Hakuna Matata… It Means No Worries

To this day I still enjoy cuddling up on the couch and watching a good Disney movie. In a way it takes me back to when I was little and a movie would provide me with a days worth of entertainment. My favorites include Mulan, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Hercules, The Lion King, Tarzan, etc. Actually come to think of it, I love them all.

True, Disney does play on stereotypes, but isn’t that what made them enjoyable? Two people falling in love and living happily ever after… that sounds like plenty of romantic comedies I’ve watched.

This YouTube video takes a look at the stereotypical gender roles in Disney movies, but after watching it I feel the same way I always have. I enjoyed these movies when I was young and still do because they are entertaining and I never once felt that I was being “brain-washed”. I watched them for their stories, their characters, the morals, and the music. I even had the soundtracks to a couple of Disney movies and still listen to them today.

Sure, now I can look back and notice certain themes or characteristics in these animations, such as the female is slender with big eyes and flowing hair and the male is muscular, brave and handsome, but I really don’t think it’s putting the idea in children’s heads that this is the way it must be to find love or that relationships all end in happily ever after.

I never once had the thought that I was fat because of Ariel or Jasmine and their slim bodies. I feel that way more because of the girls in the magazines I read and in the movies I watch now as an adult.

I know there are some girls out there who feel body conscious at a very young age, but I feel that that reflects more on parenting then being exposed to Disney movies. If your mom is always talking about her weight and trying a different diet every month it may rub off on her daughter.  

In a way it reminds me of watching PG-13 rated movies when I was younger. Parents don’t want you to watch them because of sexual comments or what have you, but the thing is I didn’t understand them at that age anyway. Now if I watch those movies I laugh at the jokes and all, but 14 years ago I had no idea what they meant. Just like 14 years ago I wasn’t aware of the gender stereotypes in Disney movies whereas now I can see them clearer. 

I think to blame Disney for these gender types is ridiculous. These movies create a fantasy and as long as your children are clear on what is fantasy and what is reality they should grow up just fine, I mean I did.

 

Social Networking or Social Dysfunction?

Since I’m a health science major I tried to find an article that takes a look at social networking as more of a health issue.

I came across an article from CNN that takes a look at Facebook addiction and when it becomes a real problem.

The article starts off talking about Cynthia Newton (not her real name) and how addicted she has become to Facebook. When her 12-year-old daughter asked for help with her homework Newton just ignored her, so the young girl resorted to sending an email to her mother asking again. However, Newton still didn’t receive the email because of her Facebook usage.

Newton claims that she spends about 20 hours a week on the site and checks it about 10 times a day.

Paula Pile, a marriage and family therapist talks about how Facebook has turned into a “compulsion to dissociate from your real world and go live in the Facebook world.” Most people function fine, it’s when users ignore important obligations because they find the world of Facebook more enjoyable than real life.

This sounds like the craze with Second Life and other virtual societies to me. People don’t like their own life, so they get sucked up in something that’s fake. I never realized that this was such a big problem, but I think that’s because I use Facebook a relatively normal amount… just to check out what’s going on with my friends, post pictures, and create events.

Newton continues to talk about “Facebook flirting” and how catching up with old friends or “crushes” has really put a smile on her face. However, she knows that she has a problem and wants to put an end to it, but giving up Facebook cold turkey makes her so uncomfortable she just can’t do it.

The article then describes 5 clues that can show if you are addicted to Facebook.

1.) You lose sleep over Facebook 2.) You spend more than an hour a day on Facebook 3.) You become obsessed with old loves 4.) You ignore work in favor of Facebook 5.) The thought of getting off Facebook leaves you in a cold sweat

After reading this article I really have a new outlook on Facebook. I know people can get wrapped up in it and put off work and school assignments, but to think that people actually lose sleep over it or end up in a cold sweat because they don’t want to get off the site is just ridiculous.

This is a major problem in our society today. People get so involved in these social networking websites and virtual worlds that they forget what they were intended for in the first place. Sites like Facebook and MySpace are great for reconnecting with old friends and communicating with new ones, but these people who lose themselves really need to get some help.

It becomes a drug to them. I know I never thought social networking sites could potentially be put into the same category as drugs, but I think for some that’s what it has come to.

Website Touring

Live with Regis and Kelly is my favorite morning talk show. As I was watching it this morning I noticed they would advertise their website for you to enter contests and apply for tickets, so I decided to check it out…

When you first go to the site, Live with Regis and Kelly is bright and bold in the upper left corner to really catch your attention. In the center there is a video and a schedule of what guests will be appearing on the show that week.

Under that there is another schedule of what information can be seen on the show that week such as, New Mom Makeovers, LIVE’s Top Teacher Search, LIVE’s Spring Fling Trivia A Go-Go, and Fitness Fridays.

Located at the bottom of the homepage is an audience poll. This one asks if you are keeping your New Year’s Eve Resolutions for 2010 so far… 36% said yes, 22% said no (including me), and 42% said they didn’t make any.

Across the top of the homepage are headers that make it easier to find specifically what you are searching for. For example, Home, Show Info (get tickets, local listings), Hosts (Regis, Kelly), Videos and Photos (performances, photos), Fun Stuff (blog, trivia, fashion finder), Tickets, and Help (FAQ, contact us).

This website has a lot of color to really draw you in and it has a lot of pictures and just a small amount of text so you don’t feel overwhelmed. The content is carefully laid out and it’s very easy to navigate so you can easily find out information about the host, getting tickets, entering contests, etc.

I think the Live with Regis and Kelly website is very successful because of the layout, the bright colors, the information, and the accessibility. I’ve seen plenty of bad websites before where you can’t find the information you want, but this website was so easy to search. Way to go!