Do You Listen To The News, And Notice How You Feel?

Do You Listen To The News, And Notice How You Feel? I began noticing how sad I would get after listening to the news on TV or on the radio. I did an experiment. I stopped listening to the 10 O'Clock news program before retiring in the evening and stopped reading the front page of the newspaper, for one month. My husband thought I would fall out of knowledge of what was happening in the world and guess what? I knew it all. I realized that whenever I read bad news, it somehow stayed in my mind and my body for a long time.

The only way I noticed my reaction was through avoiding the media for a month. I still knew what was going on because every one of my friends had to discuss the bad news. I began to see that they had to talk about what they heard from the news. The stories seemed to stay with them for days. They were usually in disbelief of what they had heard and needed to discuss the information in order to digest and assimilate it. It seemed to go around and around inside of them until they were bursting with the news themselves.

I told my husband not to tell me the really bad stuff anymore, as it would make me cry. He thought I was losing my grip, with current events and that I was going to "grow potatoes between my ears." I realized that he had to tell me the stories so he could get them off his chest. He was always astonished at the degradation of human behavior and would continually walk away scratching his head (and other things) as he constantly wanted to ruminate about what he had heard.

You see, I think we are always affected by what we hear in life. Somehow, what we learn, stays within us until we can make sense of it. Much of what is heard is impossible to accept, as it is usually sensational. That is what sells news...titillating, sensational...at least that is what the collective thinking about choosing the lead news story. One of my professors told me that stats show, people like to hear bad news because it makes them feel better. "They can say, phew, I am glad that is not happening to me." Have you ever stopped to think about that???

After my experiment, I decided to look for good news stories. I thought stories about people helping save each other would have a greater effect on me, by raising my spirits instead of dampening them down. It was hard to find good news. Sort of explains why the community used to gather to watch a lynching or a guillotine victim die.

I refuse to give in to that basic human instinct. I looked for the good in life, simply to balance out the bad. I am writing this blog to further my goal of seeking out the good in life so I can feel better about who I am and what is happening in the world. I feel better about my life when I know there is good being done in the world every second of the day and it is offsetting all the bad.

Here is some good news: When a doggie paddle can save a life
AP – They leap from helicopters or speeding boats, bringing aid to swimmers who get into trouble off Italy’s popular beaches.

For these canine lifeguards, the doggie paddle does just fine.

Hundreds of specially trained dogs from Italy’s corps of canine lifeguards are deployed each summer to help swimmers in need of rescue.

These “lifedogs” wear a harness or tow a buoy that victims can grab, or a raft they can sit on to be towed back to shore, and unlike their human counterparts, they can easily jump from helicopters and speeding boats to reach swimmers in trouble.

With millions flocking to Italy’s crowded beaches each summer, the Italian Coast Guard says it rescues about 3,000 people every year — and their canine helpers are credited with saving several lives.

Hope you will think it over and witness your own media diet and how it is affecting you and your loved ones. More later...

The Radiogirl

What Is My Meaning Of Media Literacy?

MY meaning of media literacy is, "knowing how to figure out and use media, including computers, cellphones, computer games, television, radio, internet, books, magazines, pamphlets, newspapers." Anything you read or interact with that may be a source of media.

Media literacy means learning how to use media by using restrictions and boundaries so that it doesn't consume all of your spare time. Also, knowing how to detach from information you get from media. If you don't know how to set boundaries with yourself, you may have a "Media Addiction." I have known many children, youth and adults who have been unable to control their media use. Just using the internet can be like a thread leading to another thread to yet another thread and so on. One has to know when to quit.

Loving media as I do, I have learned this lesson over and over again. I will set a timer and stop when the timer goes off. I actually have my computer set to turn off at 7pm every day. Families have to have more control over their children's use of media. It's a different world and there is so much fun and good that comes along with the use of media and there must be guidelines set for children, youth and adults. Wake up to a new day utilizing media with literacy.

More later...
The Radiogirl

Do We Need To Opt Out On Being Present To One Another?

Do We Need To Opt Out On Being Present To One Another?  What is the urge to not show up to be with one another anymore?  Vegging out with the "technology generation" may cause more deafness than what we as a society can manage.  I am a tech buff and love playing with all the latest toys created by high tech businesses.  I simply get concerned about people being mesmerized by computers and things and not showing up for their daily interaction with another human being.

I am concerned, because I have seen how this mesmerization works.  I worked in an after school program where little kindergarten children, did not want to hear a story being read to them but rather chose to play computer games.  As a long time storyteller, I was appalled at this discovery.  No matter how sensational the story was, the children were disinterested.  Once again, I realize what a great teaching tool technology is for all of us, and I know we need to keep, "6 degrees of separation," between us and not allow our technology use to widen that gap by pushing us further apart.

Sometimes, I think, that children and youth, in general, need to be educated on the proper use of technology through a mandatory course in media literacy. Yes, I do...because, as a television and radio educated person, I have seen how destructive media is if you do not know how to use it properly.  Meaning, when to stop using it and how to circumvent defiant behavior settling into your use.  Adults seem to have difficulties with the boundaries of using media, how can they help our youth learn?

Tune in tomorrow for more information on Media literacy in Action.  Thanks to those of you who are following and commenting.

Ciao,
The Radiogirl

Breaking up via text?

Recently, I had a discussion with a young man about, "Breaking up via text."  I was upset to hear this is happening among the youth of today.  All I could think about was how detached and distant it is to break up via a text message.  The young man of 30, agreed with me.

If you cannot face another human being to tell them that you do not care for them in the same way any longer, in person, I believe there is a loss of human dignity at stake here.  You see, being able to tell someone face to face, will make you a stronger person in the long run because if you have to look at someone who you no longer have feelings for, I mean, look them in the eyes, you get to see their reaction.  Witnessing what a person feels is in itself, being intimate with another human being, in good times and in not so good times, and it gives you a full picture of true interaction.

When you break up with a person face to face as opposed to texting, you get to feel the total experience of making the wrong choice which can only help you be a stronger human being in the future and perhaps make you more sensitive to your choices in the dating scene.  I understand the temptation to break up with someone in a text message, and please rethink ever doing that, please.  You cheat yourself as well as the other individual, from witnessing the truth in action, not to mention how you cripple yourself in experiencing true intimacy.

Intimacy is one of those abstracts that is important to being human.  We need intimacy with one another in order to connect heart to heart.  Don't short change yourself from experiencing true intimacy with one another just to take the easy way out.  In the long run, you don't win.