Final Project Video

http://summerdiscovery2013infotainment.blogspot.com/2013/08/e-news.html

Catfish

Being "cat-fished" is definitely not fun! In class, we watched the documentary, "Catfish" and saw how much of a toll it took on a particular man's life. To answer the question, "How would you feel if you were being cat-fished?", I would respond by saying how much of a disappointment it would be to find out that someone I had been building a strong connection with, had been a fake the whole time. I also agree with A.O. Scott, the author of a New York Times review of the film (NYT Review) when he describes how intriguing the subject is and how while watching the documentary, you always wanted to find out what would occur next.  

Amanda Bynes Update Video

I'm sure most of you are aware of the recent events involving Amanda Bynes. She had returned to Los Angeles and just this past Tuesday, Amanda was taken in on a 5150 psychiatric hold. Medical professionals and law enforcement officers have the ability to involuntarily place someone in a psychiatric hold for up to 72 hours for examination and for determining whether further treatment is necessary. This occurred because she apparently started a fire in a stranger's driveway with gasoline and cloth. I truly hope that she will be able to get the help she needs and to become a stronger and healthier women. 

Amanda Bynes Video      

Compiled Interview Data

In class, we compiled all of our data from last week's interview. The results were not as diverse as they were when we did the social media interview, but were still interesting. Some results that I found interesting were that most people thought that celebrity gossip is not considered news and that ongoing criminal trial coverage is news. Another result of the questioning was that most people didn't know how to define infotainment. Most people responded with an "I don't know." While we were interviewing the people, I thought about how there really wasn't much variety in the different people's answers.

Interview Response

For our news/infotainment class, we conducted a survey at the Bruin Bear. We asked questions like what people's favorite news stations were, if they use social media to obtain news, if they are affected by celebrity endorsement, etc. From the people my group interviewed, we saw that most people utilized online options to get their news. I also found it interesting that more people said that celebrity gossip was not considered news. One more statistic that I found intriguing was that when asked to, "Define the word infotainment", 6 out of 10 people could not.

Response to Cause of Cory Monteith's Tragic Death

This past Saturday night, I was leaving a restaurant in Las Vegas, while I was on a trip, and looked down at my phone. I couldn't even believe what I was seeing. Cory Monteith had died. I started watching him as Finn Hudson on Glee a few years ago and absolutely adored him. He was such an inspiration to everyone who watched the show and anyone who saw him would instantly fall head over heals in love with him. Unfortunately, he had been struggling for most of his life with substance abuse. He had checked himself into rehab recently this past year and seemed to have been doing great. It's so sad that he worked so hard and after one mistake, his life was taken from him. (See cause of Monteith's death for the details.)

Introduction to News and Infotainment Class

For the second half of the summer, I'll be learning about News and Infotainment. Our first assignment is  to decide on a theme and Natalia, Lesley, and I will be discussing celebrity gossip. Check back in later for more!

So...What is News? Response

In class, yesterday, we discussed the definitions of news and entertainment and were asked to apply them to videos we watched for last night's assignment. The first video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLTmNdwWgMw) was of a man and his son, who were responding to the verdict of the George Zimmerman case. In my opinion, I believe this is somewhat news and contains information. This is because someone may have watched this video and it had been the first time they had heard of the final decision. In the second clip (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/george-zimmerman-verdict-daily-show-586044), I would consider it news and information because it contained facts and informed the public, but in a comedic way, so that is why I believe it can be classified as infotainment. The third clip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWGunnl1IaI) was so sad for me to watch since I absolutely love Cory Monteith and how impactful he has been on so many people's lives. I still cannot even fathom how this is even a possibility. Although, the topic of discussion is a celebrity's death, I think this can be considered news and infotainment. This is news because it informs the public of such a tragic event that has happened recently and it is infotainment because it is about a celebrity and how other celebrities have reacted towards it. In the last video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tG_WugYQf0c), I think the information was portrayed as news and just told the facts.

Remix Response

In class, yesterday, we discussed remixes. I found one of Bruno Mars' song, Treasure, by Romanza Winter House. This group kept the same lyrics, but definitely changed the feel of the song. It's definitely worth listening to! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPvuNsRccVw and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTylpVDozCg). 

We also discussed how we would feel if someone "remixed" something I had written. My opinion was that if I took out time and effort and creative force, how would it be fair for someone to profit from that. I also believed that I would feel violated if this were to happen to me. Although, I feel this way, I do love how these remixes sound and how it totally changes the vibe of the song!  

Reflections

It's hard to believe how quickly the last three weeks have gone by! It has truly been a pleasure to participate in the "Media in the 21st Century" portion of the class and I am looking forward to the next three weeks to learn "What is News?". Looking back to the first day of this class, I didn't know what to expect. I was not aware of how much of an impact social media sites have on adults, adolescents, and kids. I have gained so much knowledge about Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. and it has changed my perspective of the internet and how it is both beneficial and detrimental to us. We discussed each site and app in thorough detail and also had the opportunity to create an account if we wanted to. We each had the opportunity to teach the rest of the class and become experts in different types of social media. I learned more about Facebook and Instagram and was able to share my findings with the rest of the class. I was also taught how to use other sites, such as, Twitter, Vine, Pinterest, Youtube, etc. Now, after learning this, I feel as if I could teach others about these sites and how each feature works and how much variety there is within them. I have learned so much in this class and am so appreciative of everyone who has taken the time to read my blog thus far and show how invested you are in my opinion.

The Social Network

I can't believe that I've been here at UCLA for almost three weeks! We took a little break from our studies and watched the movie, The Social Network, which was so interesting. There were multiple instances, where the film shows the switch from old to new media. One part of the movie that caught my attention was when Mark was in his dorm room and some guy came in and asked him if he knew the "relationship status" of a girl in their class. In these next few seconds, Zuckerberg would be coming up with something so remarkable. He then responded with an idea that would help to revolutionize social media. On people's "walls" or pages, they could change the relationship status from single to in a relationship, engaged, married, it's complicated, etc. Throughout the rest of the movie, these ideas would all contribute to make Facebook such a popular site. 

Social Media Survey

In class, last week, we conducted a survey about social media. We stood near the book store and asked all different kinds of people their opinion's on this topic. We asked questions like what their favorite form of social media was, how many "friends" and followers they have, etc. The results were so interesting! When asked which form of social media people used the most often, twenty-four out of thirty people, which equals eighty percent, said that Facebook was their most often checked site. Only two said Instagram, one said Twitter, one said Youtube, and one said Whats App. A large majority of people explained that their reasoning over this choice was because of how easy it is to communicate, post, and share on Facebook. Another statistic that I found out was that twenty-three out of thirty people preferred to use texting over Facebook messaging and I was astonished when I learned that fifteen of these people would rather call than Facebook message. I learned so much from this experience and was also able to see how social media impacts people, who are unlike me, throughout the world.

Podcast Response

In class this past week, we discussed podcasts. I came across one, by BAM Radio Network, named Sex, Teens and Technology, Oh My! The podcast discusses the consequences of media, especially through sexting. Teenagers don't realize how serious their actions can be and how there are so many repercussions that can come out of it. These teens do not realize how even if they are sending a "sext" to a boyfriend or girlfriend, the internet has the power to distribute it everywhere. Also, sexting can be seen as a crime in some states because it is technically the distribution of child pornography. Schools may have to get involved as well. Once something happens while the teens are in school, it is the job of the administration to become part of the problem. It is also suggested that parents should try to have "the talk" with their teens regarding this issue. I found this podcast very informative and will definitely watch out for more like it!

Interview with Lavina Sabnani

After traveling more than 12 hours to be here at UCLA, Lavina, who currently lives in Warsaw, Poland and is going to be a senior in high school this coming year, gave me the opportunity to interview her. She writes about political speeches in her blog and it's so interesting to learn about the topics she discusses. (http://politicalspeechessummerd2013.blogspot.com) We spoke for a while about her likes and dislikes, her interests, etc. She explained to me that although she had never looked into politics and government before, she took an AP government course and was intrigued and fascinated by it all. Since then, she has loved studying this and while she is here at UCLA, it gives her a great opportunity to look into other countries' government and politics, different from those in Poland. As a Polish student, Lavina says that while she's here at UCLA, or in her school, which is an American school, she is able to look at the bigger picture and see how globalized US politics are and how similar and different they are to the politics in Poland. In both the United States and Poland, there are formally multi-partied systems. In the U.S. the government is mostly dominated by two parties, the Democrats and the Republicans, and less seen are parties such as the Green party, etc. Sabnani states, "In Poland, all parties are equally present, with a Prime Minister, as well as President, who share similarly equal power". When asked why she was here at UCLA for the Summer, she responded by saying that she was so excited to just see California and to have a chance to check out the campus of UCLA. She explained to me that she doesn't plan on coming here for college, she would rather go to a school on the East Coast or in the United Kingdom, so this was a fabulous opportunity for her to do so. This Summer, Lavina is taking two courses, Psychology and News and Media in the 21st Century. She chose to take Psychology because it would be a good recap for her IB psych class and so that she could remember the foundations of the subject for when she returns to school. She decided to take this class because she is interested in newscasting, news, and censorship. When she's not at home studying, Lavina is participating in so many extra curricular activities. These include, Model U.N., cheerleader, spirit squad member, student government, student ambassador, member of multiple committees and clubs, etc. She also participates in three varsity sports, softball, track, and soccer, and plays badminton outside of school. She also shared with me how much she loves community service. She said, "Every Sunday, I go to the local pet shelter to volunteer and it's so special for me because it's where I got my dog". Lavina also loves to read classics in her very limited free time. Lavina says, "Some of my favorite books include, the Secret Garden and the Great Gatsby". She goes on to explain to me what stresses her out most, living up to her parent's expectations, and of course school and thinking about college. I'm so glad that I was able to interview Lavina and learn so much about her!

Digital Footprint

In class, we discussed the topic of Digital Footprints. A Digital Footprint is the trace you leave on-line of absolutely anything you do or say. College admissions and potential employers have easy access to this information, which can cripple your chances of being accepted to the school or occupation of your choice. If you avoid swearing constantly, checking in at inappropriate locations, and complaining, you have a better chance of maintaining a "clean" Digital Footprint. Digital Footprints can be both positive and negative, but as long as you stay appropriate and not do anything you will regret, your online experience will be great!    

Sculpture Garden

This past Thursday, my news and media class visited the campus' sculpture garden, where one sculpture particularly stuck out to me. In the garden, the majority of the pieces had smooth edges or straight lines to form them. The one that I was intrigued by was different and therefore stuck out to me. The name of the piece in English is the Chamber of the Emperor.  It had no geometric lines, shapes, or figures and was twisted and bumpy. It had an unusual texture and seemed to be "droopy". Afterwards, we discussed how we felt about the sculptures and why we had chosen to write about it. My thoughts were that straying from the crowd is a positive attribute of a human being and this sculpture did just that.

Photo of the Chamber of the Emperor Sculpture

Today, in my news and media class, our teacher shared two "news" clips with us. In my opinion, neither of these videos are news because of how informal the discussions were and how hard it was to follow. The issue being discussed was on the Voting Rights 5-4 SCOTUS, but I wasn't able to learn very much about the issue from watching these. In the first video, from "The Daily Show", it was very hard to follow and the reporter's opinions were obvious to the viewer. He added in unnecessary details and used descriptions that are not necessarily true to the public. He was bias and cracked way too many jokes, although they were humorous. In the second video, from "Fox News", it began in a more serious-manner and he did tell more facts than jokes. Towards the end of the story, it felt as if the facts that had been previously shared with me disappeared and the argument's the reporters had were distracting and the multiple perspectives shown were confusing to anyone who watches this. All in all, I felt as if neither source was news and that they were not very informative.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-june-25-2013/the-supreme-court---the-voting-rights-act
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/26/sean-hannity-juan-williams-supreme-court-voting-rights-act-ruling_n_3502119.html

There are a multitude of positives and negatives related to social media today. After researching a bit, I came across Ellen Niemer's article, "Teenagers and Social Media". She describes how most teenagers, boys and girls, spend so much of their time "plugged in" and entertaining themselves while online. She then goes on to explain the benefits and negative effects of social media on teens. Some benefits include, connecting with people who have similar interests, communicating with friends, and branching out and trying new things. Unfortunately, the positives don't outweigh the negatives in this situation. The internet, especially on social media sites, is a major component of where bullying (cyberbullying), harassment, and sexting take place.

So many teens, including myself, spend hours at a time checking Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. I definitely agree with the author of the article when she says that communication is a key factor of these websites. I use it to communicate with friends I've made through programs similar to Summer Discovery, and it's a great way to keep in touch with them. But, I have also seen how harmful they can be. Bullying over Facebook happens way too frequently. And just recently, my younger sister created an Instagram account, which was later hacked by an adult male, who posted some very inappropriate pictures of himself. Kids should not be exposed to this kind of material at such a young age and in the media these days, it is dominant over the more appropriate and useful sites.            

http://www.alive.com/articles/view/23615/teenagers_and_social_media

Home for the next six weeks!

Introduction

Hi, my name is Rachel and I'm so excited to spend the next six weeks at UCLA with Summer Discovery. This program is an opportunity for high school students to learn, meet new people from around the world, have fun, and participate in a college-like experience. I arrived yesterday and am anxious to see what's in store. I chose to take an introduction to psychology course and a news and media course. One aspect of news and media that really sparks my interest is how it affects teenagers, impacts our understanding of the world around us, and influences our perspective; especially being here with hundreds of these teens, it will be interesting to know how it will alter the experiences we are all going to have. I have been a part of my school's newspaper for the past couple of years and I have been able to see how the news and media changes our opinions on about most everything. There are many studies which show both the positive and negative effects of news and media. Some including, school, obesity, advertising and commercials, stereotypes, violence, and sexuality. I hope that over the next few weeks, I will be able to explain to you all how these topics are portrayed through the news and media and how they are related to teenager's lives.