Here they are!
Krys Dent: http://iamkhrys.wordpress.com/2011/03/30/shes-pregnant-isnt-she-like-14/#comment-32
Noele Crooks: http://noelecrooks.wordpress.com/2011/03/29/teen-mom-vs-gilmore-girls/#comment-40
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All posts for the month March, 2011
I wrote a speech about this in my Public Speaking class over the summer. The classic issue of teen pregnancy goes beyond Hollywood and their glamorization. I, personally, blame the government and their lack of effective sex education in public schools.
Sure, it may sound like a good idea to preach abstinence and block all information regarding sex in schools in an attempt to “preserve innocence,” however it does not work. Preserving innocence is an ideal of the past when you have all the information and IMAGES in the world at your finger tips. When you are told in school not to have sex because it is bad, then you watch a movie and see people having fun and having sex, obviously you are going to want to try it. Why not, they seemed to be enjoying it, and it didn’t seem to be that bad, right?
Then when you do try it, because you have had absolutely no exposure to the stuff, you do not take proper precautions and then that is when the bad things happen. Sure, Hollywood has its problems, but I would not call it the root. With a proper education course(s), some of these problems can be drastically lessened. We should put more emphasis on safe sex practices and less on abstinence. Unfortunately, I do not see this happening in the foreseeable future.
As for these shows, they should show these girls in just a few months after they are on the show. See where there life is and let the audience decide if being a “teen mom” is worth it. They could also show the lives of some of the kids born to teen moms. My mother was 18 when she had me and we lived the first 15 years of my life in my grandparents house, a trailer, a duplex, and a run down rental house. All the while we were struggling to keep food on the table and the bills paid. I hated it. Teen pregnancies cause problems that will follow you for most of your life. I know my mother is still paying back debts she acquired while raising me.
Teen pregnancies typically lead to broken homes. This is another thing these shows should show. People will tell their significant other that having a child will “secure their bond,” or something along the lines of that, and then when the child is borne the person will vanish. No one likes that.
I feel that if these shows would go back and do a few follow up episodes and show how unglamorous a teen pregnancy is and how the life that follows is just not that great, it could help reduce some of the teen pregnancies we see today.
I remember a time without social media. In fact was not until I got into college (GASP!) that I was able to really use social media. So, for me, that time was not that long ago. I actually had to talk to people and coordinate with people to plan an event, and I also had to confront people about issues, whereas now I can just send a message or delete them from a “friends” list and let them get the point. However, now that I have social media, would I want to go back to not having it? Not really. Communicating with people has been made so much easier because of it. Sure, I can live without it. I’m not an addict. But given the choice to keep it or lose it, I’m going to keep it.
I think if they were all just shut down and no one was allowed to create a new one, there would be other problems other than business communication. However, that is an entirely different discussion.
I think businesses have learned they have to keep that communication going. If social media is not allowed, then the immediate response should be to set up a working forum on their web site. Then when that gets shut down, and they were forced to communicating through publications and face to face, then they would have to find ways maintain it before someone else did.
I think an ideal way would be to set up tables at various cities across the country, have a few that remain all the time (like in capital cities) but have others that move on a weekly basis to other cities. The constant ones can act as a hub for the others and can be considered “Comm HQ” for their specific geographic area.
This should be done in tandem with other efforts to communicate, such as phone calls, brochures, fliers, and other marketing efforts.
Do I think people could easily go back to life before social media? NO!
We saw what happened in Iran when they banned Facebook. It started a revolution that changed the government.
Could people go back to not having it, yeah. I’m sure they could, but it would take time. It is not like water, where we need it to live. It’s just now, if you ask people to live without it, you are treading on censorship, and nobody likes that.
What have I done to “seize the day…?” That is a good question. As of today, not much except for go to class…
As for the past few weeks though, I would say I have done a decent amount of stuff worth seizing.
Experience has taught me that you should go out and seize an opportunity (or at least begin seizing) then if nothing happens immediately, then you should wait. For example, this internship at The Clubhouse at Hackers that I have been working on was not something that I just got overnight. I have had to apply, submit resume’s. and a portfolio of some of my work. All the while I was keeping in contact with the staff at Hacker’s as well as keeping the University updated on my progress. If I had rushed things, my chances of getting it would have been greatly diminished.
Balance is critical when deciding to go out and seize something or waiting on the opportunity to come to you.
The best public relations event I can think of is the Electronic Entertainment Expo [E3]. Every major player in the gaming and entertainment industry is there. E3 is the major venue that the video game industry uses to announce new games and products. All the major gaming news groups (CNN and FOX also make an appearance) and the event is televised around the world. It is the perfect tool to get eager press coverage on new products. One of the major critical aspects of E3 is that EVERY competitor of the video game industry is there. This forces everyone to do something unique or show something extraordinary to make their show standout among the rest.
It used to be an open event to the general public, however, they ran out of space so recently it has been a press only event. If a company has a bad show at E3 then they are doomed for the year.
This was apparent when Nintendo launched the Gamecube. Microsoft was announcing the XBOX and Sony had just announced the Playstation 2, the Gamecube just could not compete. They had a bad show and throughout the life of the Gamecube, was a series of disappointments.
Then when Nintendo announced the Wii, it was a whole new ball game. They had something no one had ever seen before, Motion Controllers. The Wii has seen an unprecedented amount of success, and many believe it was their E3 unveiling of the product that was a major contributor to its initial success.
The video below shows one of the Gamcube’s few successes. This was the announce for the The Legend of Zelda Game in 2004. This was the perfect opportunity to create some positive news about the console, and fans had been excited about this game for years. The audience reaction was amazing and after the reveal, the positive news coverage just kept coming. This game literally saved the Gamecube and Nintendo.
If we were fortunate enough for me to be on the business proposal board for the city of Statesboro, I would ask for the following businesses:
- Steak n’ Shake: It is a 24 hour inexpensive burger joint. Why wouldn’t you have one of these in a college town? The food is good, the atmosphere is good, all you need to do is place in the Statesboro Crossing area, and you have immediate success. Also, it is becoming a known fact that most restaurants in Statesboro are the most successful in either the country, the south, or at the very least, its region. There is no reason why we do not have one now.
img source: http://sportsbusinessdigest.com/indiana-pacers-fever-enter-into-sponsorship-deal-with-steak-n-shake/ - AMC/GTC Dollar Theater: It is no secret that the Carmike theater is awful. It is expensive and the quality of the theaters leaves something to be desired. I feel as if some healthy competition would severely help or remove the theater from its current position. Dollar theaters are cheaper and the overall quality and experience can be better if done correctly. Also, since movies are so expensive anyways, a dollar theater would be the perfect alternative for any one wanting to see a movie in a theater but cannot afford to. This is not just for students, but for the locals as well. It could be immediately successful if done correctly.
img source: http://celluloidjunkie.com/2009/03/29/amc-set-to-deploy-sony-4k-digital-projectors/ - Skating rink/Skate park: People come from all over the state, and in some cases the country or world, to come to GSU. Most of these people grew up with some type of skating rink or skate park near by. Most people went to one during their high school career. Even the local Statesboro and surrounding area natives will travel out-of-town to find a place to skate. Entertainment centers are needed in Statesboro, and as The Clubhouse has proved, they are successful. The Clubhouse could potentially capitalize on this idea also if they wished to add skating to their list of services. The land is and market is there, why not take advantage of it?
img source: http://www.lowpriceskates.com/about-us.aspx
