Midterm Blog

In this class I think the most important thing I have learned about is how influential the media is on pop culture and the way we live our lives. I am a Communications/Marketing major and I think that the power of television, radio, advertisements, etc., is just fascinating. We have talked quite a bit about marketing strategies (Marlboro Man) and the power of advertisements, as seen in the 'Killing us Softly" video. I think that just the sheer number of ads we see each day is crazy and have found that media communications is even more important that I originally thought when choosing my field of study. A lot of what we have talked about in class has been previously mentioned to me in other classes such as Public Relations and Mass Media Studies. Seeing the similarities between Mass Media and Popular Culture has opened my eyes to the impact that I could have on later generations if I follow the path I have chosen for myself.

Football High

In the class video, Football High, the public's attention is drawn to the downsides of the seriousness of high school football nowadays. There are multiple experts that share their insight as to how football in high schools across the country are doing more damage to the athletes playing than they even realize. The video dives extensively into the work that the athletes put in outside of just the actual football activity. There is weight training, speed training, agility training, recruitment responsibilities, and more. There is also a certain image that some high-profile young athletes must keep up if they want to be recruited by the big colleges, such as the quarterback on Shiloh's team. He is always being interviewed, contacted, watched, and that added pressure is more than just 'football'.

Another issue that has come up with the growing severity and seriousness is the issue of brain health in the athletes, with all of the trauma induced by tackling and dehydration. The issue of concussions is growing each year, and the amount of concussions seen in high school football has increased over time. Another issue with brain health is the development of CTE on the brain. Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy is a degenerative disease that is developed over time with the damage of concussions and trauma on the brain. Symptoms of CTE are memory loss, dementia, aggression, and depression, which, historically, have not shown up until many years later, after the athletes' careers are long over. The problem we are starting to see though, is that the symptoms are getting worse and showing up quicker in football players nowadays.