Today it seems that just about everyone has a cell phone, even children still in elementary school. This new technology is pushed on the community as a whole by the numerous commercials and ads seen on a daily basis. When children watch their favorite shows on TV, many times the main characters have phones, and are attached to them. This makes those young impressionable children feel the need that they too need a phone. Look through the ads on any given day especially a Sunday, and count the number of ads you find for different phone services. There are also billboards, and commercials on TV constantly stressing the "need" of a cell phone. As discussed in class, some adverting companies send text messages, and make calls to cell phones trying to promote their product of service. If you have your cell phone with you, even if you are away from all other media sources, it is very likely that the media and ads are still going to be pressed upon you. With technology improving daily, you can now access the internet with your phone, and the number of ads you now see will increase tenfold.
2.)A greater amount of homogenization and standardization in certain media products produced and distributed by the global media industries:
If you were to travel to Australia, Germany, or even China, it can be guaranteed that you will find the familiar golden arches "McDonalds" without having to look too far or hard. McDonalds has become so popular that I would be shocked to find someone that hasn't tasted one of their "delicacies" or at least heard the name. I remember when I was younger; McDonalds Happy Meals were served on airplanes. They have been marketed so well, that even miles above the ground you can still eat their food. In class we talked about how other countries are having McDonalds products somewhat Americanized. Now people across the world can have the Western burger, and be like those of us in America who like to indulge in extra greasy food. By doing this in places across the world, it is potentially making other places lose a sense of their own culture. When I travel I like to see and try new things. When places like McDonalds homogenize themselves it makes everything too similar and causes it to lose its appeal. In my economics class one year we learned how everything at McDonalds has to be done in a certain way and meet a set criteria, everything is regulated down to the amount of ice put in a cup. Everything is the same.
3.) The promotion of the ideology of consumerism, which is therefore bound up with the capitalist project:
The media is currently, and has been for a long time, wrapped up in body image. Apparently you can never be "skinny enough", or this is at least what many are thought to believe. There are constantly ads for gyms, diet pills, and trainers. When you go to the store and look at magazines at the checkout, there are always pictures or articles on the covers comparing stars to one another, and who is the thinnest that week. By doing this and constantly being shown these images and ads, consumers many times think that it is ideal to be this size and do what they can to be thin, sometimes taking extreme measure that are unhealthy. The media knows what they have to do to draw others in and believe certain things.
Media globalization is becoming a fear and should make people start to think. There is a concern that large industries may take over and make everything the same. I think that there is a good reason for this worry. One example in the book that demonstrates homogenization is the image of "Mcnikecolasolf", this is an example of large companies dominating other countries. What will the world come to if all different countries suddenly have and distibute all the same stores, products, and food? Culture can be lost if globalization continues to dominate the world.
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