Spacebound.

Music has the power to relay emotions, break down barriers, and tell a story. Rap is a genre that I find most fascinating, as rap artists continue to amaze me with their overwhelming raw emotions in their songs. Eminem, for example, is a rapper that has had a history of drugs, violence, and abuse in his life. After purchasing his most recent album Recovery, it was clear that amidst his tracks of excess partying and curse ridden raps, Eminem does have the power to break down his ice-cold persona and be genuine. The one track that continues to move me is “Spacebound”. It tells the story of Eminem feeling love for someone, but giving reason as to why he is so slow to trust and express his feelings to this other individual.  He sings,

I'll do whatever it takes, when I'm with you, I get the shakes
My body aches when I ain't with you, I have zero strength
There's no limit on how far I would go, no boundaries, no lengths.

This one song has the power to form new opinions of a rapper that has been considered to be heartless in the past. It is a modern example of how music, a form of media, is able to both create and destroy different stereotypes. A song like Spacebound is able to convey a story to its listeners that may be surprising considering Eminem’s past albums and spot in the news media.

Blackberry Love

 

I would say that I am addicted to my Blackberry. After purchasing my first Blackberry three years ago, it is been the one form of media that I cannot live without. The small device is my personal planner, mobile internet, alarm clock, weatherman, portable gps, Blackberry messenger, and of course telephone. Without my Blackberry in hand or within a five foot radius, I literally find myself experiencing withdrawals and major anxiety. This was fully experienced after I dropped my Blackberry in the lake a few weeks back and spent a weekend completely cut off from all communication. To some this may sound relaxing, but for me it was extremely stressful and rather miserable. (And yes I did dive into the lake to get my Blackberry and was in near tears when it did not turn on).

My Blackberry is my source of socialization. It is the mere connection to culture, people, and events that are occurring in my own life and the lives of others. Croteau and Hoynes define socialization as a source of learning “to perform our social roles as friend, student, worker, citizen, and so forth (14)”. This further epitomizes the purpose of my Blackberry, as it relays information that is crucial to progress through the day. Keeping connections allows me fulfill the several roles in my life including, student, peer mentor, daughter, worker, dancer, and friend.   This palm sized device is more than just a phone to me, and has helped me to progress and thrive in my day-to-day life. Without my Blackberry I am lost.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/115524/blackberry_addiction/ funny video about blackberry addiction!

Defining Media

                  According to Merriam-Webster, “an organism can be defined as a complex structure of interdependent and subordinate elements whose relations and properties are largely determined by their function in the whole” (Merriam-Webster). Organisms are ever evolving; as they are rely on food, water, and oxygen for survival. This is our media today. In today’s society, a medium can be compared to a living, breathing organism that is relied upon, consumed, perceived, and always influencing. It has become a necessity of life that is needed for our survival, as it is a crucial member of the food chain. Every organism is unique and provides some function that is perceived by the receiver. Media have become an organism that has a voice but has the power to influence the people it is received by. It is no longer a superfluous being, but rather a necessity that is relied upon for survival. Consumers have grown to thrive and feed off of this information that is provided by the media, giving it the power to influence, encourage, and inform today’s society.

                In order to survive, human beings need nutrition. As creatures, we crave for things that satisfy our every desire. For many, the Blackberry for many is their drug of choice. This small device that can be used for calling, internet surfing, texting, emailing, and Blackberry Messaging, is a thriving medium that many cannot live without. A cellular device is not just a phone, but has become a multidimensional piece of equipment that has redefined the work ethics of many people around the globe. This organism, the Blackberry, has been a creature that users have come to consume and rely on. Respectively, the Blackberry relies on the information and food of its consumers for its own survival. Without the constant desire and dire need for this device, the Blackberry would cease to exist. The Blackberry has redefined what media means to today’s society, just as the telegraph did hundreds of years ago, as explained by James Carey in Communication as Culture. The telegraph was able to “not only alter(ed) the relation between communication and transportation, it also changed the fundamental ways in which communication was thought about” (James Carey, 204). The Blackberry has been able to turn this medium of communication into a source that is the channel of all communications. A telegraph that was once a product that could be lived without, has evolved into a similar means of exchange that is the fundamental food of today’s society. Blackberry users, often referred to as “Crackberry users”, due to their continual craving and needing of their device, have proven this redefining of media as more than just a means of communication, but rather a living being that is crucial to the sustainability of the environment. 

                The evolving mentality of the media as a living breathing organism can be further defined through considering media as the perpetual circle of communication in which information is passed. Just as organisms are born, developed, and then die off, today’s media does the same. It is this circular motion, or circle of life, that keeps these medias alive and continuously transmitting information.  The media has the ability to relay information but also is forced to be a consumer for its own survival. The daily news is a perfect example of this. Information that is passed through the news via television is reliant on the actions of society and daily events in order to exist, just as an organism needs nutrition to survive. This means of communication also has the power to influence. The events of September 11^th, 2001 fully manifest this concept of thriving and influence. After these attacks on the United States, information was transmitted through both news publications and television.  The medium that is television narrowed the gap of time between the attacks and the public receiving that information. A medium is like a carnivorous organism that feeds off of society, in turn reproducing information that is then received by the public. The media coverage of September 11^th proves the power of a medium to influence and create a culture of new-found patriotism in the United States. Furthermore, this example exemplifies how the media can be compared to an organism that is able to influence its receivers, while continuously evolving and thriving off of what it is fed.

                Media have come to define who we are as individuals. It is more than just a television or phone, but rather any form of influence, imagery, or conversation that exists in the society. The media, just like organisms, needs to be fed information from their receivers in order to grow, thrive, and develop. Media have never ceased to exist in our culture, but it has grown as a life form and become more of a necessity through technology over time.