Stereotypes

Living in today’s world, I think that stereotypes are inevitable. I think that every person is aware of stereotypes in their head, but each person develops their own based on their life experiences. In “Public Opinion,” Walter Lippman makes the point that “The facts we see depend on where we are placed, and the habits of our eyes.” For example, if I grew up in a large city, I may be more accepting of people with varying ethnic backgrounds than someone who has not lived among such a diverse population. I think Lippman is saying that we are born somewhere, and unless we choose to move or travel, our stereotypes will develop based on what we know and our surroundings.

Lippman makes another interesting point by saying, “We are told about the world before we see it. We imagine most things before we experience them.” I think this is so true. People make judgments about the unknown (people of other races or ethnic backgrounds) even if they have no first-hand experience dealing with these people. This is partially because the media often shapes the stereotypes in our head. The picture that the media portrays is the only vision we have if we have not experienced something first-hand.

I believe that the stereotypes we develop are largely affected by where we live and what we have experienced. Basically, stereotypes are our pre-conceived notions about another person or group of people, whether we have personally witnessed these characteristics or not. If we let them, the media can influence our opinions greatly.

Gooooooooooo Verizon!

A few weeks ago I mentioned that my cell phone was my favorite media source. Every day, I contact family and friends via Verizon Wireless, along with more than 100 million other Americans who connect to a Verizon network daily, according to Verizon’s website. I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a whole heck of a lot of people.

For how big Verizon is, I was really surprised to learn that Verizon Communications Inc. was only formed on June 30, 2000. The company was created thanks to synergy with one of the largest mergers in U.S. business history between Bell Atlantic Corp. and GTE Corp. Synergy states that a combined company can “offer more value, cost savings, or strength than the two companies could separately,” according to Ralph E. Hanson, author of Mass Communication: Living in a Media World. Check it out at http://www.amazon.com!

GTE and Bell Atlantic had both national and international customers, making the newly formed Verizon Communications Inc. a global company. More recently in 2005, Verizon acquired MCI, once again using synergy to its advantage.

Verizon prides itself on being “America’s most reliable wireless network.” I have to admit that from what I hear about other phone companies, it just might be. My boyfriend has T-Mobile…his signal is horrible and his calls drop all the time. Anyway, I’m certain that the company will continue to offer its Internet services and much more. It kind of scares me how powerful the company is. I don’t even want to know what new gadgets they are going to sell in the future.

Those Darn Gatekeepers

Especially after studying PR, I can say that I strongly believe that the media and gatekeepers have the potential to really mess with the pictures inside your head. My reality is limited by my experiences and my knowledge of what is going on in today’s world. Typically, I learn about current events through the media; therefore, the media controls, or limits, what I perceive as reality. I guess I’m ahead of the game because I know that the media gatekeepers filter what “reality” I see on television, the Internet, and in newspapers.

Then again, even though I know that the media is limiting what I see, I don’t engage in as much media as I should. If I engaged in a more diverse spectrum of media, my view of reality might be broader. I think if I analyzed messages (on television or the Internet) critically, one of two things could happen. I would either want to learn more and engage in more forms of media, or I would realize that the gatekeepers are putting a spin on the information I am receiving. I really think that the media has the power to portray any message the way they want.

I think sometimes people are at fault because they believe everything the media tells them. Each person is going to react to messages differently based on their past life experiences and their perceived stereotypes about things. I think it’s important to be aware that what we see on television and read on the Internet is controlled by gatekeepers and there may be more to the story that they are telling… it’s up to us to try to fill in the missing pieces.

Where's My Cell Phone?

My favorite media is a close call between my cell phone and the Internet. I’m going to have to go with my cell phone because I don’t have a landline at my apartment. If I didn’t have my cell phone, I think I would feel secluded from the entire world. I don’t like feeling helpless when I can’t get a hold of someone I need to talk to. Without my phone, I don’t know how I would ever keep in touch with anyone who didn’t live within walking distance or have IM.

I honestly prefer face to face talking over any other form of communication, but if I didn’t have my cell phone I could never call anyone to get together. I use my cell phone to call and bug my boyfriend and keep my parents updated. I also made some really wonderful friends when I studied in Spain. One is from California and the other is from Colorado. With my cell phone, it’s actually really easy to keep in touch with them. Now that I think about it, I feel somewhat lost if I don’t have my cell phone in my purse. It doubles as my watch, so I don’t even know what time it is without it.

Media Checklist

1. I use the telephone off and on throughout the day. I’d say that I call my boyfriend or my parents most frequently.

2. The last time I listened to a public speaker was probably near the end of last semester. It was the PR Colloquium put on by the PRSSA (Public Relations Student Society of America). I went because I’m a PR major and wanted to support my friends who organized the whole event.

3. I use IM practically everyday when I’m at school. When I’m at home, I hardly ever use it to chat. When I’m at school, I use it the most to keep in touch with my two best friends from high school. I also IM my boyfriend and friends here because it’s quick and easy to ask questions.

4. I use email ALL THE TIME. I’d say it’s my lifeline to almost everything. I send a handful of emails everyday to friends, my family, other students on campus, and professors.

5. The last time that I actually bought a lot of music was when I studied in Spain in fall ‘06. I loved the music there and was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to find the CDs at home!

6. I think the last TV show I watched was “I Love New York” on VH1. I know, I know, it’s horrible, but reruns were on while I was eating dinner.

7. Hmmm…. I can’t even remember the last thing I recorded.

8. The most recent movies I’ve seen at the theatre were over Christmas break. I saw “The Good Shepard” and “Night at the Museum.” I definitely recommend both! I actually watched “The Illusionist” last night on DVD and it was awesome.

9. The last radio station I listened to was a pop/rock station in Los Angeles when I went to visit my friend over Christmas break. Besides that, I liked the oldies station during December because they played Christmas music 24/7 all month!

10. I just finished reading “Angels and Demons” by Dan Brown. I got the book for Christmas because I really enjoyed reading “The DaVinci Code” and heard that Dan Brown’s first book was even better. I think it’s a close call though!

11. I read “The Chronicle of Higher Education” today because I was browsing the career section. I need to start looking for employment when I graduate!

12. Oh gosh I really never read magazines. Every now and then when I’m standing in line at the grocery store I’ll pick one up, but I’m not a huge fan.

13. The last time I wrote a letter was right before Christmas. I also wrote thank you notes after Christmas, if that counts! I never used to write letters, but since I studied abroad, I write them all the time to keep in touch with friends across the country and in Spain. It’s always fun to get letters, so I like to send them.

14. I go to the college’s website a zillion times a day to check my email. I’m also a fan of Google and weather.com! I browse around a lot too.

15. I don’t have a “My Space” account, but I do have a “Facebook” account. I use it to post pictures and keep in touch with people that I don’t go to school with. It’s actually really great for keeping in touch with people across the country. I think I was against blogs until I created this one… There’s a first time for everything!