Home Videos

Growing up, one of my favorite shows was America's Funniest Home Video's hosted by Bob Saget.  I remember watching it with my entire family and we'd all laugh and make our predictions as to who was going to win the $10,000.  Needless to say, home video's have come a long way since the 90's.

Video cameras are more easily accessible now than they've ever been.  We have the capability of shooting video with our phones and other portable devices whereas a video camera used to be carried on your shoulder and were often very expensive.  With video sharing sites like YouTube, it seems like everyone has a video to post.  Granted, the majority of these videos are amateur, but as the old saying goes--"practice makes perfect.".

As I am nearing the end of my college days, I am spending and increasing amount of time on the hunt for jobs that will "beef up" my Communications resume.  Surprisingly, I've found that a number of these jobs or internships would like a general knowledge of video creation and editing.  While it may not be a necessary qualification--it is something that the employer has specifically indicated would give a person the upper edge.  Though I've been known to make a video or two on my iPhone, I wouldn't have thought this qualified as something to list on my resume.  I think it is important to be comfortable with the technology that is afforded to us--we don't have to be proficient in every gadget on the market, but with something like shooting a video we should know the basics and be open to learning more.  After all, you never know when something like video shooting experience will give you the upper hand.

Communication Technology Theories: Displacement Theory

Of all the theories we have covered thus far, the Displacement Theory would have to be my favorite.  In relating this to television, I think it is interesting to consider how much time we spend on another form of media/communication technology effects how much time we spend watching TV.  While the displacement theory would suggest that by spending more time on say, facebook, I am in return not going to spend as much time on TV, in my personal experience I have found that this is not entirely true.

I spend a great deal of time in front of the TV--more than I care to share.  While there are  many things I can't do while watching TV (like reading a book or listening to music), there are still several different forms of communication technology that I can use at the same time.  For instance, I can be doing homework, texting or browsing the internet while also watching TV.  I think this is important to keep in mind when considering the future of television because the displacement theory would indicate that as we spend more and more time on our phones or in front of the computer, we will eventually phase TV out as there will not be enough time for it.  I would argue that this is not the case--as the television is really a multimedia tool that is used for much more than simply watching cable.

I will say that there is likely a decline in the amount of time we use the TV due to other forms of technology, but I also believe that TV will always play a role in most of our lives.  Not only for cable viewing, but also for video game use, movie watching and even some devices allow us to access the internet from our television.  In my opinion, as long as the television continues to evolve with the creation of new technologies, there will always be a place for it in many American households.

Music & Me

Music has always been a big part of my life.  There aren't many genres of music that I don't enjoy and I can find a song for almost any situation or mood.  Most of the time, I'm listening to music on my iPhone--I listen while I'm getting ready in the mornings, I listen while I'm walking to class and I listen while I'm reading or doing homework.  The iPhone isn't the only way I listen to music though. I listen on my computer at work while streaming from Pandora or Spotify and the radio is always on when I'm in my car.

I also enjoy listening to audio books--especially on road trips.  I hate driving.  I am sleepy the moment I get behind the wheel of the car--that's why it's so important for me to have some type of noise...even more so when I'm driving by myself.  Any time I have to make a long drive alone I always load my phone with at least two audio books to listen to (one for the trip there and one for the trip back).  I can only take so much top 40 radio and I get distracted too easily trying to find something on my phone so an audio book is a great companion for me on the road--especially since i'm usually reading if I'm not the one doing the driving.

I honestly can't imagine my life with out music.  I feel like i'm always singing a song in my head, I get excited when I find a new artist that I like and a certain song can change my mood entirely.  Sometimes we take our technologies for granted and I am grateful that I have so many ways to listen to media at my fingertips.