Mass Media

What do you think of media nowadays? 

Whenever you see the news, read the newspapers or watch a program on the TV. Media has four functions, surveillance, correlation, cultural transmission and entertainment. 

We first will gather and break down the information when we first received the news and try to understand what is happening. 

Secondly, we will analyze and evaluate the facts given in that particular news. Whether is about the world or local news or newspapers.

Thirdly, not only do these media educate us on the news and events, it teaches us to be wary of whatever is happening in the world. We learn more about our culture, background and history through this.

Lastly, of course it is all about entertainment. Media provides us with gratification and enjoyment of our every day's life. We need to unwind after a hard day's work and entertainment is a good form of release. Entertainment can be found almost anywhere and every medium and pass a message of it. Even reading a entertaining book or watching a movie is also an entertainment.

This is just a random article that really tug my heartstrings. It is in Chinese but I will translate it for you. The title of this article is, "9 sentences that are most heartbreaking for your parents." This is an article that the journalist of our chinese newspaper found on a china website, stating the 9 sentences that children are forbidden to speak. These sentences may seem to be harmless to the children, but are actually very heartbreaking to the parents. In a survey done, more than 90% of the children said that they actually use at least 1 sentence often. 


These 9 sentences are:
1) "Okay, okayyy, I know, stop nagging."
2) "Is there anything else, if not I'm going to hang up."
3) "You won't understand even if I told you, so don't ask."
4) "How many times have I told you not to do this, you don't even do a good job when you do it anyway."
5) "Your thinking is so old-fashioned."
6) "I told you not to tidy up my room, see, now I can't find my things."
7) "I know which food I want to eat, don't help me."
8) "I told you not to eat these leftovers, why don't you listen."
9) "I know what I am doing, don't talk about it, aren't you sick of it?"


Personally, I am guilty of speaking 1 or 2 of these sentences to my mother when I am frustrated. In this generation, we seem to focus lesser on filial piety and only on ourselves. I hope that the people who have read this will follow me and try to correct ourselves and treat our parents better. We do not wish to hurt them anymore. 

Culture Shock

I love the Japanese culture. Although I am born a Chinese, I am fascinated by the culture and politeness.
The first culture difference that many Japanese find in America is their greeting customs. Although the greeting is one of the simplest human communications, both countries have different methods of greeting each other. Three differences include introduction, self-introduction, and departure. 
Japanese use nonverbal greetings instead of verbal greetings. Japanese use gestures such a bowing and nodding to acknowledge someone.
They have cultural universal such as family, religion, marriage, customs, ethics and greetings...etc...

For example, Americans prefer the inductive method that brings out general idea from concrete; therefore, they are apt to talk about their privacy first.  In other words, Japanese people are likely to talk about where they belong to. For example, the typical Japanese person first talks about his university or his major, then what kind of club they belong to. Finally they usually talk about hobbies or an event that happened recently. 
Intercultural communication takes place when different people from different countries come together and communicate nicely. We have to respect their culture and understand where they are coming from.
No matter how much differences, people with an open mind can learn from each other.




 

This guy deserves a medal

I think that this is a hilarious article and I agree with the statement, this guy deserves a medal. This article is about how a woman, I would think is a housewife, goes to the supermarket and she would bring her husband along. Either out of boredom or just for fun, her husband does various ridiculous and disturbing actions! Yes, I know when you read my title, you would be thinking that I would be writing on some super athlete or some hero who saved someone or something. Well, I posted this up so everybody can have a good laugh and brighten up your day as I know the deadlines are breathing down on our necks. Maybe next time everyone should think twice when you drag your partner to accompany you to the store. He/she might just do something really embarrassing or childish because he/she wants to entertain themselves. Imagine how the shock when you receive such a letter as above in your mailbox!

In chapter 4, we learnt about euphemisms which are unpleasant truths wearing a diplomatic cologne. Language can be interpreted in more than one way. This letter is wrote in a very formal way and clearly only states the facts that happened in the store. It starts of by thanking the customer for patronizing the store and then laying down that they are 'considering' banning the family so that they do not offend the customer directly. They then give the customer a chance to negotiate when they say that the family can come into the store if her husband would stop his antics. They then lay the facts with dates intact so that the customer can not debut because she would know that they clearly know the dates because of sufficient evidence, and she won't be able to complain against the manager nor the store. How many of us can put "Your husband is acting like a kid in our store, please ask him to stop or do not come to our store anymore." so nicely in words?

Is Anybody Listening?

Is Anybody Listening?

I have miraculously came across this speech which is given by the toastmaster on listening problem faced in the current era. He started the speech by asking a question, knowing that his audience will agree on. He continued with a personal experience and most of them reacted with laughter as they are able to relate to him due to their similar experiences. This later on garnered the interest of the audiences and engage them with what he is going to say next.

He continued by describing his past when he is practising active listening and concluded that communication had broke down due the fact that we are taking in communication styles and information from too many different sources. Unable to juggle between too many channels has caused his lack of focus when listening, this struggle is termed as “Communication Overload Disorder”.

Secondly, he compared and contrasted the way his wife talks to him and her friend; she only replied every comment with “Oh My God!” but it is spoken with different tone at each time. (That is how easy it is!) Eventually, he came up with my own system called the “Automatic Response Mode”, which allows him to act as if he is paying attention but he is actually not listening. It is just simply replying with “Ya, Uh Huh, and Really” but it has to complement with the different tones used at a particular situation.

This video shows us the methods used by the toastmaster in carrying out his speech and his ideas on listening. By listening attentively, you will be able to know and understand an individual’s style of speaking which will improve the communication. Thus, I believe that listening is a crucial skill that assists us to improve or maintain personal and professional relationships. In fact, we should all embrace and improve it.

After listening to the toastmaster, what is your view on “Communication Overload Disorder” and has it happened to you?

The Fun Theory

'Rolighetsteorin', or 'The Fun Theory' is an initiative by Volkswagen to use the element of fun to improve social behaviour.

Watch the video above and see how the FUN team inject the idea of fun in their quest to promote a healthier lifestyle for the commuters; by persuading them to take the stairs rather than their usual habit of using the escalators to get up, or down the train platforms. Amazingly, they managed to get that message across to majority of the commuters effectively! Interesting, isn't it? In other words, a sender can make his/her messages more appealing to the receiver, so as to retain the receiver's attention; thus, enabling the receiver to accept and understand the message thoroughly.

I think Singapore could also adopt this idea in our MRT stations. Not only will it helps in promoting a healthy habit, but can also make a commuter's day after a long wait for his/her train ride due to some disruptions in train service (which is becoming rather common recently..). 

Human Resource

Passing the public scrutiny test by a company and its management is way of finding out one's ethical thinking and background. 

Human Resource professionals are likely to be challenged daily with issues that present ethical dilemmas. The choices that HR professionals make, or guide others to make, may affect the productivity, profitability, and the public image of their organization. 

In this age of global communications and instant mobilization of public opinion, a company cannot expect to achieve its greatest potential and most serious objectives beyond the scope of public scrutiny. 

This means that a company and its management will be measured by its financial performance, as it always has been. But it also means that a company will be measured by additional , such as management's vision, depth, culture and social responsibility quotient. 

However, a company human resource is very important and here is a checklist of a few of the basic things a company's management should do in good times so that it can have the right to expect public support in difficult times.

Mutual respect organization.

In an organization in which respect is a demonstrated value, employees and managers treat each other with dignity and make it known that they care about the work they perform. The organization's leadership fosters initiative and creativity. Individual differences and perspectives are appreciated and promoted. All employees, regardless of their position, are recognized and rewarded for their contributions.

Overpromising. "This company is the best place to work in the county!" Are managers making these kind of self assuring statements?  If the norm is making brash, optimistic (possibly untrue) statements to achieve a short-term result, this is an indicator of a weak ethics system. Underachieving. Are employees allowed to barely "get by" and still be rewarded with a paycheck and even promotions? Is mediocrity accepted because it's too difficult to fire people who aren't really competent? If an organization takes the easy way out and tolerates employees who are negative and only partially productive, long-term success is jeopardized.