Horoscope

"Letting yourself be emotionally exposed is difficult, but you can do it -- and you should. Your bravery has been proven to other people many times over, but have you proven it to yourself? Someone close to you wants to know more about your inner thoughts, and they want the truth. Do not candy-coat your feelings in an effort to make them seem more mainstream or acceptable. What's the point of that? You have to let it all come out without editing a word." -My Horoscope

I don't always look at horoscopes but the ones I have read I realized they are somewhat true. The prediction is kind of true but it says comments that are usually common in someone’s life and then makes that person believe that they will always be true or need to happen. For example, one day it says that someone close to you wants to know more about your inner thoughts, and they want the truth or you need to express your emotions don’t be scared. Those examples are so common that they happen all the time or at least we all feel that sometime throughout the day. Horoscopes make you think that you have to take part in the saying. When it says my bravery has been proven many times but have I proven it to myself, is so common because of course my bravery has been proven to someone. I have friends and family that I’m around all the time of course they seen my bravery. I can easily create an example of a horoscope comment: You need to relax and watch, soon you will have the time to speak. 

Media Literacy

“Media literacy” is the ability to understand and critically analyze the influence of the mass media on our lives. I feel that media literacy is very important to understand so that we are not fooled or controlled by the media. The media is exposed everywhere and at any moment they could easily lead you to believe in false information. There are certain people that believe anything the media says and those people are controlled by the media. That is not good because now those people are relaying that false information to other people causing a flow of false information. I’m not saying all the media is false but you need to understand what the truth is and what isn’t. We need to make sure you are in control of your life and the media isn’t in control. A lot of people think that the media doesn’t affect them but in some aspect it does. For example, politic discussions and voting’s affect how the government decides on running things or certain rules that are made. Media is a good and bad guide, it just depends on how you view it. 

Sadler and Hunt

After reading the responses from both professors, I realized that they both had good arguments. Sadler, a professor at University of South Florida, argues that the issue of internet plagiarism is wrong. One point she made was that plagiarism could raise the teachers grading scale making the honest students have weaker papers and those who plagiarize have stronger papers. As a whole, Sadler does not approve of plagiarism and it’s unfair to students and teachers. Russell Hunt, a professor at St. Thomas University, doesn’t necessarily disagree with plagiarism. As a result to how the school and grading system has been created, hunt feels that students turn to plagiarism to satisfy certain requirements.  Hunt even says that plagiarism challenges the overwhelming pressure for grades which our institutions have created and foster. As a college student, I notice how a lot of students plagiarize way too much and that isn’t okay. Although there are times when the school punishes students for plagiarism in which there was no need for punishment. For example, I could write a paper that was written on the top of my head, but when I put it in Turnitin.com, it will say I plagiarized more that 20%. I would have to say plagiarism is looked at way too closely and it’s need to be allowed to a certain extent.  

Media Experiences

We are exposed to media every day. Watching the news, browsing online, or reading newspapers, all contribute to the media. In my media experiences, it has changed my view on the world and how I consistently stick to my values to make sure I never change. Over the years, I have experienced times when the media is biased or lead us to false information. It seems that the media relays news but then switches it up to certain extent where it could make people believe they are lying. I feel that some of the information exposed through the media is all false and stirs up a discussion. I feel like magazines defame public figures all the time and it leads people to either dislike or like them. Magazines ruin people’s reputation and I don’t think that’s how our media should act. I have come to a conclusion that our media is such a big gossip circle, that it’s hard to believe what is the truth.Of course the news is correct but half of the news is bad. The news rarely talks about the good and how the world accomplished something. The media is a place in which you need be prepared to be lied to.

Wootan and Liodice

Wootan stance on “food regulating”, is that there should be more regulation on advertisements because kids are attracted a lot more to advertisements. Since kids are attracted to advertisements that consist of food, the advertisements should promote healthy food so they want to eat it. Wootan's strategy is to prevent obesity, so her focus is to improve the advertisement of food so that there will be more nutritious food and hopefully obesity will decrease over the years. On the contrary, Liodice believes that food advertisement shouldn't have boundaries because that is considered our freedom of speech, which we can say anything. Liodice states that we should be able to advertise whatever we want and however we want. In my opinion, I feel like Wootan makes a stronger argument because food advertisement mainly focuses on children and that’s what we need to change. Food advertisement needs to promote nutritious and healthy food, especially if majority of the consumers are children. 

Product Placement

Product Placement is an advertising technique used by companies to subtly promote their products through a non-traditional advertising technique, usually through appearances in film, television, or other media. In my opinion, this type of advertising is very successful and makes a lot of viewers want to buy their product. I notice this a lot in sports, since I played baseball for 14 years I notice how all my friends buy gear that all the baseball players are using on television. For example, if one of the baseball players are wearing under armor apparel and that player did really good that game, then most likely a viewer will notice that and want to buy the product. In my past experience, I was watching a baseball player on television who was really fast and he was wearing “Derek Jeter cleats”, so the next day I bought them because I thought the cleats made him run fast. Product Placement is a very creative technique to advertise, it could be as easy as putting your company’s brand on a shirt in a film. 

Marketing Strageties

In the past week I have been exposed to many different marketing strategies. As a consumer, you understand how each company has their own unique marketing strategy. For example, I went to a retail store the other day at the mall and there strategy is to approach customers and to explain all the deals they have. When I walked in to the store two employees approached me and started to talk about the deals they have. The two girls were also complementing me on my clothing attire and asked me how my day was. Retail stores make their employees be interactive with their customers and make sure they explain their daily current deals. As a consumer, sometimes it could get annoying when the workers are consistently trying to talk to you. Usually when I walk into the store I don't want to be followed or always asked questions, although a nice greeting is acceptable. I feel like magazine advertising is weak, because it’s hard to look at a product when it’s in a magazine. Also, when you see clothes in a magazine it’s hard to know if you like the material or how it would fit.