Monday, April 11, 2011

Week 1: Media Autobiography

I've loved books ever since my mom first read "Goodnight Moon" to me. Everything about books intrigue me like the smell of old and new books. I try to read any chance I get. My favorite book is "The Count of Monte Cristo" and few others include "Catch-22" and "Lolita". The one thing I don't like about the evolution of books are the new Kindles and Nooks. It takes away the natural feel of holding a book in your hands and the excitement of turning each page. I will forever be a collector of books.

I prefer reading articles on a newspaper than actually reading them on the internet. Newspapers go into more depth than the quick summary they would give you online. I prefer reading The New York Times than the San Jose Mercury News. I usually read through the front page, the world news, the sports page, and the lifestyles page. A lot of time is spent reading the newspaper when I have the time to.

You know when you're in line at Target and there's a plethora of magazines for you to look at next to the candy and you skim through the pages of the most interesting magazines and you end up buying that magazine? Well, that's me. I enjoy reading through magazines whether it be a fashion magazine, a fitness magazine, or a gossip magazine. My favorite magazine is Real Simple because they have the best recipes, and easy everyday tips. I also enjoy Vogue, Elle, and Harper's Bazaar for fashion.

Movies are a quick pick me up for me, except some movies leave a lasting impression on me. Going during the daytime is the best time to go to the movies because you don't have to pay the ridiculous amount of $15. I grew up watching all kinds of movies. From romance, to thriller, action, comedy...etc. My favorite kinds of movies are comedies and indie films. I don't like horror movies unless they are the really horrible, low budget, "you- know-it's-going-to-be-more-funny-than-scary", kind of movie. I think movies are really important in our culture. They are a quick get away from the real world and a lot of people need that kind of break in their lives, I know I do. 

Recordings are one of the best parts of the media for me. I love music and listening to recordings live are the best. Thank goodness for YouTube making listening a lot more convenient and accessible. 

I used to listen to radio a lot when I was younger and listen to the radio shows on my way to school. It was until I got older until I started to notice that they just play songs over and over again. It sucks so bad. There are times where the radio is good. It's usually around afternoon time when they play their "lunch time mixes". Other than that, I'd rather not listen to Rihanna and Katy Perry fifteen times in one hour. Not too long ago there was this one station where the was no commercials and they played a good variety of Indie/ Rock. Unfortunately, that radio station got shutdown. Thank goodness for ipod connection in the car!

Television is a very important source of media for me. I watch the nightly news, sometimes Good Morning America, and other shows. There's the Food Network, which is sometimes bad for me because I end up cooking whatever they show! It is also a great medium for family bonding time in my house. Every night during dinner, my parents turn on the TV to watch Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. We also watch The Giants on TV whenever they are playing. Television has come a great way in technology. I love how they now have recordings and play back time. It's so useful!

Last but definitely not least is the internet. Where would we all be now if it wasn't for the internet? To me, this is the most important source of media. You can find almost anything on the internet! I like how schools are now relying on the internet to turn in homework and exams instead of wasting paper. It's good for the environment when it comes down to not wasting paper. Although it can be a very bad thing for students when they have all of these social networks going on. Those websites can be very distracting and can definitely lead on the heavy procrastination, I know this from experience. You have to be very careful of how you use the internet.

As for my major, Food and Nutrition, and a minor in Public Relations, I believe that each one of these media sources will play a big part in my career. I could use the internet to build a clientele through social networking and newspaper to post articles of the company I am representing.