Did you see that killer DEAL on Craigslist?!?

Everyone wants a good deal when they are looking to buy something, and Craigslist offers just that. People can, and sometimes will, spend many hours a week searching for the next great deal even if you don't need the thing they are looking at. My brother-in-law will look at EVERY dirt bike, 4-wheeler and snow machine and call on any he feels is a good deal. I'm serious, he buys like six dirt bikes a year, four snow machines a year and then turns around and post them back on Craigslist a few months later. Almost always he loses money. He is ADDICTED to Craigslist. My sister is almost as bad, she buys probably four or five things from the website a week. 

After seeing all the deals they found I started to get on Craigslist more and More and MORE, until finally now I'm ADDICTED. I don't buy as many things as them (I don't have as much money as them), but I look everyday. I'm not exaggerating, I see ever single Ad that is posted every single day on the For Sale section. It got SO bad I downloaded the App on my phone and placed it on the page right next to my Facebook App. (That should be an indicator of how much I am on there) I even get on my phone sometimes and have text from people selling things on Craigslist that my little sister, 15, texted. I'm then like "Wow, Mercy you found a good deal" and she's like "Yeah I know will you buy it for me" and I'm like "Sure, it is a good deal". Conversations like these come up probably every week. 

So anyway, Craigslist is something that has become a part of my life. I wake up to see what the deal of the day may be, my house is full of amazing things, and my paychecks are considerably smaller, but it's worth it. :) 

Here are the questions I chose:

#1- Who paid for this Ad?

Craigslist is privately owned company owned by founder Craig Newmark. He pays for the  site and site management. But individual Ads are free to most areas. However, in lager areas like San Francisco and New York people can pay any where from $10.00 to $25.00 per Ad.

#3- What group is targeted by this Ad?

All adults are targeted by The Ads in general, but being that just ordinary people from across the world can post on the site each Ad is targeted to a different set of people. For example, an Ad for a Dirt Bike could be targeted for a young single person or a parent looking for a Dirt Bike for their child. Really, the Ads are universal, because the demographics of people who get on Craigslist is very wide, giving the seller the greatest opportunity to selling success.

#8- What techniques of persuasion are used?

With every Ad different techniques are used because the authors are all different. I searched Craigslist this morning and I saw a few different techniques used, a few were: 

Humor- Humor is an easy feeling to express. I see this technique used all the time in Ads to get  people's attention and make themselves feel easy to talk to.

Flattery- This technique is used quite a bit too. I have seen phrases like "You work hard, why not treat yourself to ...." and "It's been a long winter, don't you deserve...". It's very effective I think. 

Timing- This technique I have seen a lot on Craigslist. Arctic Man is coming up and it seems every four Ads there is another snow machine up for sale. Also, Spring is almost upon us, so I see tons of Ads that say  something like this, "Arctic Man is next month...", "Do you want to keep up with the best at Arctic Man, then you need this..." (that phrase has double persuasion techniques, rhetorical question and timing) and "Spring is Here...".

#10- What is the connection to the world of commerce?

I believe Craigslist has a pretty strong connection to the World of Commerce. I believe it was back in 2000 that Craigslist really began expanding, and now Craigslist is available in many  countries in Europe. Craigslist isn't only for selling and buying thins, they also offer Job listings, Real Estate, and Personal Ads. Craigslist helps people connect with others that they might not ever have met before. I helps people save money, helps people find jobs, and helps people come together that might lead them to some other form of opportunity.

#14- Is it closer to fantasy or reality?

Definitely closer to reality. Craigslist is real people, selling real things, for real money. The interactions are very business like, most of the time. The jobs listed are from real companies looking for their next great employee. They only thing that might make it close to fantasy is the prices some people list there products for. :P

#15- Does it use stereotypes?

I think that the site is prone to have some stereotypes only because of the nature of the Ads. Hundred of thousands of people list Ads everyday. I'm sure that some people are not always "politically correct". Within the site itself I didn't notice any stereotypes, but with individual posting I do notice stereotypes towards sex, race, age, and financial status.

#16- In what ways does this depict a lifestyle that is healthy or unhealthy?

Craigslist I believe promotes both a healthy and unhealthy lifestyle. I think the consumers I guess you would call them are obviously looking for a good deal, whether it for products, jobs, or real estate, and when they find it the are happy, which is healthy. However, I believe Craigslist could become something unhealthy very quickly. I am sure we all have heard about the "Craigslist Killer". This man used Craigslist to attract women from the Personal Ads. Like all sites on the internet there is the good and the ugly. Craigslist has a lot to offer for a healthy lifestyle, but if you are not cautious it could turn unhealthy. 

So there you have it. Craigslist is a website that offers many different goods and services. It's free to most, and easily accessible to all, now tell me what is wrong with that! 

Happy Searching All!! :)

Digital Media Literacy

Quiz--

I scored 6/12 on the quiz! I was surprised at how many I missed. There were 3 though that I was on the fence about and those were numbers 7, 9, 10. On number seven I was thinking maybe the kids are on social networking more than texting, but I chose texting because I thought maybe the younger kids aren't on social sites because there is an age limit, 14, for most sites. Also, my sister is 15 and she is always texting and only on Facebook occasionally. So, anyway this answered surprised me. Number 9 and 10 I got backwards. I was thinking maybe the Hispanics watched less TV than the whites because they don't have as much accessibility to  TV, because a lot of them are lower income and maybe can't afford cable. Though I chose to answer these questions like this because of this reasoning I was thinking they could very easily go the other way, because lower income children might not have as many options for entertainment other the TV. The other three I missed were numbers 1, 2, and 3. I was really surprised of the answer on number 3 being so low. I thought for sure the percentage of "media multitasking" would be much higher. My little sister, who is mentioned above, is a "crazy" media multitasker. Honestly on any evening you can see her on the cell phone holding a conversation of "lols and omgs", on the computer surfing the web or checking emails, watching her favorite shows such as, Pretty Little Liars, The Lying Game or Jane By Design, on DVR, and finally on her Kindle reading one of her favorite series, either The Hunger Games or The Number Four series. It is crazy how well she can do it all. So on question 3 I answered 49% because of my example. :) This quiz opened my eyes, needless to say, to digital media information concerning the youth. 

Digital Media Landscape--

What is It?

I Love, Love, Love SMART Boards. So I chose to visit the Smart Board Exchange website. Lesson Plans are hard to make and are time consuming to design for the SMART Board, at least I think so. So having an exchange site for teachers to share creations and lesson plans is awesome to me. This means every teacher needs to only make a few to share and then has thousands to use, sounds like a good trade off to me. Also, most teachers like to play off their own personal strengths, so someone who is good at science will most likely make one concerning some form of science and then not like history so they are in search of something some one else  has done.

How do I use it?

I chose to visit The Good Play Project website. The managers of this site study youths interaction with the internet in hopes "to understand how young people conceptualize their participation in virtual worlds and the ethical considerations that guide their conduct." One study I chose to review was the study on "Myspace In Heaven". This study caught my attention because of the title. As I read it I began to realize I have done this before. I never thought that there was anything wrong with mourning the dead and talking to them as if they were alive online. I know it helped me. My half-sister's mother died in September and she writes her nearly everyday on Facebook. I really do appreciate and like this site and the research studies they conduct. I think it helps open the minds of the youth and helps teachers, parents, and other significant adults understand their thought process and relationship with the media. 

Learn More

I chose to visit the Edutopia website because someone had once mentioned it to me and encouraged me to check it out. I never did until today. This site is an amazing resource for teachers and parents, and offers fantastic questions and insight to the lives of our youth. Really there is too much information to even mention. The sight covers a lot of information regarding the media influence of the American youth, one part of the site I liked was:

• On average, each of them spends 1,500 hours a year watching television. Roughly 17 million children and teens have Internet access in their homes, and most of them use it daily for everything from researching school projects to playing online games to sending instant messages or chatting with their classmates. They go to movies and watch music videos. Headphones and CD players have become so much a part of the middle and high school students' "uniform" that backpacks are now designed to accommodate the gear.

 I know that was a long quote but, it gives you all a glimpse of what topics are covered on this website. The site talks about how we, as adults  or a whole society are enabling the youth with unlimited access to various forms of media, without asking questions or fully understanding the effects of the media on the youth. I also like the sites use of media, they provide videos of real life examples for all their Core Strategies. I would definitely recommend all of you to visit the site if you have close family members who fall in this category.

Examples

SWEET!! Is all I have to say about School Tube, a website made for teacher and students to use as a resource to share through media presentation or showcase things they have done. I love this website and  I will be back to it when I get my degree. The site is endorsed by the nations leading education associations, and therefore makes it one of the safest ways to share videos with children in them. All kids love making videos and then sharing them on YouTube, so this might be a way to encourage children to do their assignment and do them well, because they will be sharing them for millions to see and appreciate. I watched a few of the videos, and I thought they were awesome. It inspired me to encourage my future students to make a production like these. Everyone should check out this site.

PBS Resources--

I chose to explore the PBS Children and the Media website. I love PBS everything. I always let my nieces and nephews on the website and we watch it in the morning. I really think it is a wonderful resource to families. The section specific to Children and media Usage is very informative. It serves as an invaluable resource to the teachers and parents interested in using media to teach children. My favorite part about this site was the place where you could select an age and then PBS would suggest appropriate activities to do with that age group concerning media and the milestones each age group makes. I clicked on all the ages and found I could easily do all the activities right at home with my family. It was set up like a Question-Answer type way, which was easy to follow. It allows each parent to help their children reach specific goals and milestones using media. This is important because I would like to tell my classroom families about it, and it would need to be easily done so parents feel competent. I would definitely recommend this site to colleagues and families.

Understanding Media Messages--

I visited another PBS website for this part. It was the Between the Lions: Literacy Tips site. I liked this site. I like how it asked a list a wish and then gave many different ways to do it. For example, "Teach your kids vocabulary" and then it would suggest many ways to do that using media. I found it helpful and useful. They were easy suggestions to do and follow. Some of my favorites were:

• Turn kids' errands or chores into fun with reading and writing? Every kid hates chores. So to turn it into something fun using literacy skills and media is awesome. Some of my favorite ways to do so were.
• Help them write a To Do list of things they have to get done.
• Help them write a Ta Da list of things they did get done. Ta da!!
• Use a list format to spark their imaginations. What ten things would monsters do on a weekend? What ten things would pilgrims buy to take back home if they time-traveled to today? What ten things would change if you were the new President of the World?
• Read books about kids doing chores. Curious George, Madeline, Toot and Puddle, George and Martha, and the Berenstain Bears all have chores to do and errands to run in their adventures. So do many others.

It's not hard to any of these things, it might actually save you time because you might be doing less reminding and arguing with you children about chores.

• Play games while waiting in line. Long lines are very hard on parent and children. No one likes to wait but, PBS has suggested some small, fun activities to try. 
• Take turns making up a story or silly rhyme. You say a sentence, then they do, and so on.
• Play "I Spy." Here's how: Look for objects around you and give the other players its first letter. "I spy with my little eye, something beginning with... T!" They have to guess, and the one who gets it right goes next.
• Talk to them about what they might like to be when they grow up, and ask them why they've chosen it.
• Tell each other jokes. If you don't know any, make up silly reasons why chickens cross roads, or what people in restaurants might say to waiters about unwelcome things in their soup. "Why is there a cat in my soup?" "It was trying to get the mouse."
• Get them to imagine being you. Ask them to talk like you, and say the kinds of things that you say. You should be them. Have fun. 

Some of these might seem like "duh" to  some people, but to others who haven't thought of them it's a life saver. Sharing this site with inexperienced teachers or parents might just save them a lot of headache.

I Just Love PBS!! :)

Liberty Tax - Whats with all the dancing?

The months of February, March and April I have declared "Tax Season Mania Months". Everyone is manic to get their W-2's and run to do their taxes, hoping and praying they don't owe the government any more money. We have many options of who we would like to do our taxes here in Fairbanks. But I am sure we all have a couple that really stand out above the rest, and this is due to their advertising techniques. Today I am going to focus on one, because as I was driving down the road, I was thinking "What is up with all the Dancing?".

Seriously, what does dancing and the Statue of Liberty have to do with taxes. A lot, apparently to the CEO's and owners of Liberty Tax , because with their advertising skills they bring in consumers by the grove. I can prove this because I am sure everyone who reads this knows at least one location here in Fairbanks of Liberty Tax  because of the dancers on the street corners. Because of their techniques and the fact that "taxes and related things" are all around us I chose to focus on  Tax  for my deconstruction even though it's not a form of media, it's advertising is. The company talks of the dancers on the radio and on the television, helping consumers connect with what they saw on the street corner and their product and what they offer. They Ad I saw was online, in one of the side panels of a page I was on.

#1- Who paid for the Ad?

The company of Liberty Tax.

#2- Why does the company need to do the Ad?

Hiring the dancers to dance in there Ad, gets attention and helps people remember what they offer. Liberty Tax does the Ad in hopes of getting consumers to chose their company to do their taxes.

#3- What group is targeted by the Ad?

All people over the age of 18. Female, male, blacks, whites, married couples, singles; everyone has to do taxes every year. However, with the Ad, and the livelihood of it all, I think they may be targeting the younger group, by making them believe this is the cool, hip place to do taxes.

#8- What techniques of persuasion are used?

I believe there are a couple different ways Liberty Tax persuades consumers to use them to do their taxes. A couple ways are: Experts-the commercial tells us, the consumers, they are experts in the field of tax preparation; The strongest one is Humor, the dancing statues always get a laugh and smile from me, as well as, an occasional honk.:) I truly do believe they are trying to get peoples attention and make them relax and laugh. Also, I believe they Statue of Liberty is used because it depicts freedom and pride, something I believe helps promote their brand. The Simple Solution persuasion technique is used also. Taxes are not simple and they are not fun, but Liberty Tax tries to make it feel that way.

# 14- Is is closer to fantasy or reality?

Definitely closer to reality in the sense of having to do taxes. However, a dancing statue is most certainly fantasy. I believe Liberty Tax is trying to find the fun, if there is any, in doing your taxes by making it feel a little cartoon-ish and fantasy like.

#15- Does it use stereotypes?

I don't find any really except for the fact they, Liberty Tax, may be targeting younger and middle aged people, instead of elders and children.

#16- In what ways does this depict a lifestyle that is healthy and unhealthy?

I think it does, laughter and exercise are the best ways to stay healthy. Dancing and being happy about doing taxes is much more healthy than stressing and crying over tax season. I believe Liberty tax is trying to make taxes a little less chaotic and more "healthy".