JOUR1111 Media Use Journal

As society makes its transition into the future, so to do does technology and the way in which we utilise it. What was once innovative and hi-tech is now overshadowed by modern advancements, and the interactive and dynamic nature of new-age technology has transformed the way in which we communicate globally. In terms of the individual, media consumption has reached new heights with portable mediums becoming more commonly used than ever before.

Through evaluation of my own personal media use, it is evident that the use of my iPad is predominant.

 

If we take a further look into the different ways that I use my iPad, the access to social-networking site Facebook dominates.

This is coherent with results stemming from a survey conducted with 167 students in a Journalism and Communication course at UQ. The results showed that Facebook is commonly accessed through both the students' phones and the internet, with 73% of the demographic answering that this is how they spend most of their internet time. When comparing the frequency of use between the internet, television and the radio (second and third most common sources of media used, respectively), it is clear that the internet is most popular. 

It can be seen from the graph that the majority of people watch 1-2 hours of television daily and spend less than 1 hour a day listening to the radio, while a quarter of the demographic's daily use of the internet is between 3-4 hours. This is no doubt attributed to the ease and accessibility of connecting to Wi-Fi (illustrated by question 20 in the survey) via portable devices such as PC's, Mac's and Smartphones. 

While radio is also available on portable devices such as phones and iPods, people more commonly use this media to listen to music rather than the radio. Television can also be accessed through smartphones, e-readers and tablets, however it is not as convenient as access to the internet and it's range of entertainment and diversity. YouTube, for example, is quite popular with web users, having the same appeal as television with the added benefit of being able to select what you want to see exactly when you want to see it (exploiting Web 2.0's functioning and capabilities). 

Looking at the data with specific attention to the use of the radio as a news source, it does not even compete with Facebook. 

This can be attributed to the interactive nature of Facebook, as well as television, which makes receiving the news a far more engaging and dynamic. These sources offer visual prompts and imagery such as photographs, which act as mental stimulation, encouraging one's imagination and intensifying the impact of the news story. When compared to single-sense stimulation of radio, television and the internet (on whole) are far more exciting and appealing.    

Love Interest #3

Cake!!

Let's Talk About Sex!

SEX IS NATURAL!!!

Phew! I'm so glad to have put that extraordinary and revolutionary statement out there! Oh, it's not?...bugger! I thought I'd just uncovered a radical concept that could help bring society into a modern state of existence. Gee, my bad. Well if this idea isn't so revolutionary, then why is there still so much controversy and inequality? Hmm....

I find it rather difficult to comprehend that we, as citizens of the 21st century, are still living in a world where it is unacceptable to love who we are genetically designed to love. I know, I know, the majority of you have just rolled your eyes and thought 'here we go, another advocate for alternative lifestyles', but this is a matter that hits very close to home for me and, quite frankly, disgusts and infuriates me more than my vocabulary will allow me to describe.

I cannot fathom that there are still people in our society believing that homosexual, bisexual, and transsexual orientation is a matter of choice! I have encountered people who firmly believe this, and to them there are no two ways about it. How can a person honestly convince themself that it is a choice to love (or even simply find attractive) the people we do? What is their opinion on arranged marriage, I wonder? Would they suggest that it is wrong to force a woman/man to marry each other under law or faith because they don't LOVE each other? If so, I would have to try harder than ever to contain my seething rage at their hypocrisy and contradictory statement, and suggest to them that perhaps the couple in question could simply CHOOSE to love their arranged partner!

There are still parents in today's society that disown their children for being same-sex orientated and this honestly brings tears to my eyes. There's often talk of same-sex parenting putting children at a great disadvantage, depriving them of 'proper' nurture and exposure to the social norm of marriage between a man and a woman. How can this be said when it is heterosexual parents who are denying their children love and acceptance? It makes no sense!

I read in an article today that the Australian Christian Lobby's (ACL) Tasmanian director, Mark Brown, has likened adoption or surrogacy of a child to the stolen generation, claiming that apologies will have to be made in years to come for denying them the right to a mother or father.

"Are we not learning from the past - situations like the forced adoptions and the stolen generation - where children are taken from their biological parent and raised by someone else?"

Hold the phone! Just quickly, who allowed this narrow-minded, insulant sod of a man to be appointed the director of ANYTHING? I wonder if he thinks about what he is saying before he speaks, or perhaps he has been gifted with the ever provocative foot-in-mouth disease. Regardless, someone needs to learn to keep him away from any source of social media outlet. 

I could go on and on about this matter, and I am quite happy to do so for anyone that wishes to voice their opinion (for or against). It is time now, however, to retire my over-worked and RSI affected apendages for evening, but not before offering one final salute to my backward thinking colleagues in this modern society - all in favour, raise your finger!   

Love Interest #4

Everyone needs a little Fun in their lives! ;)

JOUR1111 Week 3

Another lecture, another post! I found this lecture's content to be far more riveting than the content of previous lectures, as I am very much driven by my desire to work in print media. Listening to Skye discuss her accomplished career and her work as a free-lance journalist in Europe has fanned my little flame of hope to do much the same thing.

Writing has always had such a powerful effect on me, and from a young age I have marvelled at various writers' and authors' ability to sculpt and manouver words in such a way that the reader is left with a sense of enlightenment, inspiration, or even pure and simple satisfaction. 

I did get a little lost with talk about hypertext and metadata, although I'm sure this is due to my lack of understanding to do with anything technological (as stated in previous posts) - a problem which I aim to tackle head on in the near future. 

I was quite intrigued when a question was asked about the standard of writing that we are exposed to through Facebook and other such social networking sites, with the notion that anyone who updates a status might consider themselves the writer of something credible and worth the read. It brought to mind an image that I viewed recently on Facebook (no, the irony is not lost on me), which I thought I might share in this post...

...dedicated to all the novice writers out there in the land of social networking; without you, there would be no comparison for quality. 

Until next week... xx

JOUR1111 Week 2

Week 2 into my university adventures and already, I'm overwhelmed by the amount of information being thrust upon me. I am now adimant that Edvard Munch mastered seeing into the future and based his 'Scream' on the expression permanently plastered on my face this week.

I found this lecture was informative, however I find talk about the web and it's various stages rather monotone. It doesn't quite ring my 'excitement' bell. I understand that it is imperitive for us (not only as budding young journalists, but also citizens of the modern world) to achnowledge the new and exciting era that we are approaching, with the fascinating world of Web 3.0 right on our doorstep! The word 'daunting' does, however, spring to mind.

Growing up, I often marvelled at my older brother's ability to search the web and apply (with great ease, might I add) his advanced skills to web page design and construction, and when he wasn't completing my computer tech homework in return for me doing his english assignments, he tried to explain to me all the wonders and fun little facts about the world wide web. I, of course, was far more interested in anything else that I could distract myself with. In saying all of this, I am one of the most impatient individuals I know, so the thought of stepping out of Web 2.0 and into a web that will literally tell me exactly what I can do, where I can do it, how long it will take and how much it will cost could be an exciting concept!

I'm not sure, however, that it will aid society's increasing lack of effort. In my opinion, this new age will create an even greater problem by encouraging a generation of people with already high expectations to have exactly 'what we want, when we want it' on a far more advanced scale. This also brings to mind what was mention in the lecture about entitlement - getting what we want for nothing because we deserve it. Who is going to be left to wear the cost? It scares me that ultimately, it will be us (and our children, and our children's children...you get the point) who wears the brunt of this mind-set, as we are the future of this 'take-take' society.     

I might leave it there for this week as I feel that my words have left my mind fighting an internal battle, struggling to weigh up the pro's and con's of Web 3.0 and where it may lead us. Until next week.....