Ella Turkie's Blog

Social Media is a great way to connect with family, friends, and people we look up to. Realistically, it does more harm than good. As learned recently in class, social media can bring many body issues among people, who begin to feel a lot of stress and anxiety over how they look, or how people perceive them. I would be shocked if there was no link between social media and mental health issues. According to ADAA, "Researchers have found that using social media obsessively causes more than just anxiety. In fact, testing has found that using too much internet can cause depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), impulsive disorder, problems with mental functioning, paranoia, and loneliness. It is more than just the pressure of sharing things with others, it is also about how you may be comparing your life with others you see on Facebook. Many people see that someone on Facebook who has a great job, excellent husband, and a beautiful home and they feel happy for the

Is it possible to measure the effects of media? Really and truly, I just do not think it is. According to the movie we have recently watched in class, many women are deeply affected by the way females are portrayed in media. They often develop body image issues. This displays itself in the form of eating disorders, self-harm, and other forms of mental illness. It seems, however, that these issues are discussed as if they are exclusive to women. What we fail to discuss are the genuine body image issues that men and boys face. According to Time Magazine, Men and Women are equally unsatisfied with their bodies. “Few men (24%) and women (20%) felt very or extremely satisfied with their weight, and only half felt somewhat to extremely satisfied,” researcher David Frederick, an assistant professor of psychology at Chapman University. He goes on to say, "These findings are consistent with the emphasis placed on the importance of being slender for women and for appearing athletic and/or

YNW Melly, music artist was charged with two accounts of Murder on Wednesday, February 13th. His song  Murder on My Mind  was released in March of 2017, but by February 16th, after his charge of murder, his song shot up to No. 1 on Apple Music. R Kelly, the R&B artist, was exposed as the leader of a sex cult in a documentary called "Surviving R. Kelly." Three days after the premiere, his song and album sales doubled, greatly increasing profits for the sexual predator. There seems to be a gross pattern in which music sales spike after the artist has been accused of some horrific crime. What prompts people to listen to R. Kelly's music, suddenly, after he was outed as a sex offender. Is it curiosity? Do people simply want to hear the music of the man who assaulted many children? I certainly doubt it is to support the singer. After a lot of contemplation, I realized that it is simply about attention. Any attention is good attention - and being charged with murder

After watching Frontline, Making Cents out of Teens: The Merchants of cool, I had to wonder - Am I a midriff? A midriff is a generic teen girl, whose life centered around shopping and looking pretty. They constantly seemed like they were selling something to somebody; so many parts of themselves had been developed to appease others. They act older than they are, and their behavior is centered around sexuality, narcissism, and complete lack of brains. Shallowness is not only being standardized - but celebrated. In all honesty, I do not think I am a complete midriff, but I do question how much of myself has been influenced by this archetype. I greatly value surface appearances - what people wear, how they look, how they speak. Do I overly value this? I cannot deny that looks play a very large part, if not the greatest part, in "society's"perception of the individual. If I woke up one day, and decided to 'go against the grain,' or 'stick to to the man,' and

My favorite form of media - podcasts. I love podcasts. I listen to them in my car, when I'm walking, when I'm baking, when I'm cleaning my room. They are a really great way to unwind in a mindful, and somewhat academic manner. I do not enjoy watching TV, and podcasts are a great way to not only self educate, but to relax. Here are my top podcast recommendations. Serial  Hosted by Sarah Koenig, this is an investigative journalism podcast produced by this American Life. This is literally the most exciting way a person can spend their time. Listening to a nonfiction story over multiple episodes?? I think yes. There are two seasons. The first follows a murder case, and the second an army 'desertion' case.  Revisionist History This is a podcast by Malcolm Gladwell. Malcolm Gladwell is god-like, and in this podcast he re-examines an event in history, that is told in an inaccurate or misinformed manner, and "corrects it." Listening to this podcast makes me

Recently in class, I started watching the movie Frontline, Making Cents out of Teens: The Merchants of cool. Subconsciously, I think I was always aware that teens are the major consumers of America. Clothing trends, music trends, linguistic trends - are all driven by teenagers. Never before watching this movie, however, did I contemplate the absurdity of it all. While it is arguable, I feel like most thing in the media are catered towards teens and young adults. This may be because I am a teen, and am most often on sites that are for teens, but the idea is not to be disregarded. For example, the "Top 40," songs that are most often on the radio are definitely not music my mom is listening to. The list is dictated by teens, and what they're listening to. I think it's very interesting how marketers go "Cool Hunting." I can't help but wonder if these adults are successful at finding the coolest, most innovative trends, or if the coolest and most innovative