What exactly is the purpose of Facebook? It is defined as a

 The main reason I went on to join Facebook was because the majority of my friends were on there and I kept getting reminders via email that I was behind the times and needed to set myself up with a profile so I could join my friends and become addicted myself. However the first time I ever heard of Facebook was when a friend told it was a website where you get your photo viewed by others (most of whom you will not know) and they determine whether you are “hot or not”. There is an application like this Facebook but that was not what it was solely about, yet that was why many people used it.  

“Facebook is announcing that it has hit 30 million active users today. Unlike MySpace, Facebook doesn’t pad its numbers with dead accounts: these people log in at least once a month. As you can see by extending the graph below, the number of active users has doubled since the start of the year.”

The Facebook team contradict themselves by saying that the purpose of the site is for people to keep in touch with those they know or used to know, yet they state that it can be a way to learn things about the new people you meet as a Facebook member.  How many people on Facebook have got friends they have never even met or heard of before? I would say a lot, as there are so many of my friends who have up to 300 people as friends on their profile. I have 77, but these are people I actually know and have talked to in person during my life.  Research has suggested that having too many friends on sites like Facebook and MySpace makes that person look insecure; they have been branded “Facebook whales” and name used for those with over 800 friends on their profile. The use of Facebook has grown rapidly over the years, and the number of hits it has received has double since 2004.  The above graph shows how much the use of Facebook has grown over the years. (Obtained from http://mashable.com/2007/07/10/facebook-users-2/, accessed 10/01/2008)

Now that Facebook has become a household name and now that so many people are using it, it starts to become addictive, and a major source of time wasting. People who wish to go online to send comments or messages to their friends are now forever confronted by the many new applications created by either the Facebook team or users of the site. What started as a swift check of messages and quick hello to friends now turns into a quest to beat your friends on PacMan and movie quizzes. Facebook has become one of the most addictive time wasters, and no longer seems to have a definate purpose.  

Souces used:

http://mashable.com/2007/07/10/facebook-users-2/

http://yorksj.facebook.com/about.php

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/12/18/facebook_whales_800_is_too_many_friends.html

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=e3G2P21KXqY&feature=related

This clip includes videos from mobiles phones of those who were directly affected by the bombings and we see images that we would never have been able to see on the news as none of those reporters were in the midst of the chaos when it happened.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article642303.ece

Another good example of reporting the news literally from the front line is the number of videos created by the armed forces, and even though they are genuine videos of real life situations they can be captured at the wrong moment in order to make the people in the video look worse than they are. The following video is of Afghan and US soldiers working together at taking down men who earlier on had been violating women and shooting at the coalition forces.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=J1KC0REoGFc

However it is titled “US Special Forces and Afghan Soldiers beat unarmed man for no reason” and makes the soldiers look like bullies. Like mainstream media, through which what we see, hear and read are edited to suit those who do not want us to know certain fact, citizen journalism can do the same. It is about how people capture the moment that determines how we perceive the events. This video could have been filmed in order to make the US forces look bad and contribute to the lack of support for the troops out in Iraq and Afghanistan, which proves that whilst citizen journalism is a great new way of reporting the news as it happens first hand, it also proves that it can be manipulated in the same way the mainstream media is to suit the political and moral views of those who film the events on their own camera.

Sources used:

www.youtube.com

www.timesonline.co.uk

Citizen Journalism: A Case Study – Bentley, C. Hamman, B. Littau, J. Meyer, H. Watson, B. Welsh, B.

(Taken from http://www.brandonblog.com/ARCHIVES_2.html )

Many people believe that the blog is a form of new media that cannot be altered by the mainstream media to support what they are saying in the newspapers and on the news. For example, the soldiers on the front line in Iraq have the opportunity to write in their blogs about how they feel, and they use this as form of reporting the real news.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/may/05/news.usnews  

What we see and hear and read in the media is not always the full story, we only see what the government wants us to see as ultimately it is the government who control the media. It is because of this that there have been tighter restrictions about what a soldier can now write in his blog, as what we may find newsworthy may not be seen as appropriate by authorities for us to see.

“There were different people to meet each day. There were some who would kill you if they could. They would look at you and you could see the hate in their eyes. I also met with people who would have given me everything they owned. People, that were so thankful to us because we had rid them of Saddam.”(Part of a blog by Sgt Zachary Scott-Singley on 4/05/2005, accessed on 8/01/2008)

With these blogs from the soldiers in Iraq we get to learn the real news, news that has not been edited or tampered with by those who do not want us to know the truth about the conditions in Iraq.

Soldiers out on the front line want us to know what they are going through without it being censored or edited to protect us from the real horror of life in Iraq and Afghanistan.  

“The thoughts as of late are like mini clips from a movie. The images of smashing a door down and seeing the utter terror on peoples faces. The one Marine interpreter and the look on his face with an entry wound to the cheek and this massive exit wound to the back of head.” (Taken from American Soldier blog written on 11/1/2007, accessed 10/01/2008)

 The blogs we read from the front line are like little snippets of what everyday life is like for these poor soldiers, and although we are told if a soldier dies and we a given the facts about how many we have lost out there, we will never fully grasp the reality of the war for these men. This is why these blogs are so powerful, as they help people like us and many others back home understand the severity of the war and why they need to be out there. It was often said that World War 1 was the first war on radio, Vietnam was the first war on television and now it seems the Iraqi and Afghanistan wars will be the first to be blogged.

Blogs have begun to represent a threat to mainstream media in a number of ways. As the fast expansion of the digital world led to a decline of audience share for analogue and old broadcast networks, so too can we expect a rapid decline in use of preweb media. We have access to the news on the internet whether it is through blogs created by reporters, or online newspapers. However mainstream media attack back at the blogs, claiming that they were insignificant, filled with errors and lacking in credibility, but soon came to find that it was prudent to take the “if you can’t beat them, join them” approach and created online newspapers and what we once called columns of an online newspapers are now called blogs.

Sources used:

Tremayne, M. Blogging, Citizenship and the Future of Media. Introduction: Examining the Blog-Media Relationship

http://blogs.salon.com/0002967/2005/05/10.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4555590.stm

http://www.soldierlife.com/category/general/page/2/

http://www.brandonblog.com/ARCHIVES_2.html

Because you are playing a computer game, and a computer game is not real life. Of course you knew this, because you are a sensible adult who knows right from wrong and fiction from fact. But what about people who think that getting up and walking away after you have been stabbed in the chest is something that is possible?  In the past five years there have been an alarming amount of stabbings involving teenagers re-enacting what they have seen in a movie or played on a computer game, as it is since then that technology has been improving and making game characters look more life like. There was a tragic case in 2004 of a boy who was murdered by 17 year old Warren LeBlanc because LeBlanc had been playing the brutal “Manhunt” game on PS2 and had been inspired by the callous attitude and encouragement surrounding killings on the game. Stefan Pakeerah was beaten repeatedly with a claw hammer and stabbed to death after being lured into the local park by LeBlanc.

It later turned out that LeBlanc was obsessed with the game “Manhunt” certified 18, which has now been banned from stores in the UK. In the game the player is awarded points for savage killings, and this behaviours goes on unpunished. If children or teenagers under the age of 18 are to play or watch games or movies with this certification they will be negatively affected as they lack the psychological maturity of adults and therefore interpret what they see differently to how we see it.

But it is fair to say that video games and movies are solely to blame for violent outbursts of the people who watch them. There has been a case involving a student who attacked a police officer and others whilst under the influence of the drug cannabis, as he heard “gangster voices” in his head from the video game “Grand Theft Auto”. This game encourages the player to steal cars and do jobs for the mob for money, but it may not have been the cause for his outburst as he only heard the voices whilst smoking drugs. However some may argue that if he did not have the thought of this violent video game in his head whilst he was experiencing the effects of the drugs he would not have been as violent.

Violence in video games and movies can trigger an aggressive outburst in a young person or child as they do not have the mental maturity to deal with what they are watching. Often with video games if a person is shot or stabbed or injured in any way that could prove fatal that person either gets a second chance at life by hitting the “reset” button, or is simply unaffected by their injuries until their lifeline runs out. What sort of message is this sending to the young children and teenagers who play these games? They see that this sort of violent behaviour goes unpunished, and that there are no real life consequences for shooting somebody in the head on a video game. And as the characters in the games are now so life-like are we right to think that as the technology we use becomes more advanced our children find it harder to differentiate between what is reality and what is not?

Social learning theory proposes that people learn to imitate what they see only if they see the behaviour being rewarded and not if they see it being punished. A classic social experiment titled the Bobo doll experiment performed by Professor Albert Bandura involves a group of children being shown a video of an adult punching an inflatable doll. Only a select number of the group of children watched this video, and the rest of them did not watch anything before being placed in a room with the same doll. Those who watched the videos and saw that the violence on the doll went without punishment were more likely to imitate the aggressive behaviour than those who saw no aggressive behaviour at all. However it has been claimed that it is not possible to examine genuine reactions of those in the experiment as they are not in a real life situation; they are in a controlled environment. It does raise the question: is it only violence in the video games and movies that cause those to imitate it, or does lifestyle contribute to the violent outbursts of the people I have mentioned above?

Sources used:

Burton, G. Media and Society: Critical Perspectives – 4 The Media and Violence: questioning violence; problems with measuring effects
Livingsone, S. Media Audiences, Interpreter and Users – 2.5 What are the effects of the media?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leicestershire/3936597.stm

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1779820,00.html

It is a sad fact that in today’s society when we see an individual wearing this article of clothing we are itching to cross the road just to avoid them. And why shouldn’t we, when all we see and hear in the news today are reports of violent and anti-social behavior involving youths wearing the offending item of clothing. It does seem rather silly to think that this hoodie can turn an average teenager into a mindless thug through the eyes of the media frenzy surrounding them. And who is to say that what we are reading in the newspapers and hearing on the news is all true? There have been more cases of people being killed by falling down the stairs than people being stabbed. Actually there have been up to 1000 deaths caused by falling down the stairs every year, but deaths caused by stabbings have not even reach 250. But what is so newsworthy about a killer flight of stairs?

This prejudice surrounded young adults and teenagers who wear hoodies seems to be encouraged by the media and does not look as if it is about to change anytime soon – they are public enemy number one. And so they should be, with every scrap of news involving them refering to their violence and intimidating behaviour. This is a link to an article about a documentary done on Hoodie Attacks, which was aired on the 25th September 2005 on Sky1 and provoked more fear about these hooded youths.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2005/sep/25/communities.media

These people think they can get away with this behaviour, because they are wearing hoodies, the acrticle of clothing that will make people fear them and avoid them. The media may think they are performing a duty to inform people of this growing epidemic, but by portraying these youths as the source of all antisocial behaviour in Britain they are giving them the power, the fear factor, to do as they please. Who is going to stand up to them when all we hear is about how they beat, taunt and stab people who do stand their ground? It is a bitter example of how the media can be a hindrance rather than a blessing.

Sources used:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1358376,00.html

http://www.theguardian.co.uk

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/5032974.stm - stair death stats

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/790609.stm – stabbing stats

There has been an alarming increase in cases of attacks being recorded on mobile phones for fun, a craze now known as “happy slapping” and the media frenzy on this issue is only making it worse. The more people hear about this new form of entertainment for disturbed individuals, the bigger the craze will get and then we will see more brutal attacks, even murders being recorded.

 http://www.guardian.co.uk/mobile/article/0,2763,1470214,00.html  

According to this article from the Guardian website, the new fad started off as a craze on the UK garage music scene before catching on through school playgrounds throughout London, and is now a nationwide phenomenon. The report from the Guardian states that as the craze spreads towards the north of England the attacks become more menacing and involve more adult victims, as there has been a longer period of time for the attackers to adjust to this new way of intimidating people and the more it is reported on the more attention is given to these attackers therefore they will get more ruthless. Even on the internet these happy slappers are promoting the use of ones mobile to record an assault, with a forum member “happyslapper2” describing the fad as a joke and that people should do it when they are bored! It has been shown in the media that it is mainly youths who play the attackers and they are often wearing hooded jackets to conceal their identity, contributing also to the hysteria surrounding “hoodies” and how we as a nation perceive those wearing them.

Sources used: 

www.theguardian.co.uk 

http://www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk/campaigns/parents/information.htm

This ”CopyCat” campaign, used on television, radio and in magazines, can be an affective way to get people thinking about what they choose to do around their children, including what they choose to eat.  Childhood obesity has been described as a modern epidemic, meaning that the lifestyle of modern day society has contributed to the lack of exercise for children as many activities these days involve staying indoors playing with computer games or watching DVDs. This is not the only factor that causes it, as many children eat either what their parents eat or what their parents prepare or buy for them. It is often the case that obese children come from families who are overweight, who all share the same eating habits and lifestyle. 

This “CopyCat” campaign can not only encourage road safety, but also good health as it can shock parents into taking control of their actions and their child’s lifestyle.The television industry has already started making positive changes to what our children see and hear during commercial breaks between their favourite programs, as they have reduced the amount of adverts promoting junk food. This will hopefully reduce the amount of demand for such food, as the children will not be reminded of it and therefore will not want it.  And with helpful realistic tips on how to cook quick and easy healthy meals for their children will enable parents to take a responsible role in their child’s life. 

http://www.proanamia.com/

 In a society with a mixture of those who suffer from anorexia or bulimia, and those who suffer from obesity, it is no longer an issue about the importance of keeping yourself fit and healthy; ironically it has become an obsession with food. People who suffer from eating disorders are controlled by food, even those who do not eat much; they are constantly concerned about the amount of calories they are consuming each day. Those who are suffering from obesity are also thinking about how much food they are consuming each day, and more often than not the majority of these people do not wish to eat as much as they do. They have an unhealthy relationship with food, and their love of food is fuelled by images and advertising through the media. Adverts on the television by businesses such as Pizza Hut, McDonalds and KFC promote unhealthy, fast food as a quick, easy and tasty way to get through the day, with adverts for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Pizza Hut have a deal in which you can buy a family meal and get cinema tickets free, so you can have a gluttonous evening bingeing on pizza and popcorn. It is not only unhealthy for us; it is unhealthy for our children.I also searched for websites supporting obesity, and could not find any at all. They were all websites on how to lose weight with a positive attitude, most of them created on behalf of the NHS. 

 www.oo-uk.org 

I find it hard to understand why there are so many websites promoting bulimia and anorexia, eating disorders that are just as dangerous as being extremely overweight, yet there are none supporting those who wish to continue to be overweight. To support either side of the scales would be idiotic, as it poses serious health risks to the party involved.  The heart is put under so much pressure when you are either very underweight or overweight. The Pro Ana Mia website merely brushes these health risks aside as unimportant in the quest to be thin. These websites are dangerous! Girls who are as young as twelve use them, and at this age they are extremely vulnerable to bowing to the pressures of our society, a society in which beauty is everything.

Sources used:

www.proanamia.com

www.oo-uk.org

My brother lost half a stone in a week, by completely changing his lifestyle and the way he eats, but these magazines are full of fad diets that last merely a week or a month. You see the results if you are determined enough to stick with it, but after a DAY of regular eating you put all the weight back on and maybe some more. The girl I read about went from 9 stone to 7 stone, then back up to 11 stone. She ended up heavier than she was before the diet. It is a sad fact that these girls, so young and so gullable, are literally dying to look like the very people that have the power to promote a healthy body image. But with the cruel world we live in, even they feel pressured to live a life controlled by food.

Sources used:

http://www.richiefan.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/nicole-richie-mag-01-copy.jpg