Although me and my brother were not so close when we were kids, the older we get the closer we get! And I love that. There is only a 15 month difference between us so were pretty much twins..minus the red hair (yes it's still that red ha). It's hard to see him now that I don't live with him and he is going to a school 6 hours away! But we still communicate everyday and i love him for that!
I asked a good friend, "When I say reality what comes to mind?" She replied, "Well first I think of reality tv! Like MTV or Jersey Shore! But I guess you could think of it 'realistically' (no pun intended) and say that it's like growing up." But what exactly is 'Reality'? According to my reliable source google; reality is defined as all of your experiences that determine how things appear to you. Yet according to another internet source; reality is defined as the state of quality of being real. But if reality is being real...is that not being realistic? Hence, realism? Realism is defined as - the tendency to see things how they really are. To me reality and realism go hand and hand.
A&E: Real Life. Drama. One of A&E's most popular programs, Intervention, is about the realities facing addicts of many kinds. Each program follows one of two participants; each with their own addiction. Every addict believes that they are being filmed for a documentary on their problem. Their situations are actually being documented in anticipation of an intervention by their family and/or friends. Each addict has a choice..go into rehab immediately, or risk losing contact, income, or other privileges from their loved ones. Often other tactics are used to persuade the addicted person into treatment, these vary depending of the situation. Some of these include; threats to invoke outstanding arrest warrants, apply for custody of their children, foreclosing on the addict's property, and break-up of marriages or other relationships. Of course by the end of the episode your dieing to know if they recover from their addiction: The producers usually follow up months later to monitor the addicts progress and film it for "follow-up" episodes of the series.
Although this show is 'reality tv' this is REAL LIFE. There are millions of people that go through addiction everyday and just because they don't get the chance to be on intervention doesn't mean they don't get help. I believe that if anything this show inspires people to fix their lives, to start fresh again, to get a second chance at life. Every time this show premiers there is a family out there watching and wishing that their loved one could be helped. But this show shows that it is possible!
"Intervention showcases individuals as they self-destruct and this draws people into watching the show." Says Matthew Gilbert a television critic from The Globe. Seeing a family and their loved one suffer brings in viewers. And not just that! The fact that we get to see what happens after they go to rehab.
Intervention is an amazing show that has helped so many people and it really connects with my personal life! I have had a friend go through an addiction and go to rehab. He has been sober for almost a year now. Although this addiction ruined his life..he is slowly starting his second chances and fix his life! I believe this show deserves their 2009 Emmy award for Outstanding Reality Program.
ABC, NBC, CBS, MTV, VH1, Nick, Disney, Animal Planet, Cartoon Network, we all have access to these television stations but should your children? If our children do watch tv shows not suited for their age, will it affect them negatively?
So how should we stop our children from watching what they shouldn't watch? Do we shelter them? Smother them with happy go lucky ideas? Well considering I am not a parent I decided to interview my mom's best friend.
Me: Do your children watch tv?
Lisa: Of course ha! They watch tv all the time, their like little zombies.
Me: What does Trey watch?
Lisa: Trey really enjoys the crime scene stuff. You know..CSI and stuff similar to that show.
Me: Oh yeah I love that show! Well does Sydney also watch CSI?
Lisa: Oh no! Syds only 11, that show would scare her to death!
Me: Why do you say that?
Lisa: Amanda, Sydney is only 11. That show is definitely meant to be aimed at older teens and adults. Trey is 17 and is fully aware that it is all fake and it's just there to excite him. Sydney's mind just isn't really ready to watch 'trama' like that.
Me: So what does Sydney watch? Do you censor what she watches?
Lisa: No not really actually, I do make sure she does not watch R rated movies or any shows I believe would be appropriate. If I was there of course.
Me: What about when your no there?
Lisa: I'm sure that she watches shows with her brother while I am not home but I don't think that could really effect her as much because she is not watching it all the time.
Me: Do you block any channels?
Lisa: No, our children are free to watch any channel with our permission. Although if I here something like, Family Guy I tell Trey to change the channel! That show isn't even suited for kids his age!
Me: Do you think what your children watch could have an effect on how they act?
Lisa: Of course, but ultimetly it's the parents that raise children not television shows. I think you shouldn't let your children watch whatever they like but you don't need to completely shelter them.
How do you want to raise your children? Will you shelter them? Let them run wild? These questions run through parents minds everyday. In the end I believe that it's not the shows children watch, it really is how they are raised.
Welcome to stereotyping 101! This is a commercial for a TV show that just premiered a few weeks ago. SKINS, originally from the UK, is a teen drama that follows a group of teenagers. The controversial plot line explores issues such as dysfunctional families, mental illness (including eating disorders), sexual orientation identity, substance abuse and death. This show is a prime example of stereotyping because when viewers watch this, they are thinking this is the 'average teenager'. But what is it that makes us stereotype this? It is all the activities they are doing, the items they are using, what they are wearing, and how they act. All these are semiotics.
Semiotic is defined as, the study of cultural sign processes, analogy, metaphor, signification and communication, signs and symbols. So because of all the alcohol, drugs, sex, and illegal symbols in this show this forces us to stereotype.
I asked someone, "What comes to mind when I say teen pregnancy?" And their response was what the average person would say.
high school
'slut'
lacking common sense
unprotected sex
Attention grabber
Although more than half of these assumptions are false, it is what our brain is trained to think! I believe it is the way society has led us to think. I go by this saying, you are what you grew up around, and I really do think that this forms how and who we stereotype.
Are you a digital native? Is anyone really a native to the 'digital world'? A native is 'characteristic of or relating to people inhabiting a region from the beginning'. Yet in my mind I believe that if you were born in a era where computers and cell phones already existed, you can still be a digital native because you grew up knowing how to use these items. Some people might frown upon 'digital natives' because technology has also been found to be bad for us, according to an abc article.
It seems like in this day and age that children are born with a natural instinct for technology. Something as simple as an iphone or ipad can be the most difficult thing for the older generation(s) to catch on too. My whole family has iphone's and has had them for years. Yet I still find myself helping my mom or dad with the simplest things even though they have had the phone for years! Children that are born in the 'digital era' have a natural knowledge of technology, here is an example.
E-trade is famous for the 'classic baby commercial' with this child. The baby pretty much shows that if a baby can use e-trade anyone can! Although a child really would not be able to use e-trade, this does show how children born in the 'digital era' are able to pick up and learn stuff quicker.
