The Un-TV and Consuming Kids

Most Americans don't realize how engulfed they really are in consumer culture, but the truth is that nearly every average American is surrounded by media influence 24/7. The statistic that more homes in American have a television set than a telephone is mind-blowing. People care more about watching their favorite shows mindlessly for hours than communicating with other real human beings. The Un-TV activity was a great way to see how people can sit around the television for hours and become mesmerized. Watching so much television causes us to be exposed to a greater amount of advertising, product placement, and other tricks of the marketers to make us want to buy their products. The same can be said for kids watching TV, as mentioned in the video Consuming Kids. Children are much more vulnerable to advertising and fall into the trap of marketers more easily because their brains are like sponges and absorb these messages better than adults. This relates to socialization because everything the media shows and teaches us shapes who we are and influences what we believe and what we like or want. When I was in 1st grade I used to have a blue Rugrats lunch-box that I loved and refused to go to school without. I used to act out Rugrats scenes with it and it was a huge hit at my table full of my 6 year old classmates. Thinking back on this, I know that the lunch-box was no different than any other lunch-box and I too had fallen into marketers' trap by thinking I had to have the Rugrats lunch-box because it was the "best".

The Growing Man

Whether people want to believe it or not, humans instinctually rely on others to survive. As babies, we need constant human interaction so we can grow up and be able to make proper connections and bonds for the rest of our lives. When we get older, we rely on others to share good times with us and to be there to help us during the bad. As we approach the end of our lives, we rely on others to keep us strong and help us make it to the end. Many people dislike the idea of relying so heavily on others, because one thing that Americans value greatly is our independence. Independence is one of the many values that our society cherishes heavily, because people like keeping to themselves and pride themselves on being able to handle their lives and be successful without help from anyone else in a private manner. A connection I can make to this concept involves my grandma. Her father died when she was only 17 years old, and she had to take care of the rest of her family and her mother until the end of my great-grandma's life. Throughout her entire life she has always prided herself on being so strong and independent. She recently fell very ill and now relies on my family to help her do even the most basic things that she never needed help with prior to her sickness. It took going through numerous surgeries and being forced to get help from others for her to realize that everyone needs the help of others at some point; that's just the way we are made.

Tuesdays with Morrie-Work

In Tuesdays with Morrie, the main character Mitch is so wrapped up in his job that he misses out on the great things in life. Mitch never can commit to marriage with his long-time girlfriend because his job is more important and he never has time for her because he is always busy working and making deadlines. At his graduation, Mitch promises his professor Morrie that he will keep in touch, but never finds time to do so due to his job until he finds out the Morrie is dying. This shows how much Americans value materialism and only focus on getting a good job and making a lot of money. I can somewhat relate to Mitch because I greatly value hard work and success and I always have. All my life I have pushed myself in school and worked as hard as I possibly could to get good grades. My parents have always told me that it's all right to take a break every now and then, but I personally have never let myself do less than my best because it isn't who I am. Even though I care so much about success and school, I know that it isn't worth it to let the other aspects of life pass me by, so I have always tried to find a balance between pushing myself in school and finding joy elsewhere in life. Success doesn't always come from making a lot of money or climbing a corporate ladder; sometimes success comes from living a happy and healthy life and simply doing what you love.

Our Subculture

Within every culture there are subcultures that have specific aspects that makes them stand apart from all of the others. Our school has certain traits that make it unique from other schools and make it a place that other schools look up to and want to visit. The values specific to our school shape every student and allow us to stand apart from kids that go to different schools. Our material culture, taboos, language, and more are all unique and things that mainly only we can associate with, since we are submerged in this subculture 5 days a week. One subculture that I am a part of is my religion: Judaism. Being Jewish sets me apart from many other people who have a different religion than I do because all religions believe different things and have their own traditions and practices. Being a Jew means that unlike Christians, I have been taught that "hell" doesn't exist. Many people might not know this belief of Jewish people but it's an interesting fact when you compare it to other religions that strongly believe your actions can send you to such a place in the afterlife. This fact alone doesn't define me, but being Jewish and sticking to my religion has shaped me differently than people of other religions, since religion is something that most people are always surrounded by.

Language

It's really interesting to think about all of the different countries in the world and how each one has one or many of their own languages spoken and all have different cultures. I think it is virtually impossible for someone to be able to properly communicate with and understand people from all of these different places. As we learned in class, something as simple as the "okay" hand gesture that Americans use means something extremely different and rather offensive to Italians. Most Americans, however, probably have no idea that this is the case and might give this gesture to an Italian without even thinking twice about it. Also, it is hard to think that some languages have words that don't even translate to English. We just assume that since we are Americans our language covers everything, but the truth is that many languages happen to have words that are not expressed in English. When I was in junior high I was talking to a friend who spoke Russian and she was trying to tell me a story about her family that she thought was hilarious. As the story went on, I found that it was going to be nearly impossible for her to tell it because she just could not figure out how to tell me what her family members said in English, because they also spoke Russian. It's important for people to be aware of how many different cultures there are out there and how many different languages other people speak. By being more socially aware, people from very different cultures can communicate better and learn how to understand one another in a simpler manner.

A Bronx Tale

The movie A Bronx Tale is a great story that tells a lot about how one's surroundings and world can greatly influence who they are. The neighborhood that Calogero is from was most likely formed when a group of Italians moved in and the generations of their families to follow continued to stay there and never leave. It is inevitable to have different groups within a neighborhood, because not every person is the same, and similar people will always stick together. One gang most likely formed a long time before Sonny's gang came along and the men kept the business in their families and continued the tradition. The people who chose to live an honest life were probably always on the outside since the formation of the neighborhood. Living next to Sonny's bar but having a dad uninvolved with Sonny's men and activities, Calogero was thrown in the middle of these two lifestyles within his world. Having to balance being an honest man and being a part of Sonny's gang is most likely something that many men before him had to deal with. In the end, Calogero turned out being a good kid and was extremely lucky that he did since he was a part of both Sonny's group and the group his father wanted him to be in. I feel that this scenario is nothing like my like or neighborhood at all. First off, my neighborhood is very diverse and has families of all races, ethnicities, and religions. Nobody "runs" the neighborhood and has more control than anyone else, and everyone is mainly shaped by their families and personal lives, not by what goes on in the neighborhood. I know personally that I am shaped more by my family, friends, activities, and religion than my neighborhood, even though many of my friends to live or have lived in my neighborhood.

Complex You

Whether people realize it or not, we are all part of many different groups that make us who we are, and have shaped us all of our lives. Friends, family, activities, and race are all examples of the groups that people are a part of, and most likely don't even realize. These groups don't necessarily define us, but they all influence who we are and who we become. People and things that we are constantly surrounded by will naturally end up shaping, or affecting, us whether it be positively or negatively. One group that I feel has shaped me the most is Judaism.  My friends might change and in the future I may switch clubs or sports, but I will be Jewish for as long as I live. Living in this community and going to Stevenson, I am surrounded by other Jewish people, and many of my friends are Jewish as well. Regardless of how often I go to temple or how often I pray, I am still Jewish and believe in everything that I have been taught from my religion. Personally, I have never faced any major conflicts in this group, but my sister has. When she first entered the University of Iowa as a freshman, her roommate, who is from Iowa, could count the number of Jews she had met before on one hand. Her roommate was accepting, but just couldn't understand why our family doesn't have a Christmas tree, or grasp the concept that we don't go to Church. I feel that it is my responsibility to stand by my religion and make sure others understand and accept it for as long as I live. This relates back to sociological mindfulness because all people should try to understand the beliefs and ways of those around them to create a world full of empathy and allow people to be enlightened.