Snap Chat

I’m a Snap Chat enthusiast. It is my social media of choice. In most circumstances I prefer it over texting. I don’t really know what it is about Snap Chat that I love so much. It’s quick, easy, and fun. I love using it to keep in touch with my friends that I otherwise would never see. I like being able to experience what others are experiencing, and share my experiences with others as well. It’s one way that I can let my parents know what I’ve been up to, without having to engage in a lengthy phone conversation.

There are always others who disagree with Snap Chat completely. I have friends who refuse to download the app. They think that the government will keep our photos and use them against us in the future. On the other hand, I think Snap Chat is a great tool for keeping in contact with friends and family. If you use it right, in line with the standards of the gospel, then there is nothing to worry about and Snap Chat can become an awesome asset. 

A Tribute

Tonight I watched the James Burrows tribute. He was/is the director of many popular TV shows including Will and Grace, Frasier, Cheers, Big Bang Theory, and Friends. I watched the tribute tonight to see my favorite friends back together. While I was watching this tribute, I realized how much of an impact these shows have had on so many people, and how this one man was able to unknowingly be a part of so many peoples’ lives. Media has allowed him to do this.

While I am not nearly as influential as this great director, I can have an influence as well. I can’t do it through TV shows or movies, but I can do it through social media. I hardly ever post anything, but when I do, I can make sure that it is uplifting and positive. I want to be like James Burrows in the way he made people smile, I want to influence people for the better. I can do that through media. 

Tina Fey's Teachings

I have discovered the joy that audio books can be. I would always listen to music when I would go for a run. It is good and fun until you’ve listen to your running playlist a few too many times and the songs that once used to keep you going now make you want to fall to the ground. The other day I decided to switch it up and listen to an audio book, best idea I’ve had in a while. I downloaded Tina Fey’s book Bossypants. This media intake has totally changed my running experience. Instead of listening to the same songs, I listen to a different chapter. The story keeps me entertained as I run and distracts me from how much longer I have left. It is also a bonus that the story is told by Tina Fey herself, because, you know, she’s Tina Fey.

I still like to read actual books, but I can’t seem to find time to read for pleasure. Listening to Tina Fey’s audio book has taught me make the most of my time, exercising and increasing my literature intake in the same instant. (Tina herself did not teach me that, but the overall experience did.) I don’t love to run, but listening to audio books makes it much more enjoyable. So for the sake of my health, and my sanity, audio books are the way to go.

The Other Woman

This week my friend and I made time to sit down and watch a movie together. We watched one of our favorites: The Other Woman. We quoted the lines in the movie and laughed a lot because the movie is that funny. This isn’t the only movie that my friend and I will watch again and again. There are actually quite a few other movies that we can quote back to one another. It is funny how movies, and media in general, can allow us to connect to one another. Relationships can be built off of media experiences.  These relationship experiences can enhance our view of media and vice versa.

When looking at the movie itself, I wonder if I am desensitizing myself by watching it. There are a lot of inappropriate jokes in the movie that make me laugh, but in the end it leaves us with a message of friendship and girl power. What sticks with you more, the message or the actions? Does the overall good message of The Other Woman make up for the sexual innuendos? Or am I simply justifying my actions?

Scrutinizing the Stations

 I listen to the radio. Every time I get in my car I find a radio station before I even shift into drive. I listen to all kinds of stations, and would rather listen to a song I don’t like than listen to the commercials. As I thought about my media intake, a lot of it comes from the time I spend driving.

The other day I was driving with my brother when he commented on a song, “what a dumb song, the lyrics don’t have any meaning and there isn’t even a melody.” That, along with the lecture we had about music, got me thinking as to why I listen to music. I don’t know the lyrics to every song I listen to, so I don’t even realize what I’m taking in. I feel like I mostly listen to the radio to have some background noise, being alone with my thoughts can be too much, or not enough. I think I really listen to it for the entertainment aspect though, driving can be boring and it is always the best when I hear a song I love on the radio.

This is one song I could listen to again and again: