WAR V ENTERTAINMENT

WAR V ENTERTAINMENT.....

Is the death of a family member becoming nothing more then a game of entertainment to news reporters? The news is becoming a mine field of gruesome entertainment that has been restricted to replicate scenes from war movies. Footage is now being changed, and filming has been minimized to create movie based images which show bias footage. Depending on what country you are from you are most likely to perceive your home as a winning country and under huge threat from the terrible country from over the boarder. Television footage unlike the internet only shows short and quick overviews of what is actually happening in war. The internet however allows different perceptions of the reported war and the country.

Society perceives the internet as a valuable source of information, due to its ability to accesses information quickly, easily and from many different sources. Websites such as u-tube allows the average citizen to view video footage taken from actual war zones. There are various websites which are created by journalists that allow people to view actual war zones and read about tragic events which happen, such as how bombing impacts the average citizen. Websites such as these allow journalists like Kevin’s to reveal footage which is restricted by the media. However journalists that usually reveal this information aren’t employed for long as the restricted information is crucial to the government’s reputation.

The internet allows different individuals to report on anything they desire. War is often a hot topic as nobody really knows what is occurring unless they lived in the war zones. Nobody knows who is reporting when they access information via the internet, information could be displayed by various nationalities and social class. This gives a range of opinions on the war instead of the restricted information seen on the nightly news. On Kevin’s website stories presented are filled with good human interest war stories. “Every one comes with a video and a slideshow of stills, some of which are hard to forget”.

As citizens we always perceive that the grass is greener over the hill, however the filming of war perceives the other side as vicious and threatening. Society relies on the reporting of the news to be an accurate and truthful account of what is going on in the world. However the truth often becomes mixed with the mediated world of television. The exposure of war on our screens is becoming more of a form of entertainment and not an accurate account of what is going on. The exposure of the war on TV has become shockley similar to war films such as ‘saving Private Ryan’. Jordon Crandall (2004: 110) believes that the popularity of Reality TV has something to do with the change of attitude towards the reporting of war.The footage that seems to be chosen before aired onto live television around the world, has to have a dramatic resemblance to extensive war scenes on film.

The TV news has been giving us confirmation on war for the last century. Now with the internet people are able to voice their opinion, and are discovering that the media is restricting the amount of information that is released to the public. The truth of war is becoming blurred by the media as reports aren’t able to display all that happens during war. Restrictions by the media don’t allow certain footage to be reveled, such as “on American TV coffins of war heroes aren’t shown” due to the image of America’s ‘winning’ perception. From a westernized position America’s mediated image is perceived as good and pure, unlike their allies in the Iraq war which are perceived as inhumane and against all our (westernized) moral values.

This photograph taken of a man helping his son who had just been in a bomb, displays how people in Iraq deal with the pain…

This photograph revels how an American boy deals with the tragic pain of loss. This photograph is perceived a demonstrating that the country’s people are strong and brave in the face of war and loss.

Images shown within the media indeed do display a thousand words. Many people who instead choose to flicker through newspapers or TV to receive a slight view of what is happening in the world, only really perceive half the story. The dominating effect of Western TV revel America as a strong pure nation, where places like Iraq are seen as unlivable. Restrictions on the media aren’t helping others with the shock of war but instead blurring the image of what is actually happening. With restrictions against the media in place then the footage of war shown of TV is becoming more of what we see in films. The internet allows the exploration of war, with in-depth stories by journalist and broader views on wars to which there are no restrictions.

CYBER SEX, FUTURE ADDICTIONS OF SEX??

CYBER SEX, FUTURE ADDICTIONS OF SEX?????

Cyber sex allows a person to take on another identity or their own and engage in sexual conduct via the computer with others around the globe. Sexual stimulates via the internet has caused major disruptions within societies. Many users of cyber sex have been prone to addiction which has caused the separation of couples and the break up of families. The perception that individuals are anonymous through the internet allows them to perform deviant acts towards others without consequence.

Through cyber sex and the computer screen people are able to be sexually stimulated. This sexual stimulates has been a cause of addiction for many people, in which they are unable to stop using the cyber sex forums. Addiction to these websites has become a real problem in which has broken families and spilt couples. “Studies show that men are more likely to view cyberporn, while women are more likely to engage in erotic chat” (Center for internet addiction recovery. 2008). The majority of people that engage with cyber sex have common characteristics such as low self esteem, insufficient body image, high sexual desires, or prior addictions to sexual conduct. People whom have suffered from previous cyber sex addictions usually have also had many other addictions such as alcohol, smoking, sex and mainly drug addictions. Addictions to the internet and cyber sex have been known to be connected with people who suffer from emotional problems.

The ability to engage with other people anonymously allows the person to become whoever they wish and allow them to escape their emotional issues. Some of these emotional problems and addict can suffer from include depression and anxiety related disorders. Internet addicts use applications such as chat rooms, instant messaging, or online gaming as a safe way of establishing new relationships and more confidently relating to others. Addiction to cyber sex is occurring more often these days with the ability to be anonymous. “Usually the addiction to cyber sex, like any other addiction, escalates once the person has unnatural urges to use it continuously”( Center for internet addiction recovery. 2008). The user’s addiction grows and they soon begin to feel preoccupied with using the Internet for sexual purposes. Cyber sex addicts will go to any extent to keep their addiction concealed and often feel guilt or shame because of the secret hurt they are causing to their real life partners.

The appeal of cyber sex is that it’s very easily accessible, affordably and the user is able to use it anonymously. Cyberspace allows an individual to create identities and become whoever they desire with the ability to control age, nationality, disability, appearance, relationship statues, weight and even sex. Therefore an overweight, middle eastern man with a disability can create is own ideal perception of himself, to a young, thin and highly successful male. “The ability to be anonymous creates a scary environment in which any person can use to experiment and secretly begin to explore online website which they would normally not”( Center for internet addiction recovery. 2008). Accessibility of the internet is simple enough; most people especially in first world countries own their own computer with the internet. The accessibility of the internet allows people to perceive the Internet use as personal and untraceable and they use the anonymity of the Internet to explore hidden or repressed sexual fantasies. Individuals who use cyber sex are able to at a low price, they are also able to interact and experiment with others who use cyber sex as well, such as chat rooms. The appeal to users is that they are unable to do this type of activity in the real world, which can make them be creators and rule over their own virtual world in which they feel empowered.

The fact that internet porn isn’t illegal, except for child pornography allows any person to view and interact with cyber sex chat rooms and websites without legal consequence. With the ability for many people to connect to cyber sex or porn websites it becomes clear that as society evolves with the internet so to will the perception of intercourse. The need to feel empowered over others by only reveling your ideal perception can cause all negative approaches such as addiction.

REFERENCE LIST:
Center for internet addiction recovery. 2008. www.netaddiction.com/cybersexual_addiction.htm. (Acessed 10 May, 2008)

Extremists. Not everything is Black and White

Extremists. Not everything is Black and White

The notion of seeing black and white indicates that a perception is clear, however in society the perception of multiculturalism is very much separated by extremists. The black and white community is just as separated today as it was many years ago. Society is separated by extremists who use tradition, religion and symbols against other cultures. The boundaries of acceptance between the black and white communities are moving further away due to the domination of white supremacy by racial extremists.

Historically, racial extremist organizations were focused around the values of Christianity. This hasn’t changed. America is known as the 'christen' nation, by American extremists. White supremacists living in America believe that they have a special relationship between religion and the laws of the US. These extremists give themselves the divine power from God to punish. Some extremists don’t understand that their actions are wrong, just that they "love God and the white race." Justification is known to come from the bible with verses to justify their actions. From a futuristic utopian perspective, I would like to think that in the future cultures will be accepted and embraced with news ideas and further development of our own cultures. Extremists that follow 'Christen' values state that they can attack, harm and even murder Jews and individuals of color without altering religious beliefs. They rely on what their elder or leader states which to them is accurate information, such as Jews and people of colour having no soul because they are the children of the devil.

Well known extremist organizations and individuals are still existent in the world today. The Ku Klux Klan, Church of the creator and neo Nazi’s are still working to create a society totally dominated by whites, by excluding and denying the rights of non-whites and Jews. Followers of these organizations are told that crime and welfare abuse by African Americans, immigration by Mexicans and Asians, or a fictional Jewish conspiracy are responsible for the decline in the representation of white people. The organization known as KKK evolved from a weak and small organization into a highly developed military group with extensive survivalist training camps often funded by proceeds from counterfeit money and bank and armored car robberies.
Strong extremist organizations such as the KKK have had much political influence over the years. The notion of white supremacy has become a belief in which the United States government is controlled by conspiring groups of foreigners or Jews or a combination of both. Extremists have attempted to avoid the media, as it focuses on their harm and murders and not their own beliefs of white supremacy. The government is said to be supportive through terror and violence, but also are becoming more politically active in order to influence the mainstream politics.

Many of the racial extremist groups such as neo-Nazism and the Ku Klux Klan use many symbols to represent their extremist organizations. The ying and yang to me represented a symbol of living peace between the ‘white’ and ‘black communities, in which both were represented living in harmony. However the perfect accepting community which I knew to be real wasn’t. Symbols for extremist groups represent elements of movement and protest. A protest rally in California where a Nazi flag was suddenly unveiled with the swastika is known as a widely accepted move among the hardcore racists and border vigilantes in America.

This was the symbol of the Ku Klux Klan, in the center is a drawing of a drop of blood. The drop is one of the KKK’s best-known symbols. For Klan members, the drop represents the blood that Jesus Christ shed on the cross as a sacrifice for the white race.

Aryan Nations. This symbol is used by the neo-Nazi Aryan Nations, based in Haden Lake, Idaho. Bryan Nations is one of the nation’s most established extremist groups.

Celtic Cross was originally the symbol for the Celts of ancient Ireland and Scotland. The Celtic cross has been adopted by many American white supremacist groups. This identifier incorporates the white supremacist slogan 'White pride world wide'.

With the advancement of technology and the internet, the formation of racial communities has continued to rise. These virtual communities are very accessible as people are able to walk around at home and connect to any extremist with a click of the mouse. The religious impacts of racial extremists can have huge impacts upon individuals especially people in America, as America is heavily influenced by religion. The mass of extremists using the internet for developing their beliefs has increased their organizations and will continue to influence as it is easily accessible and obtainable.