Assignment 8: Convenience and Ease

The Internet is a growing encumbrance of information far too large to explore everything it has to offer. Recently, the Internet has been a powerhouse of video series. Not to mention, YouTube has been an up and coming epidemic for every college student in America and worldwide. Although video is not a new technology, digital video has only been around for a decade or do. The Internet makes it easy to view, post, and record video which is why Internet videos are so popular in today’s fast paced society.
I am a huge fan of Internet video simply because it is easy and convenient. Point then click and you are instantly watching some of your favorite videos or television series. I have seen more recently that many television series are being posted online. An example of this would be ‘abc’ posting all of their television series online at abc.com. They have also developed some new series that are exclusive to the internet and are only available on this website. The website is easy to navigate and includes bios, most recent episodes, and for some shows earlier series are even posted.
On abc.com some shows are Internet exclusives such as Voicemail and Squeegees. When watching Voicemail, I love the fact that I am in control. I can pause the show when I want, browse the Internet at the same time on the same screen, or even watch any episode of the series that is posted in no particular order. Besides OnDemand features now available on television, this is a rather new technology of being able to pause a show and come back to it at a more convenient time. I know that technology is catering to our needs but when really thinking about this, it seemed a little too needy. Making sure you do not miss one ounce of your favorite show only promotes more television watching which seems to be a recent problem with children these days. Now because of Internet videos, children and adults alike can watch what they want when they want it as long as an Internet connection is available.
Another feature I found great which is related to Internet shows is being able to now watch television shows on your cell phones because of their capabilities. PDA’s connect to the Internet and basically act as mini-laptops therefore, again if an Internet connection is available, count on not missing your favorite show.
The length of shows on the Internet seems to be shorter than a one hour television show but that is just because of the cut of commercial time. On abc.com commercials are shown but for never more than a minute which is another reason watching shows on the Internet is more convenient.
Internet and web access are ever advancing. Soon the Internet and portable devices will be like iPods, travel ANYWHERE at your convenience.

Assignment 7: Music Creates Feeling

As I am sitting here writing this, my roommate's music is blaring and unappealing. His music always puts me in a bad mood because it is metal: the only genre of music that I despise. On that note, music has a profound impact on the attitudes and day-to-day feelings we encounter.

The iPod (iPod referring to all mP3 players for the purposes of this) has been a revolutionary piece of technology which allows someone to listen to whatever they want, anywhere they want. This new 'anytime, anywhere' feeling that the iPod represents is what is so appealing about this hand held device. What is intriguing about the iPod is that one can develop playlists which may represent different genres of music, or are entitled by what kinds of feelings one will experience when listening to the music in that playlist. Music evokes feelings; it can brighten up our day if something that is playing reminds us of a happy childhood memory, or it can even ruin our day. How many times have you heard, "Change the song! It reminds me of my ex-boyfriend."

Music is a part of everyday life and because of this, more and more people are jumping into the iPod revolution: one in which not only the thoughts and behaviors of ourselves and others change our attitudes, but one in which music plays a key role in also.

Yesterday my friend and I were driving to her apartment and on our way their, we always listen to Journey. Why? This is because it brings about feelings of our friendship that we both feel are just between us, a special bond that we share when we are in the car together. We play Journey because it makes us happy and also because when we are listening, we know what parts each of us sings and what parts to dance to. This feeling of connectivity though music has played a key role in the maintaining and starting of many new friendships in my life.

Another way that music can influence our feelings and ultimately our lives is through the radio. We all have our favorite radio stations and we know why they are our favorites--because they play songs that make us happy and songs that we just happen to always be in the mood for. That is the way that human beings think, as cognitively social creatures in which the world is surrounding us. When the radio plays a song that I love, I think how could the radio possibly keep playing songs that are my favorites. What I am unresponsive of are the hundreds of songs that go by in my unconscious mind that provoke no feelings at all.

When I am in my car and stopped at a red light, what differentiates my thoughts between that obnoxious man who is blaring his music next to me and the person I aspire to be playing 80's music behind me? It is the music that they are playing what creates feelings of like or disgust. Another similar circumstance is when you are on iTunes and other people's shared playlists come up. When we are looking at what other people have on their iPod's, we are subconsciously evaluating them. Are we seriously judging people by what music is on their iPod?