Chapter 3

1. Do negative stereotypes exist in the media today? Explain, and if yes, give examples. If no, explain why you believe they don’t.

I believe that negative stereotypes do exist in the media today and have had my belief validated just by watching a TV show in the last thirty minutes, flipping through a magazine and listening to my mom talk about her new school down in New Orleans. I was watching “The Office” and they made references to black people being from the ghetto, Fat people were lazy, and women should be sexy and skinny. Each of these stereotypes are things that these type of people have to deal with on a daily basis. When I read a magazine or watch a TV show, I have the overwhelming feeling that I need to weigh 100 pounds, I need to attract men with my sex appeal, and I need to never eat in order for guys to find me attractive. This stereotype of women is not a reality in real life, yet is pushed at women so strong and is so influencing.

2. There is a possibility that people will be immersing themselves in the world of mass media to a point to where they begin to tune out the real world. What might happen if people begin to overly distance themselves from the reality of the outside world? Are there examples of where this has already happened?

I think that this submersion of mass media is slowly becoming more and more common today. As for myself, I have found myself less social at school with my Ipod in my ears and my Iphone in my hand as I am searching things on the internet, looking at my Facebook page, checking my email, and texting 10 people at once, while completely ignoring the thousands of other students around me. My friend recently told me that as long as I had my cell phone and computer I would never need human contact. Although this was a complete exaggeration, I did find some truth to it. It seems that my computer and my phone are my constant “necessities” in order for me to survive my daily life. I believe that if we as society continue to have our media grow and evolve as it has we will continue to lose as much personal contact with people and move towards the means of cell phones, emails, and the internet for a way of communication. My mom has recently started her masters program at the School of Tulane and is learning that the life of a college student is quite the busy one. Before starting school she got the new Iphone and a MAC to accommodate her scholastic needs. She is learning that the quickest way to communicate with her children is to send a quick text or email rather then spending a couple minutes on the phone. The conversation is quick, easy, and done the minute the text is sent.