Critical Thinking Blog #4

Part One:
A TV show that stands out to me most about giving people false sense of what the world is like is The Hills and Laguna Beach. Both of these shows follow teens with wealthy families and show their day to day life. Viewing the show you see these teenagers driving nice cars, going on luxurious vacations and wearing the hottest trends. These shows give false sense of what the world is like. Yes, some parts of California are like this where rich people show of their wealth and have the “good life” but all of California is not like that. Every time I tell someone I’m from California, they immediately think of The Hills and Laguna Beach and think I live that life style. These messages The Hills and Laguna Beach are sending out are not valid or reasonable in any way, it’s a scripted TV show to paint an image to viewers not a reality show showing people a true sense of what the world is like.
Part Two:
My future career is graphic design/magazine layout for a fashion based magazine. The study of graphic design particularly visual communications, color theory, and computer skills are the central discipline for my future career.
My future career is graphic design/magazine layout for a fashion based magazine. The study of graphic design particularly visual communications, color theory, and computer skills are the central discipline for my future career. With keeping the discipline and fundamental/powerful concept of my future career choice I observed the world looking through the eyes of a visual communicator. I looked at advertisements, store window displace, magazine, and the whole world and saw what colors go together and how colors and textures go together to create a visual for consumers. Looking through the magazine I saw how to create layouts that were visual to the viewers eye and also keep their interest in their text. I also noticed the little sentences on the covers of magazine to make an individual pick up the magazine and start looking through it. After these observations I noticed that since I’m a graphic design major, advertisement and visuals really get to me probably more then most individuals.

Pre-Reading Blog #4

In my opinion I believe people are very heavily influenced by advertising. If you really think about it, everyone has to be influenced in some way or another in order for products to be sold. People look at these advertisement and think they need a certain product in order to fit in. Consumers see this image and think their life will be somehow better if they have a certain product. This need and want ties right into my judgment about what extent people conform to the roles dictated to them by they society they live in. I strongly believe people conform to the roles dictated to them by the society because they want to fit in and looked up to, not down on.
Alongside my judgment about people being influenced by advertising I believe also that I am influenced by advertisement. When I see or hear commercials and it’s a product that interests me I will constantly think about that product through out the day and start having this mentality that I need that product and it is a necessity not a want. I also believe that I do conform to the roles dictated by society. Society has this perfect image of people and everyone to some extent tries to maintain this ideal image seen by society in order to be accepted.

Critical Thinking Blog #3

Critical reading is gaining insights and understanding that go beyond comprehending the topic, main idea, and supporting details. The difference between reading a text and critically thinking about the text is that while you are critically thinking you read “in between” the lines instead of just reading and comprehending the text. When you critically think you go above and beyond what the text says and make your own judgments about what the author’s questions, purpose, assumptions, and perspectives are. Alongside critical reading, there is critical listening. Critical listening is listening to evaluate a message for purposes of accepting or rejecting it. The difference between critical listening and listening to a lecture in class is big. While critical listening you take the information given and put a lot of thought into it in order to agree or disagree. Listening to a lecture in class you either tune out or just listen and agree with the speaker, not putting much thought into what you are hearing. In all the texts a person reads and lectures a person listens to is it always necessary to critically read and listen?

Pre-Reading Blog #3

Ads are everywhere today. You have them on the radio, TV, billboards, magazines, and now even restaurant menus. Advertisers push these ads to the public in order to sell a product. But with ads now -a-days, marketers are not just selling the product, they are selling other factors that go along with that product. For instance the three main ads I have seen recently that suck with me were the ads to sell mascara, fake tanner, and eye shadow to bring out your eye color. Not only are these three ads selling make-up products to women they are selling the idea of the perfect beauty that will be obtained if using these products. These ads make women feel they need these products in order to be called beautiful in today’s society and have the ideal perfect image. The mascara adds say you eye lashes will look longer and fuller making your eyes flirtatious to get men. The fake tanner ads suggest that really white skin is not considered beautiful and you always need to look like you have the summer glow. The eye shadow ads run alongside with the mascara ad by making your eye color pop out and have attractive eyes. All these ads not only sell the product but promote what women should look like in order to be “accepted” in society. Will there ever be a time where natural beauty of a women will be accepted and not constantly advertised to buy such products to obtain the perfect image?

Critical Thinking Blog #2

How can I best deal with living in a city that I hate after I lived in a city I loved (San Diego) for a year?
A year ago I moved back to my hometown Yuba City after living in San Diego for a year. When I decided to move back home due to certain circumstance I thought how fun it would be now that I am older and out of high school. I had such high expectations that I would always be out with friends, having a good time, be back with the boyfriend I left when I moved, and simply living life to the fullest. When I moved back home it was great for the first month, I was back with my best friends and we were going out doing crazy stuff like we always used to do and I was back with my bf at the time. Then after a couple months everything fell apart, my best friends and I grew farther apart and started on separate paths, my bf and I broke up, and I wasn’t having the fun I thought I would be having. When everything fell apart that’s when I missed San Diego the most. I missed the oceans, the night life, the city, my apartment, my friends, and my roommates. It will be a year since I left San Diego in April and still everyday I think about it. Yuba City is definitely not where I want to be my whole life and the only thing that keeps me going is knowing that after college I can move and start my life in a different city. Will this constant negativity towards the city I live ever become bearable?

Pre-Reading Blog #2

Growing up TV did not play a role in my childhood. My parents didn’t want me to watch TV because they thought it took away from experiencing the world hands on. Occasionally when I was aloud to watch TV when I was a child I did not watch cartoons like most children instead I watched Lifetime movies with my mom and sports with my dad. In contrast of watching TV for pleasure, during middle school and high school teachers started playing movies or part of TV shows to correlate with what was being taught. Now in college I do believe that TV was a good educational tool. Being more of a visual learner it is hard for me to learn subjects while just being straight lectured about them. For me a movie helps me relate to the subject more and also helps me understand what the teacher is trying to teach. If students are not visual learners then the time to watch TV or a movie in class relating to the subject being taught is a nice “getaway” from the pattern of worksheets, lectures, and notes. In conclusion, is television a good learning tool for all students, not just the visual learners?

Critical Thinking Blog #1

Part 1

Critical thinking is a reflective way of thinking that is focused on deciding what to do or believe. Critical thinking uses the processes of: analyzing, applying, and evaluating. A situation where I thought critically was when I had to decided if I should stay at FIDM or move back home. After a year at FIDM I felt that the school wasn’t for me and wanted to attend a four year school. With having my mind set on FIDM all through out high school I did not do the requirements necessary for me to attend a four year school right away so if I moved back home I would have to go to a Jr. college first. The thought of moving back home scared me, I loved living in San Diego but living in Yuba City I dreaded, I waited so long to get out of that town and then I found myself thinking about moving back in order to get a better education. While I compared the pros and cons I finally decided that in order to achieve my dreams and what I want out of life its best to move back home, attend a Jr. college, transfer to a four year and see where my career takes me (which hopefully is back to Southern Cali). A situation when I do not think critically is when I shop. While shopping I tend to see what I like and want it. I do not need these things I buy, but if I see it and like it then ill just buy it without even thinking.

Part 2

While watching my favorite show One Tree Hill I observed one character who over the past season had to think critically. The character on the T.V. show is Brooke Davis. Brooke was from a small town who had dreams of owning her own clothing line. After high school she moved to LA to pursue her dreams and ended up becoming very successful. After fours years of being a successful fashion designer Brooke went back home to One Tree Hill for a visit. While visiting she felt that this was the place she belonged not LA, so she decided to open a shop in One Tree Hill against her manager's (who was her mother) will. Problems arose from disobeying her mother so Brooke decided that her mom could have the company she worked long and hard for because it was not worth the pain her mother put her thru. I believe Brooke in the end made the right choice because in the long run she is happy now and is a stronger individual.
When a situation causes pain and hurt, is it worth giving up your dream and your future in order to not feel that pain again?