Coldplay - A Sky Full Of Stars

In class on Wednesday we were learning about music. Dr. Coyne asked each of us to think of a song that described us or our life. I had the hardest time thinking of something. I went home and asked my husband if he could think of anything. We both came up empty. Then my husband reminded me of when we were dating. The song "Sky Full of Stars" by Coldplay came out that year and was really popular. Turns out that whenever my husband hears that song he thinks of me and when we were dating/ engaged. I love this song and think it has a great beat, but also is a great love song without being overly mushy. In the song it talks about how in a sky full of stars he sees her and for my husband, whenever this song comes on, he thinks of me. Enjoy the music video!

Infants and Books

I had the opportunity to watch my 19 month old niece this week while her parents were away. I've watched her many times and it's always so much fun. This time my niece was excited to show me her books. We had just learned in class about the effect that media has on infants. As we read some simple books together, it reminded me of  the list of how infants learn.

1. Synchrony (matching your emotions to theirs)
2. Joint Attention (both caregiver and child are looking at the same thing)
3. Repetition
4. Simplicity (easy concepts)
5. Prosodic features of language
6. Segmentation (break down into smaller segments)

As we sat together and read, I recognized all six steps. As my niece was excited about pictures I responded by mimicking her which was synchrony. We experienced joint attention together as I focused on the book with her. It was repetitive as we read the books over and over, repeating the words or what was in the pictures. The images and words were simple and easy to understand which kept her attention. As I spoke, I found myself talking in a prosodic way and lastly each part of the book we read was broken down into smaller parts making it easy to follow.

I really enjoyed this interaction. I felt that my time reading with my niece was beneficial to me and our connection to each other was made stronger.

The Great British Baking Show

There are so many different TV series, reality shows, movies, etc. to watch. Sometimes it is difficult to decide what is worth watching, what adds value, or what is appropriate. It's easy to find something that doesn't add value and isn't appropriate. Too easy. My husband and I were on the search for anything that was interesting, yet left out any profanity, back biting, sexual content, violence, etc. What we found?? The Great British Baking Show.
Unlike other cooking/ baking competition shows, The Great British Baking Show doesn't have the back biting, jealousy, profanity, or other negative aspects. This show focuses on the abilities of each competitor without putting others down. At times contestants even help each other. When a person is sent home, the judges and other competitors even hug and say goodbye. The overall atmosphere is supportive, positive, and uplifting. As we watch we are educated about the baking process of different dishes and end feeling good and excited for all the contestants.
I definitely recommend The Great British Baking Show. You won't be disappointed!

The Start of Something New

I am excited about the chance I have this semester to take Dr. Coyne's "Media, Family, and Human Development" course at Brigham Young University. I've always been quite interested in the effect media has on families - especially children and adolescents - and look forward to what I will learn.
As part of the course I have been asked to keep a blog describing and analyzing the media I am exposed to, hence my blog title: "ME"dia. I hope you enjoy my media journey over the next few months and gain as much insight as I will. Enjoy!