Media, NOW!

One thing this chapter covers is the media, and I feel the only reason for the media is for everyone's desire for the quick paced life. Everything from text messaging, instant messaging, commercials, emails, cell phone apps, information resources, and even social networking. If it isn't going to instantly gratify anyone they will they will not pay attention. If they do choose to pay attention, they will probably pay attention for short period of time due to everyone's desire for instant gratification. If you would compare today's news and information sources to a couple decades ago it would be two different worlds. Back in the day news was either delivered through the radio or newspaper and comparing that to today's sources it is probably one hundred times slower. I feel like it is beginning to affect kids in school because I know as a student I wanted everything to happen instantly, I couldn't sit there and listen to the teacher read the book or slowly go over something. Everything other than media for people is becoming a necessity to have instant gratification.

Marshall McLuhan

I do agree with Marshall McLuhan that the medium is the message, the format or logic of a medium is as important as its content and, in fact, determines what content will be broadcast through that channel. It involves just about most of your senses when watching television, (all except feel to the touch). Like the textbook said, reading periodicals, the information is in an orderly fashion whereas with television its all in one instant effect, and you have to process it to the best of your abilities. Just how he says, television is a mosaic logic. However while watching this medium people may have selective processing and only process things they wish or how they wish, not always easy in an orderly fashion like other methods. I do believe over time with the mass amount of people watching television they expect everything to be instant and that is one of the contributing factors to everyone wanting instant everything. Everything now days is about instant gratification, even the media takes approach to that. Quick commercials, text messaging, etc.

Internet Relationships...

It might be weird to say but yes I have made friends that exclusively live in cyberspace. When I was a kid in middle school and high school I played a lot of online video games. In those video games you are able to create friends list with people that you met online and you can either build a greater relationship, play together online, or whatever else you wish. I had one friend I met playing online one night. I added him to my friends list and for a while we would just play together online. After a while we started chatting outside the online realm through email or texts. Over time we became really good friends but after a while we both grew up and stopped talking. Mostly it didn't work because I was never able to see him due to the fact that he lived across the United States. What I learned from that relationship online was that it is nothing like a f2f relationship. It requires much more time and effort and I hate to say it was too much for me when I looked back on what I had done. I haven't formed one since then.

Friendships in the Workplace

One of the topics in this Chapter is the discussion of work place relationships, friends and romantic. I have learned over several different personal experiences that dating in the workplace is something that should not ever be done, regardless on the situation. I did it once and it was weird because the person I was dating wanted to express public affection in the work place and I found it very inappropriate because we were there to complete a task not have personal time. Granted the work place was one that was very relaxed I just had standards when it came to being professional. In the long run she was turned off because the way I was acting and I had to explain to her that it was just weird to me. I have also learned on several different counts that it may be hard to work with someone if you have become very close with them on a personal level. Friendships can sometimes get in the way of things. One specific instance something has occurred in the workplace that wasn't tolerated and the employee that was doing it thought that I was friends with them. I still had to notify someone on the actions, and in the long run he was upset because he thought I had his back.

Connection

This weeks topic of communication was rather different discussing the topic of organizations being tied to the environment, which at first made no sense and now it sort of does. Educational institutions are tied to the environment in a sense of helping people, educational wise. The ethical obligations that are present between city and university would be looked at as to what the students are going to give back in the long run. Knowledge? More well informed place to live? Applying what they have learned to their community and environment? The book also states colleges are intertwined with cities on a communal level. If the college expands, it puts pressure on the environment in terms of energy, transportation, housing needs, and communication in terms of emergency. When I say communication in terms of emergency I mean the school needs to respond properly in conjunction with the city to make sure everyone is safe.

Adapting to technology...

As new technology emerges just about everyday we need to adapt to it in respect to others. Things like smart phones, tablets, and even laptops are starting to do just about everything for us and consume us more than technology ever has. We can do almost anything we want at our finger tips. I work at a coffee shop and people are ALWAYS on the phone when in line, then when it comes to ordering their drink, they are still on the phone. That I think is one of the rudest gestures, others however seem to not. It might be different on my end as the employee because they act like you are a burden on their day asking what they want while they are on the phone as if I am suppose to wait. The book provides several examples on where not to use your phone, and constantly I see people doing exactly what the book says. Phones still go off in the library, movies, and in class. They are becoming so common in everyone's life and most people are attached to them I guess everyone understands. Another cell phone etiquette that should be observed is texting people while in an actual verbal conversation. Its almost similar to calling someone and then putting them on hold for the other line.

When it comes to putting people on hold I don't think it is rude, unless you don't tell the person there is another call. I find it even more rude to leave the other person on the other line sitting there and having it ring. If it ever happens to me I answer the other line and acknowledge them and tell them I will get back to them. I don't ever swap back and forth between phone calls.

Becoming a more responsile communicator....

The section I want to talk more in depth about is the section titled "Becoming a More Responsible Communicator." I really enjoyed reading this section because it is something I pride myself on as an individual. Not only do I enjoy taking responsibility for things I say and/or do, but I also look at it from a growing stand point. If you are able to sit back and ask yourself the three questions (1. Am I personally proud of this action? 2. Am I comfortable with this decision? 3. Would I feel uncomfortable or embarrassed if this decision were known to my colleagues, friends, spouse or children?) than it really says a lot about who you are, you are able to respond to your own actions and learn and grow from them. You grow on a personal level as well on a relationship level. Because I also find that if you are able to realize those three things on what you say, relationships tend to be a lot better because your not playing verbal games in a sense. One thing I feel I do not follow too much is the four way test. I would like to follow it all the time however in some situations it is just hard.

Thank You Steve Duck

When looking over the filtering theory created by Steve Duck I sort of laughed in amazement because it is exactly how people work when forming friendships and relationships. When meeting someone new some things I take into account before moving forward, or what I deem to be attractive, would be someone who presents themselves in a calm manner, easy going, overall positivity, and their morals. It may be weird to say but I think everyone has their ideal person in mind from the start, or it is developed over time through failed relationships. So with that said I believe I do use and have eliminated someone based on sociological or preinteraction cues. If I don't succeed with finding their sociological or preinteraction cues attractive I will not pursue it any further. However if those circumstances are met I will then proceed in hopes interaction cues and cognitive cues are found.

Change is never good...

Out of all the patterns, rigid complementary, competitive symmetry, and submissive symmetry, the most difficult to change in a relationship would have to be competitive symmetry. My belief is based off of logical standpoint as well as personal experience. One reason why symmetry would be the hardest to change is because each person usually seems to be the controlling type, so it just seems that they butt heads too much. They both want it to go their way and most of the time they aren't really up for change either, in the way of them controlling each and every situation. Another reason is because over time one person in the relationship will be fed up of not being able to control situations. That is from a personal experience, it may not be in every situation though. When it comes to individual feelings, out of all three I believe submissive symmetry would be the most damaging in terms of the individuals self esteem. Mostly because it is always a struggle to be in control, so they must seem confused.