Journal Entry #2

Do stereotypes exists in the media today?
Yes negative stereotypes exist in the media. Negative stereotypes are a part of all of us, whether we notice or not. These stereotypes are evident throughout all mass media. Stereotypes of elderly people who are sickly, of women who are subservient to men, of men who are fat and all they do is sit around and drink beer. These are just a few examples of stereotypes that exist withing the media. The AXE commercials are a good example of this. They show that all men care about is what they can do to get a woman. That this is our life goal, and the basis for any decision we make. Even if this is true in many cases, it does not apply to all men, and is an exaggeration.

There is the possibility that people will be immersing themselves in the world of mass media to a point to where they begin to tune out the real world. What might happen if people begin to overly distance themselves from the reality of the outside world? Are there examples of where this has already happened?
The effects of overuse of media can be devastating. As great as the world of mass media is, it cannot replace human interaction and activities. A person who is overly immersed in the world of mass media to a point where they have limited interaction with the outside world will start to forget how to interact with others.
There is a 23 year old living at my parent's house right now who is suffering with some of these problems. He is the son of a family friend that my parents agreed to let live at our house. When he first moved in, I always invited him to hang out with my friends and he would never come. I figures he had better things to do, but soon i figured out that he was addicted to computer games. I never saw him when he was home, he just locked himself in his room all day. He came home from school and headed straight to his room for the rest of the night. The effects this had on his life were very apparent. He rarely smiles, and doesn't participate in family activities.