Within the last few years, it has become so that you can't get anything done without the use of the internet. For me this includes banking, class registration, program transfer, cell phone customer service, getting required information about my courses and even some shopping. Consequently, the more information we give out about ourselves online, the more we fuel both public and private interests on the internet.
Private interests could include social networks such as MySpace or Facebook, Skype Messaging, online banking, registration, e-mails ect. However, when taking park in these "private" services, I can't help but wonder who is having access to my information. It seems that there is a grey area between public and private services more recently; this raises issues of security or privacy. For example, when you sign up for a hotmail account, your e-mails can be traced for recurring words or topics. This information is then given to advertisers and in flies the span mail. Have you ever wondered why you might get e-mails from your favourite clothing stores? Even more common is the use of Facebook. And in signing up for this social network your information such as your political views, age, interests or relationship status can be shared with third parties.
Another shocking example of this occurred just in the last week. It has been discovered that the Chinese government has been monitoring, tracing and storing messages sent on Skype. This includes tracing sensitive keywords relating to political topics. This has sparked anger in a lot of Skype users. With the blurring of public and private interests on the internet this has raised issue of privacy, security, sharing of information and the right to information.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Monday, October 6, 2008
24 Hour Full On Media Ambush!
It is 7:05 AM, my eyes barely open as Rihanna unpleasantly explodes into any kind of a sleep I was having, only to be followed by the annoying chatter of two enthused hosts. No time is wasted, right from the moment I wake it seems that I am bombarded with news of the election, robberies, the latest lunatic, somebody’s pregnancy and maybe even the weather. And for breakfast I will have a healthy serving of advertisements please - a glass of Tropicana, Wonderbread with Becel, Cheerios with some Neilson - and my roommate is having eggs with Heinz Ketchup and a side of Chiquita Banana.
From the very beginning of my day I found myself being exposed to media texts constantly; I could not avoid it. I don't watch much T.V. but it didn't make a difference. Television just gets replaced by advertisements, radio, music, the internet, magazines, books and more images than my brain could keep track of. After a short amount of time I found it ridiculous to keep track of my exposure to media texts.
Most commonly I found myself exposed to media in the form of advertisements or music, or even both simultaneously. So often, in fact that I filter out most of the music and ads I see in a day now that I think about it. Strangely enough I don't think I have a choice but to participate in these forms of media anyway. It’s unnerving to think that I am subconsciously aware of so much in one day. What am I learning, analyzing, remembering or agreeing to that I don't even realize?
From the very beginning of my day I found myself being exposed to media texts constantly; I could not avoid it. I don't watch much T.V. but it didn't make a difference. Television just gets replaced by advertisements, radio, music, the internet, magazines, books and more images than my brain could keep track of. After a short amount of time I found it ridiculous to keep track of my exposure to media texts.
Most commonly I found myself exposed to media in the form of advertisements or music, or even both simultaneously. So often, in fact that I filter out most of the music and ads I see in a day now that I think about it. Strangely enough I don't think I have a choice but to participate in these forms of media anyway. It’s unnerving to think that I am subconsciously aware of so much in one day. What am I learning, analyzing, remembering or agreeing to that I don't even realize?
Mott's Advertisement... A Play on Words.
Flipping through the pages of TIME magazine, I found an advertisement for Mott's Clamato Virgin Caesars. The ad features a table covered in frosty glasses of Clamato Caesar, every glass rimmed perfectly and topped with a celery tree and lime wedge - each glass looking exactly identical. The caption below reads "Can you spot the virgin?".
The first thing that caught my eye about this ad was the obvious stab it takes at people, who are in the literal sense "virgins". There is absolutely nothing wrong with this, but I must admit that this ad caught my attention with its play-on-words. No one can deny that they have heard the comments "they must be a virgin" or "she/he looks like virgin to me", and everyone gets a chuckle, and yes I did chuckle. This duplicity of language points a finger at personal choice as well as sexual behaviour.
Furthermore, following the caption "Can you spot the virgin?" just a few lines down states "When you see one, you want one". Well today I was looking for an ad that would strike up controversy and any other day I wouldn't have given any attention to this line. A little suggestive don't you think? What exactly are they talking about here? Want one what, a “virgin” or a virgin Caesar? This draws in an entirely different idea, one of sexual desire or more specifically a lust for virgins. At a closer look this ad seems a little twisted to me. It is astonishing how scandalous some advertisements can be and most viewers will never take a second glance.
The first thing that caught my eye about this ad was the obvious stab it takes at people, who are in the literal sense "virgins". There is absolutely nothing wrong with this, but I must admit that this ad caught my attention with its play-on-words. No one can deny that they have heard the comments "they must be a virgin" or "she/he looks like virgin to me", and everyone gets a chuckle, and yes I did chuckle. This duplicity of language points a finger at personal choice as well as sexual behaviour.
Furthermore, following the caption "Can you spot the virgin?" just a few lines down states "When you see one, you want one". Well today I was looking for an ad that would strike up controversy and any other day I wouldn't have given any attention to this line. A little suggestive don't you think? What exactly are they talking about here? Want one what, a “virgin” or a virgin Caesar? This draws in an entirely different idea, one of sexual desire or more specifically a lust for virgins. At a closer look this ad seems a little twisted to me. It is astonishing how scandalous some advertisements can be and most viewers will never take a second glance.
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