Theme of "power" over society

One of the main themes across all of the texts seems to involve the influence of power over our society and how this affects our every day lives. In each novel we have read thus far, we have been "warned" on what can and may already be happening in our society. For example, in Fahrenheit 451 there is no free-thinking, Culture Jam touched base on our disconnection with the world through technology, Feed labeled individuals as a consumer society where technology was their life in a sense, and Clockwork Orange expressed youth violence. All of the above themes are present in today's society whether we can see it or not, but what will happen in the future? Is there a solution?

In class today we were shown a very interesting video about what the world and society could be like in the future. I believe it is very possible that our society will one day no longer consist of free thinking individuals, but instead a bunch of robots with tracking devices so those in power can know our every move and hold all of the power. In my opinion this is society's way to escape the real issues. Instead of trying to tackle crime and violence we have created a short cut to deal with the real problems in our society. When in all reality no matter what is implanted or used to identify people, there will always be crime, so why not try to figure a way to resolve this issue.

I mean, I can definitely see the benefit of having a device under our skin; to find those who are missing, determine records and health, and other things. But where is the privacy? Where is our freedom anymore? If someone knows our every thought, desire, actions then how can we be free flowing individuals in society? I believe that those who are in power or want to be in power wish us all to be robotic and not have the opportunity to stick up for ourselves. Just like in Fahrenheit 451, their soceity was "wonderful" because everyone did as they were told and did not question why things were the way they were. In my opinion it is sad because our differences is what truly builds and strengthens a society.

“There is more than one way to burn a book"

In class today we were presented a list of books that were banned in schools and their libraries. It is obvious why some of these books were banned because of their title alone, but I feel that a lot of the books should not be on that list. I feel that some of the material in the books may be viewed as offensive and conflict with some of the belief's the parents want to instill in their children. Therefore, the politics in the school system make it almost impossible to NOT have a banned list. In my opinion, this is a sad but true reality. I feel that a lot of the books on the list are really interesting and should be explored, but I can see why they may not be appropriate for the entire population of a school.

As for the quote "there is more than one way to burn a book", I feel that in this society we value what society tells us to value. Our own opinions are then swayed in order to follow the norms and beliefs that are acceptable to society and flow with the hierarchy as a whole. Because society does not think something is acceptable others conform to this belief and are afraid to express their own personal views about the important topics and issues. I truly don't think books and poetry are valued in society anymore because our values have been changed to think that technology and electronics are what is the most important because that is the norm, which when you think about it is really sad.

Farenheit 451

So far I really like the book. The idea of a world where firemen actually start fires seems almost impossible. I couldn't even imagine a world where anyone was allowed to start fires. But I do wonder if it will ever come to this. I mean, are books threatening? I certainly know that "free-thinking" individuals are commonly seen as a threat, even in today's society, but will it come to eliminating books and these individuals all together? One of the topics we discussed in our group today was what we thought really happened to Clarisse. Quite honestly most of us agreed that her and her family were either killed or asked to leave because they "knew too much" or had their own point of view, which threatens the society they live in. And what would happen if more people thought like Clarisse and her family? Would being a fireman even be accepted?

As an in class writing assignment I decided to elaborate on question number one when asked to discuss the symbols used in the book. I thought some of the symbols were the books, which show the intimidation felt from the firemen and also the diminishing of free thinking, the firemen which expresses the power in society, and the dandelion which I feel is the scene where Montage truly questions his happiness with his life, and therefore creates questions with his employment and his marriage. Overall I am very pleased with this reading and I am eager to see what happens.

End of A Clockwork Orange

I thought the book as a whole was very strange and not something I would normally read. A lot of important themes were disscussed like youth violence and freedom of choice, but the ending was very odd to me. I mean, once Alex was released he was pretty much a vegetable and I sort of pittied him and how he was targeted from his past gang members, but after a while he went back to his old ways anyway. So is it really necessary to pity or feel bad for someone because they do not have a choice anymore? I mean, when he was brainwashed he could not think for himself, so I did feel a little bad for him because you would think everyone should have the right to have a choice. But then when he could finally have a mind of his own, what did he do with it? He went right back to his old, violent ways. So are we supposed to pity those who do not have a choice if the choice they make will harm others? As discussed in class I believe this is one of the major issues being debated.

It also makes me sort of frustrated with the fact that in an instant, Alex decided he wanted to be "good" and have a family. On page 212 he blames his violent actions as being young in stating "And all it was was that I was young. But now as I end this story, brothers, I am not young, not no longer, oh no. Alex like groweth up, oh yes." So to me it is bizarre that all of a sudden he wants to "change his ways" and have a family just because now he is grown up? I don't think so. How can somebody truly change that quickly? It seems almost impossible and almost as if there should be "A Clockwork Orange II". I would like to see how Alex "changed" when he met a woman, fell in love, and had children. It would be sort of scary for the fact that he has a reputation for raping women and being very physically aggressive towards others so I would be very curious how he would even act around a woman and a child.

A Clockwork Orange

A quote I would like to elaborate on is found on page 61 in stating "The Mansion or the Manse or some such piece of gloop. Where this very starry ptitsa lives with her cats and all these very starry valuable veshches. Such as? Gold and silver and like jewels." The question I brought up in our group today was: why do you think, in this case, Alex and his gang targeted wealthier individuals, especially because there is a lot more security surounding their homes when they can rob the "slums" and get away with more. My group members responded by saying that the gang would have to rob a lot more homes in the slums to equal the amount of profit from a wealthier home. But then again by doing so there is a greater risk for getting caught whereas in the slums you are more likely to get away with robbery, rape, violence etc... I find this interesting because it seems smarter to rob the slums and not have the risk of getting caught than to rob a mansion and have a great risk of getting caught. I feel that the smart choice would be to target the slums, but at the same time there is a larger reward when targeting the wealthier families. But if Alex and his gang did not care whether or not they got caught then what is there to lose? Nothing.

Lastly I would like to express how I feel about one the topics discussed in class today. We were asked whether or not society is to blame for youth violence. My answer was no. Although parents, teachers, education, media, and society play a role in how we view the world and react in certain situations, it is not solely the cause of "acting out" in our youth. Every individual has the personal choice on how they want to express their emotions. Some people shut down and some people act out. But no matter what it is the individual's choice how they want to deal with their pain. Some people seek help while others feel it is neccessary to steal or murder others for example. Even though our parents are a huge influence on how we see the world, we have the choice on how we want to live our lives. So to blame society and the media and other forms of influence is completely ridiculous. Our actions are chosen by us. We have the choice!

CHALLENGE COMPLETE!!

Yesterday was the last day of this challenge for me and I am very excited today!! I feel as if I gained a part of me that I was missing for a week. Overall I think this was a very interesting exercise but would probably never do it again. But it did teach me that I use a lot more technology than I thought I did and we take advantage of technology because it is so readily available. It is neat looking back now realizing that I participated in activities I have not done so in a while (card playing, board games, going for a walk, reading). I am sure than if it was nice outside this challenge would have been a little easier, but luckily for me I had a lot of studying to do so this really got me to focus! I think the important lession from this is use things if you NEED to, not just because you want them.

Day 6

So yesterday I went to the gym to work some of the stress out of my system and it felt pretty good, but I got very bored not being able to watch TV like everyone else. Since I do not have cable at home the gym is a nice little treat for me to get caught up on some of my favorite shows. My normal workout is usually around one hour, but yesterday I just was not feeling it, so I was at the gym around a half hour (due to boredom). It is sort of sad to admit but I usually only like to work out when I have some sort of entertainment, that being music or TV. So I did feel a little pathetic that I went to the gym for a half hour...eye-opener I guess. And then I had work and went home to eat dinner and study. I am so glad that I decided to do this challenge this week because I have a lot of things to keep me busy. I have two tests on Friday, both of which I am freaking out about, so this challenge is definitely getting me to open the books and get right to work. I have to wonder if I would be as successful if I were to do this challenge during spring break or something. I do not plan on trying it but it does make me wonder.

Today was a very busy day. I had classes from 8 am - 1 pm and then I had work until 5 followed by volunteer tutoring from 5-6. I didn't need any technology of course because by now all of my studying is simply "fine-tuning" for Friday. I did plan on going to Nick's because I miss not being able to talk to him but because of the storm I did not want to risk it. So now I am finishing up my blog and then plan to look for some advertisements online for our project due next week. Once I go home I plan on having a snack, studying some more and then getting to sleep knowing that tomorrow is my LAST DAY of this challenge. I must admit it feels pretty great and I will probably use more technology than I usually do on Friday just because I can, which again is very sad and pathetic but in my case, it is true. I am kind of proud of myself for doing this challenge because at first I was skeptical. I mean, this was easier said than done, especially for someone who does not necessarily engage themselves in a lot of technology, at least I didn't think I did. But now I realize that even the little bit of technology I normally use, I have become dependent on. As I mentioned in a previous blog, would someone who is addicted to texting be able to do this? Or facebook? Seriously, we all have become so reliant on these "simple pleasures" that we do not know what we take for granted or what we have until it is gone. And trust me I am feeling the pain! But I do thank Dr. Mortimore for allowing me to challenge myself and my "will power". It is neat to see my own strengths, and realize how truly weak I am.

Day 5 of Challenge

Sunday morning was pretty normal. We woke up, went to church and had a quick breakfast. It was gorgeous outside so it was not tempting at all to stay inside and use technology. We first washed Nick's car and then drove over to his parent's house to play outside with his brothers. We played some basketball and then I took his brother's little dog for a walk while the boys played air soft guns, or whatever they are called. Then we made some sandwiches for lunch. During lunch I got a call from the lady I babysit for so I answer the phone call (which is allowed for this challenge). She asked me if I could babysit her daughter from 5-? and I responded yes. By about this time it was pushing 3:00 so I headed back to Ship and said my last goodbye's to Nick. I babysat a 2 year old from 5:00-10:30 p.m. where we played twister, did lots of puzzles and other games, and then it was time to make dinner, get a bath, and read some stories before bed. I knew I had a busy week ahead of me so I am glad that I brought my homework so I could study until her mom got home. By 10:30 I drove home, got ready for bed, and was out. Monday morning was okay. I am getting more used to silence so it was kind of nice, but unlike last week I was a little more sluggish and in need of something to wake me up. So I got a shower and then had some hot tea and cereal before my 8:00 class. I had classes from 8:00 am- 1:00 p.m., and then grabbed some late lunch and worked from 2:00 pm-5:00 pm. I then had to meet at FSC to rehearse for the induction ceremony for our national honor society of psychology, which took place from 5:00-6:30. Then I came home, made some dinner, and then got right in to studying for the test I had today (Tuesday) at 8:00 am. Soon after studying I had the urge to call Nick to procrastinate and get my mind off of not being able to use technology, but I stayed strong until he called me and left a message. After that he called me and left another voicemail. Nick normally does not leave any voicemails so I decided to listen to one to make sure everything was okay. He told me that his best friend and one of my best friends was in a really bad ATV accident and they life lined him to the hospital. So in this case, I did call Nick back to tell him that I am sorry and let me know how things were going. I then went to bed and prepared myself for my test at 8 am.

Today, Tuesday, I woke up early and prepared myself for my test. I had class from 8 am-10:15 and decided to start looks for ads and materials for our Literature project. I wanted to get these things out of the way because I have another very important test this Friday that I am not quite prepared for yet. So as of now I am finishing up some homework, getting ready to go to the gym, and then I have work from 1-5.

Some things I have been missing are definitely my tv time. We do not have cable so I do not miss a particular show, but when I am stressed and feel overwhelmed I like to take some time just to clear my head by watching a movie, or a funny series or listening to some music for example. Now I am having trouble finding things to do that work for me, so today I am going to see how working out helps. I typically go to the gym in the evening to get ready for volleyball but I am pretty anxious right now and need something to diminish the stress I am having from the test coming up on Friday.

I also miss my cell phone. Like I mentioned in my first blog I do not have texting or anything like that, but some nights I call my dad before he leaves for work to say hello and tell him to drive safe and wish him a good night at work. I really miss not being able to say goodnight to Nick and talk to him because he is my best friend and when I am stressed etc... I confide in him and my parents so it is definitely hard not having those simple pleasures that we are all so used to now. With that said, after this challenge I know I will go back to my old ways in using my cell phone and watching movies etc... but for now, it is a good experience and it is making me realize how much I acctually use technology. I could not imagine how someone that has texting and is glued to facebook would be. They would probably not be able to do it!

Challenge (Day 2)

I began the Thoreau Challenge yesterday (Friday) and must say so far so good. Thursday night I made sure I told my friends/roommates/family about the challenge so they would not get mad if I did not answer my phone. Yesterday (Friday) was a little weird because during the week I tend to have a daily routine. Every morning after my shower I go in my room and pop in a movie or listen to music while I get ready to wake up a bit. It was very strange because I got ready in silence! Surprisingly, without the distractions from the TV or the radio I was ready a lot faster than normal. Then I went to classes until 1 and then studied for some tests until 4 so I was moving right along the day. I then headed to my boyfriend's house, Nick, for the weekend. Usually on a Friday night we sit on the couch and watch a nice movie together. Instead I got Nick to call his dad and tell him we were coming over for a family game night. To my surprise his family thought it was a good idea to have a game night (his family is usually more attached to technology than anyone I know). So we played the board game Sequence, and then I taught his brothers how to play poker. Then we went with his family to a magic shop so his little brother could practice with a pro. By that time we ate dinner, came home and went to bed.

This morning, Saturday, was worse! We woke up without an alarm clock and I immediately hopped in the shower to wake up. When I got out of the shower, Nick had the news on so I got ready in the dining room so I could keep my "winning" streak. Since he was watching the news and I was tempted to join him, I decided to make us an awesome breakfast. We had homemade home fries, dippy eggs, toast, grits, and coffee (which is better than the normal cereal or oatmeal). Then we got some laundry done, I did the dishes, and stripped the beds all in silence. I typically do house work with the music blaring so this was definitely a change. Instead I got to annoy Nick with my loud singing so at this point he really hated this challenge. Then we met my parents at the store to help them pick out paint colors for the house and went to Applebees for dinner. I just now got home and decided to do some homework while he plays playstation. So I am doing alright but it is just odd because I usually have a routine every morning/day and now things are slowly switching. In a way I like it because it is less to worry about, but I feel a little separated from reality by not watching the news and talking to my family/friends. I am staying pretty strong so far so we will see how the rest of my week goes.

The Feed

After completing the novel "Feed", I had to ask myself whether or not I was caught up in the Feed. As mentioned in class, it is almost impossible to ignore the media and the 3,000 advertisements we see every day. But is there a way to "resist the feed?" Violet made fun of the feed on many accounts and sort of mocked the fact that Titus and his friends bought everything they saw. I find myself relating to Violet in that I understand that I do not need a lot of the things that other people buy or have. I personally do not have texting, I do not have an I pod, I typically only use the computer for school, and I do not buy myself new things unless I need them. I think it is important to distinguish between what we need and what we want, which is exactly what Violet was doing.

Thoreau definitely showed me that it is more important to live simply and appreciate nature for what it truly is. I believe at the end of the novel, Titus and his friends were getting better at resisting the feed, but it is extremely hard when it knows your interests, and your wants, maybe even before you know them yourselves. In my opinion I think Titus and all of his friends were kind of ridiculous when they were hacked in that they almost could not function because they lost the ability to use the feed. This made me think of the passage in "Culture Jam" where the post-modern family took a trip and rid themselves of technology and contact with the outside world. Has it really come to this? That we cannot live without technology? Starting tomorrow, I am going to spend an entire week without technology and in all honesty I am a little nervous. It is not that I use it a lot it is just the fact that I rely on it to communicate with others (family, friends, etc...). In today's society technology and the media are just a part of our everyday lives. What will make a difference is whether or not WE can "resist the feed."

Are we the dumbest generation?

During the video segment with Mark Bauerlein I found myself caught between his statements. I believe he had the right idea in saying that anyone under 30 years old is the “dumbest generation”, however I do not feel that he had a sufficient amount of information to back up his points. I also think he should consider how knowledgeable people 30 and over are. I do believe that a lot of individuals rely heavily on technology and do not appreciate nature anymore, as expressed in “Culture Jam”, but that does not necessarily mean we are “dumb”. I personally still engage with nature often but at the same time I use my cell phone and the internet for many things. I think his reasoning on why we are the dumbest generation needs some work. From what I understood he believes that we are “dumb” because we do not recognize titles of books or the “classics”, but I have to wonder if he knows other areas of study instead of his own. I am a psychology major and I would like to see if he knows who Freud is and his studies, and all of the other important psychologists who discovered “why we act the way we do”. Obviously this is very important to know but if it is not someone’s “cup of tea” then we particularly do not pay attention to those details. I am not saying it is or is not important to know these things but who is he to say what makes us smart?

I also believe that it is necessary for the younger generations to have mentors to influence this information. I mean, if we do not know what is out there, there is only so much we can research to find out. In all honesty if my grandparents would not have told me stories and directed me towards older books and movies I probably would not have known a lot of the questions Leno was asking. Who is our influence? This is why we go to college, to seek more education and to be guided in a direction that will make us more well-rounded individuals. And yes, as expressed in “Culture Jam” people have become lazy with all of the available technology, but not everyone. Technology has enhanced our opportunities to learn, if you use it in that way. In almost all of my psychology classes we are required at some point to research a study online. We were taught to only use the PsyArticles link through the library system to enrich our understanding of the topic and add additional thoughts of the readings. That is using technology in a useful manner, but not everyone was taught this, just like not everyone was taught or encouraged to read “Moby Dick” for example. I feel that he did not expand his reasoning enough to be considered believable, but I do think he has the right idea. I wouldn’t necessarily call people “dumb” but I do think we have become lazy and completely reliable on technology.

Media/advertisements influence on others

As we have discussed in class I have to wonder who exactly is the media trying to influence? It is obvious that young teens are under the pressures of being "perfect" and "beautiful", but what is perfect and beautiful anymore? When I was younger I was told that being yourself is beautiful, but now it seems as if the younger population believes that being beautiful is being skinny and having a large chest. I mean come on! The media and advertisements depict all the "beautiful people" as being really skinny and very sexual, in that they are showing a lot of skin. This was especially evident in the "Killing me softly" segment shown in class. For our in-class discussion I chose to bring in a selection of alcohol advertisements. Bud light had a women with a big chest on top of a man about to kiss him with the phrase "get it started". Bacardi had a woman (only showing her chest down) in a leopard bikini with a drink in her hand. At the very bottom of the ad it had "pussy cat by day, Bacardi by night". These ads are accesible by anyone, any therefore any one any age can view them on the internet. If a young girl happens to see this ad, what are they supposed to think? At that age they want to be pretty and fit in, and when they see these images they are told that being sexual and half dressed will get you the attention you need pretty much. I just feel like women are in a sense "attacked" in advertisements, but since they are getting paid they are pretty much putting it all out there. I understand that women are proud of their bodies but I think it is a lot more attractive to make others wonder what is under your clothes than put it out there for them on a platter. So whose fault is it? The models who agree to be depicted like this, or those who create the image?

What has caused us to become unattached from the natural world?

One topic that I found particularly interesting in the reading for this week is found under "Mood Disorders" on pages 3-7 in "Culture Jam". This is when the postmodern family decides to take a camping trip and it seems as if everyone is lost, almost to the point where they are going through the stages of grief (p. 4, paragraph 2). Why is this? Why is it when technology and electronics are removed from our everyday lives we are all of a sudden depressed and lost in the world? Do we for some reason believe that electronics are a part of us and who we are that when they are gone we have lost ourselves? When thinking about these questions it really makes me wonder how I would personally react if electronics were removed from my every day life. How would you react? I, myself, love to go camping and hunting and enjoy the outdoors for the weekend but could I honestly do this for a longer period of time?

In further discussion, it seems that boredom and sadness result in more "electronic time" such as TV time or more time listening to our i pods or texting friends. Have we truly lost a sense of our natural world? As mentioned in class, when was the last time you saw the sunset? I could not even tell you when it was for me. I feel that the pressure from the media to have new electronics because they are popular causes us to become completely obsessed with owning and operating new technology. We always want the best of everything when we can settle for what we have. This strong media influence may have something to do with why we feel so dependent on technology that we actually identify ourselves with it. I feel like it is important to spend a little more time in nature by actually paying attention to what is surrounding us.

Introduction

Hi everyone! My name is Tiff and I am a junior this year with a major in Psychology here at Shippensburg University. I am the historian and secretary of Psi Chi, The National Honor Society of Psychology, I am involved in Psych Club, STARS, and intramural volleyball to name a few.