web links, but videos as well to their profiles. Facebook.com also hopped on the band-wagon giving people the ability to upload photos as well. I feel that Listen up! stands out more or less with the ability to have a video that expands over a minute in length. I'm glad that it gives teenagers an opportunity to post ideas in a different fashion than myspace or facebook.

"Fast Forward", Lauren Greenfield

I really enjoyed Lauren Greenfields photos which I felt perfectly portrayed teenagers in what seemed like the 90's. I feel that many of those photos would still describe teenagers in todays society.

While looking through the photos I payed close attention to the affect ( looks on faces) of all of the people captured in the photos. In one photo, there is a 13 year old girl weighing herself while her friends look like they're painting their nails, & her parents are peering in the room with smiles on their faces. I found it funny that at the age of 13 these girls were worried about gaining weight.

Greenfield also has a photo of 13 year old girls who are all dressed up with their hair professionally done. To me these girls seemed abnormally skinny , & almost like an impression of their mothers.

Greenfields photography show just how impressionable teenagers are based on their surroundings and based on the environment of their upbringing are constantly looking for a thrill, and the discourse of these photos tell that story.

Many of these adolescence seem to be of the upper tier in society, which also tells me that the life they seem to live to them seems like no big deal, but to us may be surprising. In another one of Greenfields photos, a 13 year old girl was standing at what looked like a bar ordering a soda. Hah, I found this photo extremely funny, but shocking. This girl already know the rules & functions of a bar. How to order a drink, & then pay for it.

Overall, I really enjoyed these photos !

Prep

"Prep" written by Curtis Sittenfeld is exemplary of what it feels like to be an adolescent all over again. In re-introduces the reader to those feelings of envy & jealousy as well as confusion that you may feel the moment you realize that everyone has different socioeconomic standing which is based on assets as well as education.

For Lee, life at Ault seemed like an eye opener. At first the main character comes across as increasingly awkward, and internalizes ideologies from society with every experience. The moment she arrived at Ault was the moment that she realized that her reality was vastly different from those who she'd soon be in constant contact with. In class she saw how enthusiastic other children were about their education, as well as how easily engaged they were. In comparison, she saw her self as not easily engaged and spoke only when spoken to.

I really enjoyed these chapters. In chapter one Little spoke to Lee about stealing & said something to the effect of " stealing meant that you lacked subtly, revealing a wish for things you didn't have". It made sense to me that those who are have not's see these little material things that show that someone has money or assets. In chapter 1 Lee's father meets Dede's father & calls Dede's father 'Sir', which I felt immediately created a power differential. By calling him sir it showed that Dede's father is superior to Lee's father who happens to be in the mattress business.

For Lee, I feel like she incorporates every experience into her identity. She comes to realize how to try to assimilate with her peers and not seem like an outsider. Towards the end of chapter 2 she meets Cross. Cross is the guy that every girl wants & every guy yearns to be. Lee develops a crush on him & it seems for a moment that Cross is attainable , and in a league alike Lee's.

I feel Cross presents himself as an opportunity for Lee's upward mobility towards status quo at Ault. By becoming friends with Cross, Lee comes closer to being friends with her peers and no longer being excluded.

I don't understand why she keeps her hanging out with Cross from her room mates, if anything I believe it'd bring them closer. I think they can all relate as people, but it'd their social & economic status' which divide them.

This text somewhat reminds me of Hines text which suggests that most of out ideologies are learned and perpetuated by the societies in which we reside.

Where we are & where we need to be : Tricia Rose

Tricia Rose : The Hip-Hop Wars

In this article by Tricia Rose, I think some thoughts she's trying to convey is that hip hop as seen today is seen as an economic means to attain an end.

She writes " It was mostly for fun and for play. It wasn't primarily an economic industry, where people got involved more for money than for creativity"

I think by that she means that many artists in the hip hop industry today see hip hop as an opportunity to attain a better lifestyle. She also mentions that African Americans weren't always living in ghettos, or in urban neighborhoods. Hip hop used to be almost like a tool used as a political movement, something used to tell a story of hard ships, and knowledge. Fact is people living in urban slum's and hoods have more of an opportunity to be incarcerated and to tell about their hardships faced through that experience, than they do to have upward mobility and access to higher education.

Today when you turn on the radio, hip hop, or what we now perceive to be hip hop, talks about getting drunk, partying in clubs, and meeting "hoes". Tricia Rose believes that hip hop is in a metaphorical ICU. By this she means that she knows that people are in deep distress, but talking about your .45, or how many hoes your "banging" wont necessarily improve your situation. Hip hop today has simply been commodified. People are so busy consuming that they don't take real effort to notice what the hidden languages are which hip hop speaks.

Somethings I dont understand about hip hop culture is the lack of transcending. It seems like for so long it's been stuck in this trance where artists such as Jay - Z & Kayne West seem to talk more about themselves, as opposed to about situations that most Americans face such as Economic hardships, or lack of access to education.

This article reminds me of Hines article on understanding the messages of the media which we're fed on a daily basis. Overall, I really enjoyed this article.

Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants.

In this article by Prensky called "Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants" the author aims at explaining how the currently students are learning quite differently than their elders were. The generation of students that teachers struggle with teaching are those who are used to using parallel though process, who are used to instant gratification and constant rewards, claims Prensky.

In many ways, I understand how this may be true. In an era where staying in contact, and where its not what you know-- but who you know that matters, where updates are constantly happening, and images are constantly being fed to the general public it's important to stay connected. Parents are worried about their childrens safety, so they give them cellular phones. It only starts there, it expands to the child wanting text messages, and maybe even the internet on their phone. 3G networks enable a person to send pictures, video, instant messages at the speed of light. I know because I'm on the 3G network & happen to be writing this blog from my phone.

How is it possible to teach a student who has all of these resources yet at the end of the day still seem to be bored ? For starters, there is such a thing called a "smartboard", where teachers can browse the internet right in front of students, thus integrating tools from the internet into everyday learning. There is also the thought of using laptops in classrooms-- I'm not sure if that has even been implemented in grades K-12, but in some college classrooms it's occurred.

Point is, I think if teachers really wanted a way to reach students, they'd find a creative way of doing so, which captures a students attention just as fast as the internet does.

Prensky speaks of some thoughts which Christensen also spoke of. Christensen states that the teenager is taught by the latest fashions, and sex roles by TV, movies, magazines, and comic stripes. Prensky adds that the teenager is taught by all of those things which have been complied on the internet for quick and easy access. Think about it, when viewing a web page a person not only see's text that they probably searched for, but tons of other images that have been hyper-sexualized to sell a product.

Teenagers and tweens in this era are educated on topics such as sex and drugs at an earlier age due to instant access without parental control. Text messaging also take things to new heights in the sense that a teenager can harass other students via text messaging, or instant messaging.

The teenager in this era are vastly different that their elders, their thought process is different, but behaviors still the same in some ways.

The Vagina Monologues

The vagina monologues are stories told several different women, all from different walks of life. The monologues aim to raise awareness of how powerful yet exciting it can be to be a woman, have lively parts (Vagina, sometimes called cunt, pee pee, va, it), but slowly have your womanhood taken away from you.

One of the monologues spoke about the tampon industry, and douching. Neither of which are very good for your vagina, after all, it's supposed to smell like a vagina, not something artificial. Another interesting fact : tampons have bleach in them, which tend to dry out vagina's'.

Progressively, each monologue was captivating although I've seen them all performed before. The monologues started off exciting & fun, but interestingly became saddening and heart wrenching. Some of the later monologues spoke about rape, molestation, violent relationships that women become a part of, and try to get away, but some inevitably end in murder.

One monologue in particular spoke about how lively, full of energy, and benevolent her vagina was, but once she was raped-- her vagina grew to be sullen, depressed, reclusive and just not want to function anymore. She grew to think having a vagina was something which was bad, and caused pain.

Rape ,domestic abuse ,and sexual assault are actions that last a short period of time, but can impair an individuals life forever. The vagina monologues aim to raise awareness for those who have been victimized. While showing that having a vagina can be both a beautiful thing to have, but can cause so much pain when violated-- whether it be by the tampon industry or by your fathers best friend.

Rise & Fall of the American Teenager

In the Article "The Rise & Fall of the American Teenager" Thomas Hine explains how the teenager came to be, and how they inevitably "fall" due to ruthless behavior such as joining gangs, becoming pregnant, or committing crimes. In the article, Hine quotes Anna Freud as "theorizing that the experience of adolescence is so filled with pain, trauma, and turmoil that our conscious mind suppresses it."

Somethings I do understand is that to be a teenager is to experience without caution. Physiologically, teenagers brains aren't fully developed, nor are they physically well developed. Their frontal lobes-- which enables the ability to plan, organize, look at future events, and outcomes-- is yet to be fully in tact. As result you have a person who acts, yet isn't consciously aware of the consequences that come along with their actions. There are many things that teenagers do lack, but at the same time they're also filled with creative energy.

Media Literacy

After a while of googling, I came across a few sources that better helped me to understand media literacy, & all that in entails. At the end of this entry I'll give a few links to the web pages I came across.

The way I now understand media literacy is as a medium to communicate concepts through not just words, but photos, movies, music, newspapers, and even our mail. We're exposed to millions of images on a weekly basis, & most of the time we're not aware of it. We subconsciously process these images, which further instill dominant codes & representations within us.

Media literacy is a way to better help people understand the messages that these images/photos/music generate, it also helps to build critical thinking & analytical skills. The mass media affects how we understand & relate to the world at large. Thinks that are sometimes made to seem real in the media, aren't things that are true for us in reality.

Some things that I don't quite understand is why realities appear as distorted as they do sometimes appear in movies, books, ect. . For instance, in the modeling industry the women who model only represent less that 10 percent of the population at large in America.


For more information on Media Literacy you can visit :

http://www1.medialiteracy.com/

http://www.mediachannel.org/classroom/

http://www.kidsplay.org/medialit.html

Slip of Tongue.

Unlearning the Myths That Bind Us

Unlearning the Myths That Bind Us

Linda Christensen

In Unlearning the Myths that bind us, the author speaks of a secret education embedded in childrens' literature, television shows and movies. The author goes on to speak of the ways in which stereotypes are perpetuated. The author states “We are not only taught certain styles of violence, the latest fashions and sex roles by TV, movies, magazines and comic strips; we are also taught how to succeed, how to love, how to buy, how to conquer, how to forget the past and suppress the future.”

The way in which our society perpetuates these ideologies is through a concept called the Ideological State Apparatus conceived by Louis Althusser (1970). Ideologies are perpetuated through governmental institutions such as churches and school where they instill ideas in people since birth, and through out our lifetime these ideologies become internalized and we inevitable accept them since it’s reinforced by the mainstream media.

In this article the author also discusses minority groups such as those who are female, and different socioeconomic groups such as those who are poor. Christensen states that in the movie Cinderella “Those who aren’t white begin to feel left out and ugly because they never get to play the princess.” . In our society we see examples of this through systemic discrimination; this is the process by which those groups that appear to be less than white, male and wealthy are suppressed by those who are already in power—white Anglo-Saxon males. Although this stereotype is progressively changing, it still remains that the majority of those in power are white men.

Some ideologies that I don’t understand is the idea that women need to obtain happiness as a means to marriage, or beauty. The article stats that some ways happiness can be attained is through materialistic things such as a new hair cut, or new clothing. Latest fashions are hegemonic, developed by those who own empires which develop mainstream fashions.

For many females, their entire being is based on all that is materialistic & the superficial, it consumes them. Many don't feel like their lives begin until they're married, or found a "winner". It's when we come to question thoughts and ideas developed by others, yet instilled in us that we come to find true meaning in our own lives. Our reality should not be determined by others, but rather determined by ourselves.

Age Thirteen

Hello everyone,

When I was thirteen, I remember being a bit awkward & not as socially adjusted as I appear to be these days. At age thirteen I recall being into writing, playing my clarinet & art. It was a time period where I was discovering a lot about myself, so I'd read horoscopes & try to identify with the things they'd say about my astrological sign (Pisces), none of which were ever really true. I was often times filled with curiosity, which remains true today.

Although a lot has changed about the person I was then, I still remain the same deep to the core. My personality characteristics are exactly the same ( curious, adventurous, creative, ect.), but through experiences have I come to realize who I really identify as.

Being an adolescent, I believe, is simply learning about who you are, and how to identify not only based on gender or sexuality, but personality as well.

Jae ;