A Brothers Murder by Brent Staples.

            Two brothers torn apart by senseless violence. Brent Staples and his younger brother Blake grew up together in Chester, Pennsylvania, a small town riddled with gang members and violence. Brent was a motivated individual that sought to do better for himself. After graduating from college Brent moved to Chicago where he became a successful journalist. Blake, unfortunately, was shot and killed at twenty two years old. Blake left behind a legacy of violence and an older brother imbued with guilt. Upon finishing A Brothers Murder by Brent Staples, the reader will understand the consequences of perusing a violent life style.

             Gang violence has become a daily occurrence across the country. Gang members lead a life separate from the rest of society. These people live by their own standards with disregard to the lives of others as well as their own. A world where a bad boy reputation and a tough guy persona are more desirable than a college education and a heathy family. Gangs thrive off of this reputation and they are becoming increasingly violent.

“They jumped into the rice patties with their man hood on their sleeves,” Brent overheard a Vietnam Veteran say. The veteran was referring to soldiers drafted from the inner city. Many people from the inner city are faced with violence from the day they were born, they don’t have a choice. In order to survive an individual must become a soldier for themselves.  It’s a sad and vicious cycle that continues to this day. Only a handful of people are fortunate enough to leave that life behind them.

Gang members don’t understand the pain they put their families through. They only care about gaining a reputation on the street. Although Brent did better for himself, the violent past will always be with him. When Blake died Brent was left questioning himself, “Did I not reach back soon enough or earnestly enough for him?” violence causes as much psychological pain as it does physical. 

 I believe one of the biggest contributors to violence in our country is the media. All you hear about are the bad things happening in the world, never any good. Whether the news is televised, on social networks, or in the newspaper, criminals have a way of making a name for themselves. The media helps criminals effortlessly gain a reputation and it begins a competition on the streets. An interesting statistic from the documentary, Bowling for Columbine, proves that the media glorifies violence. In 2002, the number of violent crimes in America decreased by 20%, the media however, televised 600% more violent crimes than the year prior. America is the greatest country in the world, the people we fear shouldn’t be ourselves. 

Multitasking or Mass ADD by Ellen Goodman

            New school vs old school. The ever expanding industry of technology and social media has consumed the lives of Americas next generation. Without cell phones, laptops and Facebook day to day life would be dysfunctional. According to Ellen Goodman, author of Multitasking or Mass ADD, multitasking has taken on a whole new meaning.

What was once productive chores around the house is now a day consisting of Facebook updates and text messaging. In a recent study Clifford Nass, a human- computer interactions professor at Stanford, believes multitaskers of the new generation are easily distracted and less attentive. After reading this article, however, I feel as though Goodman highlighted only the negative attributes technology offers to the new generation.

New school multitasking is as efficient as it is effortless. With the use of technology productivity can increase dramatically. A smart phone for example, is an all in one tool that offers the user access to anything they may need. Within a matter of minutes a smart phone user can pay bills, schedule doctor’s appointments, email colleges and even check up on family across the country. Prior to smart phones chores such as this could occupy an entire afternoon.

“We may be breeding a generation of kids whose ability to pay attention may be destroyed” said by Goodman. Technology and social media serve a greater purpose than just entertainment. Law enforcement has turned to social media to locate criminals and people who have went missing. Unsolved cases are now being further investigated by the help of millions through social networking.

The older generation is stubborn to learn the benefits of technology and social media. Technology is constantly evolving and there is no way of avoiding it. I rely on my phone as if it were another organ of my body. I convinced my old school grandparents to give in and purchase a laptop. Years use to go by before I’d be able to see my grandparents. Now, while cooking dinner and writing this blog I’m able to video chat with my grandparents from Italy.  

 

What Your Supermarket knows about you by Martin Lindstorm

            Grocery shopping is an essential part of everyday life. Now more than ever shopping must be done on a strict budget. Why is it at check out though, consumer’s totals are more than expected? Upon finishing What Your Supermarket knows about you by Martin Lindstorm you’ll be mindful of crafty sales gimmicks placed strategically throughout the store.

            If you think about it retailers are just like writers, if the writer can’t get the reader’s attention then they’ll lose them. If the retailer can’t reel in the customers then they won’t have any business. The uneven floor, for example, is a sublte distraction to keep the customer in the aisle for longer than necessary. This slight distraction could be enough time to avert the customer’s attention to a product they weren’t initially there to purchase.   

            I worked in retail for seven years so I’m aware of different tactics retailers use to manipulate customers into purchasing more. When my store offered a promotion the advertisement would be misleading. Signage in the front window of the store would display to customers, free item. An advertisement such as this, brings customers through the door. In small print, towards the bottom of this advertisement would be a stipulation costumers would over look. The advertisement would read free item, in large print and in small print it would say with a minimum purchase of $39.99. Marketing ploys such as this are frequently used by retail businesses to gain an upper hand on customers.

            It is important for consumers to know retailers are trying to secure the advantage and increase their profit. Marketing ploys are always in favor of the product being pushed rather than the customer’s wellbeing. Consumers must stick to their budget and purchase only what is necessary. So if cheese doodles are on sale 10 for $10, think to yourself, do I really need 10 bags of cheese doodles? Marketing is nothing more than a synonym for monopoly.