Growing Up Online

Unfortunately, watching the documentary Growing Up Online, I wasn’t shocked by what I saw. The Internet has such a huge influence on kids and teens today, and many feel as it was clearly shown on the documentary feel, that they couldn’t live without it.

The Internet can be a very useful device whether it used to school, work, or simply enjoyment. Sadly though, many people find ways to use it in a negative way. It’s so sad that people feel they can’t connect with people in their lives and have to depend on the Internet to solve their problems. Why there are sites dedicated to suicide, anorexia, and other destructive behaviors is baffling. Time should be devoted to productive positive things, not negative and cult like activities.

As far as myspace and facebook go, I think many people like it because it allows them to put on an act and be whoever they want for a given period of time, at allows them to escape from reality When people meet one another via myspace, they can do and say whatever they please. In many cases they don’t personally know whom they are messaging, so they will rarely suffer reproductions from what they say.

I have never used the Internet as much as the people in the film did, and I’m hoping they selected a few of the extremes. Some of those addicted to the Internet were in middle school, and they were talking about the different kinds of pictures they take of themselves and posted, it reminded me a little bit of some of the young girls show in the “Merchants of Cool” documentary. The Internet is making people grow up too fast, and in a negative way.

I think it’s ok for young children to be monitored while they use the Internet. If they don’t know what they are doing, they can easily click on the wrong thing and see things they shouldn’t. I also think its ok for older kids to be monitored while using the Internet, but in moderation. The mom in this film however, was way over the top. Her children were in the late years of high school, and entering college. It’s not the moms business to know every little thing they are doing, down to who they talk to on facebook. Today, I know of a lot of parents that have facebooks so they can check up on their kids, I think this is a bit intrusive because they are now seeing their children how their friends see them, and many times seeing a lot of things that kids don’t want to share with their parents.

I liked this documentary, it showed the truth about the Internet and what it’s doing to today’s youth. Sadly, people are becoming way too dependent of  the Internet in a negative, counterproductive way.

The Persuaders

1.) Techniques in advertising have, and are going very far try to promote company’s products. With new technology there are even more ways for advertisers to get their points across. Companies want their audiences to constantly be thinking about them; the consumer doesn’t even always know they are being targeted to. Movies, and television shows constantly have their characters using or being around popular products, this makes the viewer think the particular item is cool, and feel like they need it. One example I think of is Apple. The popular Apple icon is seen on computers characters use, phones, and of course ipods. I think advertisers will continue to go further. Another thing they do, is make the consumer think that if they own a particular item they will then have aptitude in whatever the product advertises. Nike is an example in this, the ad in the film has a number of people working out in their clothes and looking as though they are succeeding. This is an extremely smart tactic they use, because everyone want a simple way to be the “best’” in a particular area.

2.) Americans all want to feel excepted and a sense of closeness with the products they use, advertisers know and build off of this. Products succeed when they make consumers feel a form of comfort and emotional stability. The film tells how Starbucks prides them on being all about community and a place to escape. Cheerios was also used in expressing this feeling of closeness, when a Grandmother got to spend time with her grandson on his first Christmas. Another thing Americans want is it be accepted. Although untrue, many people feel they will be accepted based on the material items they possess, advertisers use this, and only fuel to this misconception.

3.) A common element that marketers and advertisers use is to connect with the consumer on an emotional level. Chinet paper plates demonstrate this well in the film. The words; traditions, friends, and confidence all appear on plates on the commercial for the disposable plate ware. They want people to feel that by using their products they can have feeling, and memories. This is common among advertisers because they know this is something that consumer want in their lives. Audiences have to form self-awareness and be able to block out some of these messages that advertisers are sending. We have to teach ourselves to see what the actual product is selling, not the sometimes false emotions the advertisers are able to display.

Merchants of Cool

I think the video we watched in class was very interesting. I liked it because it was focused on people just a few years younger than many of us in college. It's easy to see why marketers focus so much this age range. It is the biggest out there, and their interests are always changing so rapidly. In many cases however, I do think the marketing tactics have gone too far.

When the interviewer and the camera crew went to the talent auditions and met with the thirteen year old girl, I was shocked. She was not like any thirteen year old girl I have ever met. She looked and acted years older than she actually was. She was trying to be sexual in her dance moves, and appear to be much older. She was doing this because she thinks it is whats "cool". She along with many other girls her age see people like Brittney Spears flaunting their bodies on screen, and think they should too. Marketing focuses too heavily on body image and looking perfect. Viewers are very impressionable, and from the video you can see their techniques are working.

Another thing that I thought was a bit intrusive, was when the camera crew went inside the house of a teenage boy, and started asking him questions about his personal life, and going through his clothes. I think that when someone in put on that spot like that, alone, in front of a camera they are going have a hard time being completely honest about their likes and dislikes. I'm sure he felt pressure so say what he though was "cool" by the media standards and by his peers because he knew that this was going to be broadcast.

However, one technique that I thought was good, was when the interviewer asked a group of boys questions about what celebrities and products they thought were "in". Since this was in a group setting I don't think they felt as much pressure. I think the study would have been more beneficial if it had been with a larger sample size, so that a variety of people could have given their input.

Marketers do whatever they need to get their jobs done, whether moral or not. In many cases they have gone too far, and these have negative effects on teens.