KATIE'S BLOG

Retaining this blog for the past couple of weeks has changed my social media habits for the better. I still consume lots of media- mostly instagram, snapchat, twitter, and netflix. I view the posts of others that I hardly know, derive my knowledge of current events from outlets on the snapchat explore page, and view the weekly viral comedic tweets that make a brief impression on our culture. This impacts me in the way that I feel unified with the community of people also engaging in the same type of media. Social media has the extraordinary ability to connect people, which makes me feel included when in reality it is me often being apart of widespread marketing plots.  While I still spend far too much time engaged in social media instead of viewing life in the present, I am far more aware of the effect that the media has on me, and am able to restrict its influence. For instance, if I spend 10 minutes scrolling through instagram, I am not brainwashed by the digital representation ...

The cosmetics, fashion, and beauty industries in the United States are all wildly successful, Why? The media teaches our society to compare all women based on their looks. Young girls grow up believing that if they are not obviously pretty, they won't find love. The "Miss Representation" documentary informed me of the manipulation the marketing and entertainment industries in the United States use to profit. They teach women that their appearance is far more valued over their intellect, and imply that it is their duty to make themselves maximally attractive to men. In today's digital age, children make up a large portion of media's audience, but also happen to be the most vulnerable generation. Teens alone spend on average 65 hours a week consuming media, including watching T.V. and movies, listening to music, reading magazines, and going online. The media portrays women as sex objects and stories about them usually involve their quest to get a man. As a result...

In the documentary "Merchants of Cool" video which was set in the early 2000's, special companies would exist to provide information on the trends and styles of the teen generation. These firms would conduct extensive research by holding focus groups and polls, and even gong undercover to find out from firsthand friendships. After publishing their conclusive findings on their website, firms would charge companies around $200,000 for yearly subscriptions. However, to companies marketing their products to a mysterious, misunderstood generation, this information is priceless. Having access to what trends teens would drop money for at the moment is crucial to a brand's financial success. But these databases were only at value at a time when companies lack the platform to view trends for themselves. Today's social media allows companies to view the accounts of teens where they may post trending material or interact with accounts that post it. While the statistics...

2017 ended with the #MeToo movement of women coming forward with the sexual harassment and abuse they suffered now that their aggressors were no longer safe under the blanket or bigotry. The Times Up initiative has been gaining fuel recently from the support and advocacy of over 300 women in entertainment. The legal defense fund is calling for an end to inequality in the workplaces, from wages to working conditions. Times Up provides subsidized legal support to victims of sexual assault, harassment, and abuse, which has been the dark truth of our society for too many decades. Celebrities walking the red carpet at the 75th Golden Globes have chosen to don the color black to show their support of the initiative. Many actors sported Time's Up pins, which the New York Times called "the political accessory at the Golden Globes". Ordinary citizens in support of the prevalent cause are also taking to social media to share their black outfits with #whywewearblack. In the era of T...