Blog #5: CATW Practice - "Is Music a Good Tool for Health?

      In the article "Is Music a Good Tool for Health? Elizabeth Scott states that music is used in therapies to heal because it has a positive effect on the body and mind. Scott also states that music has lasting benefits to the state of mind even after you stopped listening. I believe music has a positive effect on out body and mind because it gives relaxation and motivation and it also helps us to keep stress  and other negative emotions away.

       Music somehow relaxes your body and disconnects your mind from the rest of the world giving you motivation to do other things or to learn more. For example, children with autism use music therapy to learn to play an instrument. They concentrate so much on what they do that they develop advanced music techniques. Music relaxes them so much that they are motivated to learn more and the effect is positive because it also motivates their learning. I personally listen to music when I want to relax because I forget about everything else around me and then I take a moment to go back to my reality and keep going, so somehow it relaxes me and even after I stop listening I feel relaxed and in good mood.

       Music is also a great tool to use to keep stress away from us as well as other negative emotions. I have learned that people with depression are encouraged to do new things and start activities that may be positive and may bring you to a better self. Music is one of the things that many people with depression try and they succeed. They start either in a dance group or simply play an instrument, but most of the time the effect is positive healing them from depression and keeping them anxiety and stress free. I also use music to distract myself when doing exercise. When I feel stressed and overwhelmed I take a walk and listen to music and it makes me feel better afterwards. I do not feel the same if I walk to exercise or to just distract myself without music. Even after the walk I feel a lot better with music.

       I think that music has a positive effect on our bodies and minds whether  it is in a long or short therm. It doesn't matter if we are depressed or just stressed or if someone we know has a child with autism, music will help us positively  regardless of our condition.

Blog #4: CATW Practice - "In Groups We Shrink"

        In the article "In Groups We Shrink" Carol Tavris, states that people think and act differently when they are alone and when they are in a group. According to the article, psychologists call this "diffusion of responsibility" because people in a group are slower to respond. A person alone takes own responsibility and takes action on a situation, but people in a group think that one person has everything under control. I believe people in a group follow what the others do or what they think one of them should do assuming less responsibility. In a group we become slow thinkers and lazier by thinking others will respond properly, but as individuals we are able to respond immediately taking more responsibility as the situation is happening.

        I work in a public school and at the beginning of every school year there are several fire drills and everybody must listen and follow instructions properly. There was a day when the school conducted a fire drill and there was a classroom full of students without a teacher. I was contacted for information as I work in the main office and decided to notify an administrator immediately. I could not reach anybody and decided to go to the classroom and give students directions to evacuate the building quietly. I am one of those people that most of the time is a follower when I am in a group, but I definitely take full responsibility when there is a situation that needs proper action. If there was another teacher around at that moment, I would had thought that he was responsible for that group of students. Confronting a sudden situation alone make people think, react and do the most appropriate quicker.

        When the 911 terrorist attack happened in 2011, I was working out in the gym with a group of friends. Every media interrupted normal transmission to broadcast what at first it was thought to be an accident. I remember when my group of friends started to watch the television and then I joined them. As the news continued, all of us started to panic and were confused as to what to do next. In the meantime, none of us would take the initiative to do something other than stare at the television; somehow we were waiting for one of us to do something and follow. I decided to go back home and everyone else followed. I don't really think that my reaction would have been the same if I was watching the breaking news alone; I would probably had ran home as soon as I saw what was happening and contact my family to make sure everyone was safe instead of waiting for someone else's reaction.

        People individually tend to react sooner and assume more responsibility when confronting a life threatening situation than people in a group. I think that people in a group take more time to respond to a dangerous or life threatening situation because somehow it is easier to believe that someone is already taking care of that situation and a person alone exposed to the same situation has more responsibility because there is no one else to respond.

Blog #3: "I Know the Truth, So Don't Bother Me with Facts'

     In the article "I Know the Truth, So Don't Bother Me with Facts", author Jeffrey Klugger explains how people easily believe false statements. Klugger also indicates that researchers conducted a study to prove how people's opinion may be easily altered by just showing them pictures that are manipulative and distracting from the real facts and that people do not really take the time to do their own research and learn the truth behind the pictures. I agree with Klugger that when people are proven the opposite their opinions may change, but I also think that emotions play a main role in the way we think. An opinion a person has regarding a specific idea might be distorted when this person is shown images or documents that might not necessarily be a true fact or might suggest something completely different; in many other cases, what we think is based on our emotions and personal experiences.

     Many people stick to an opinion based on what they have heard or seen and they go with the flow thinking that what they believe is right. I work in a middle and high school as a Parent Coordinator and there is a lot of interaction between parents, students, teachers, and myself. I have seen many parents come to the school to complain about what according to their children the teachers are doing wrong and they have not even contacted the teacher the get the other side of the story. For example, a parent questions his daughter for receiving a low grade in science and the child responds by saying that the teacher does not explain well and the class material is too difficult and there is not enough time given to complete during class. When a parent meeting is scheduled, then the teacher has the opportunity to explain to the parent that his daughter is constantly cutting school, does not pay attention and is disruptive, therefore, making it more difficult to understand the class material and also affecting her attendance record. The parent is given an attendance report to show how cutting school is a major problem and how it's affecting the student's learning.

    There are people that do not take into consideration what others have to say and it does not mean that they do not care, it means that these people create an opinion about a certain thing based on their past experiences and their feelings. I have worked with many people getting them the services they needed and they come to me to reach for help and talk about their problems explaining what they need the most. Many families get most free services in their children's school based on their income and family composition and there are times that exceptions are made. I have experienced financial difficulty myself and I know what depending on a limited budget feels like. Being the main contact person to support families on their needs, it is in my hands to make exceptions, but not before consulting my supervisor. For example, there was a family recently that approached me with a situation that I thought is a very difficult experience. The family was evacuated from their apartment due to the recent explosion in East Harlem and was placed in an emergency shelter in The Bronx, so the parent was requesting a transportation pass for her daughter because she could not afford to pay daily transportation for her daughter, her son, her husband and herself. When I reached to my supervisor, she questioned me if the parent had provided a letter from the shelter and denied the request because she thought the family could afford transportation since they have expensive clothing and bring money to school. Whether they have expensive brand name clothing or not, I feel they do need the help at this moment because they have no place of their own and I am unable to create an opinion about them based on what they are wearing because I simply experienced a similar situation and my emotions in this situation come first.

     What we see and hear might not always be right and, therefore, our opinions are constantly changing. In our mind we create opinions based on what we see and hear and sometimes we take the time to find out if the statements given are true or if in fact are false and after our findings we come to a conclusion; and most of the time it is just easier to have a point of view that is not fundamental and creates problems. I believe there are times that we think with the heart and put aside what the brain sees and hears ignoring others people's comments and refuse to follow the crowd. It is common sense to find out what the reality is before creating an opinion about statements that might be false rather than just follow an idea that was made up and has no meaning.

Blog Entry #2: Objective Summary of the reading "I Know the Truth"

In the article "I Know the Truth, So Don't Bother Me with Facts", author Jeffrey Klugger explains how people easily believe false statements. Klugger also indicates that researchers conducted a study to prove how people's opinion may be easily altered by just showing them pictures that are manipulative and distracting from the real facts and that people do not really take the time to do their own research and learn the truth behind the pictures. An opinion a person has regarding a specific idea might be distorted when this person is shown pictures that might not necessarily be a true fact or might suggest something completely different.

Blog Entry #1 - Hype Revision

In the essay "Hype", Kalle Lasn states that advertisements are the most prevalent and toxic of the mental pollutants. I think advertisements are part of our daily routine and, therefore, I don't consider marketing as toxic. Marketing nowadays is a very large business industry that focuses on creating many commercials for most products and services we use on a regular basis generating a source of employment. I also think that advertisements are an excellent way of communication not only for products and services, but also for public benefits and education in general.

              I think marketing is probably one of the largest business industries that continuously grow generating employment opportunities. As companies create new products, new labels, and people start up new companies, there is the need to start the advertisement process to show the world all about new products and services newly available. Marketing companies compete to create the best commercials to attract more consumers hiring a team of professionals to come up with the best ideas and make them a reality. Every day we learn of new products and services available and it is through the media that we learn about them, and for one simple commercial it takes a whole crew to come up with the final presentation. The creation of commercials may include graphic designers; make up professionals, wardrobe, writers, marketing and sale specialists, business managers, and many other professionals depending on the type of commercial. It may also include celebrities to get even more attention. For instance, the Pepsi Company recently launched a line of soda drinks with a new logo design and it's been advertised on public television by American Pop singer Beyoncé. Being that Beyoncé is a very popular pop singer, she is not only promoting the drink but her public image is also contributing to sales increase because the more her commercials are popular, the more profit the company receives. 

           Advertisements are also meant to communicate and educate the public in general and not only for commercial publicity purposes. Many organizations nowadays utilize advertisements to educate people promoting good health and wellbeing. I have seen ads around New York City and therefore I’ve been informed about public programs available for the community. By riding on the subway, I have seen posters with information regarding organizations that promote mental health services to people that have been victims of domestic violence, there is information on how to access the services at no cost or at a low cost to people who need help rehabilitating from drug and substance abuse, people that may need help on other issues as well. When I watch television for instance, I learn that 311 is a hotline for new Yorkers to get all kind of information regarding services even weather conditions. I have seen posters and on television and heard on radio around almost everywhere that 311 has the most updated information about what is going in the city and where you can get help regarding services available that you may need. Another example is First Lady of the United States, Michele Obama advertising good health among children to avoid obesity and other health issues that are considered a growing problem in the United States. Her campaign is called “let’s Move” and it promotes good health and advices parents to keep their children physically active and to make better food choices. It is a promotional campaign to educate children and parents regarding health issues and not necessarily a commercial ad promoting products.

Although we are bombarded by advertisements at all times, we are actually not exempt from them. Marketing companies are becoming a growing business industry and they create new jobs by hiring people to create advertisements good enough to convince a target population. It is also an open competition to the world as to whom and what attracts minorities in the community. Technology moves significantly making advertisements available to all kind of people everywhere we can possibly think of, therefore, the creation of new products and services available becomes part of our daily routine and its unavoidable because it’s simply everywhere. We, as consumers contribute to the growing demand of new choices. We might not like to watch or read any advertisement, but there is always something that catches our attention and it could be either a song or a phrase that we like or just a celebrity, but dislike the product itself and it might be absurd to think that advertisements are negative and that it affects somehow your mental health. We make our decisions and we allow commercial advertisements to grow at a fast pace allowing them to become part of our daily life by making choices.

Diagnostic Essay - Hype Response

Marketing nowadays is a very large business industry that focuses on creating many commercials for the media for most products and services people use. As companies create new products, new labels, and people start up new companies, there is the need to start the propaganda and to demonstrate communities all about new creations and services available. It is also an open competition to the world as to who and what attracts minorities in the community. Technology moves significantly making all kind of people everywhere we can possibly think of.

Everyday we learn of new products; we also learn about new products and services that are constantly used on a regular basis. Sometimes, we buy products or use services that are very common and then we learn of new products available, but stay with the former product because we either know for fact that what we have seen or heard on a commercial is somehow different to the product we use. And commercials not only influence our decisions. Products, but also on services that are necessary like banking.

It starts with the creation of new products and new services when we have the choice to decide what we want to use and it is this very exact moment that we become mentally intoxicated by commercial pollution. Advertisements compete against each other advertisements to attract minorities. Let's say for example, the Kotex Company targets women generally with feminine products but has created a new line of products specifically designed for teenagers in mind that other brands don't offer. There is also a banking service that targets working young adults and offers savings sad retirement plans while other banks new to the market offer free accounts but no benefits at all, just to mention a few.

In general, we contribute to the growing demand of new choices. It is in fact part of our everyday life and technology plays a major role making commercials also part of our daily routine. We might not like to watch or read any advertisement, but there is always something that catches our attention and it could be either a song or a phrase that we like, but dislike the product itself and it might be absurd but it is how we make our decisions and we allow commercial advertisement to grow at a fact pace.