Storify – The Benefits of Exercise

Hello readers!

The topic of my Storify post is the benefits of exercise. I choose this topic because I have recently started exercising regularly. Before I began I knew the basic benefits to exercising, but now as a regular I have come to realize that there is much more to exercise than the basic loose weight and ‘be’ healthier. The ‘be’ healthier, I have come to realize, come in many forms and outlets. I explored how exactly exercise is beneficial.

I hope you enjoy the post, hopefully learn something new and maybe the post will convince you to exercise regularly. 🙂

Storify: https://storify.com/ok10gu/the-benefits-of-exercise

-Ola

Module 5: Piracy

Hello readers!

There are many reasons as to why people prefer not to buy CDs. First, they are expensive. Second, with societies technological advancements, using them is inconvenient. Condry states, “A student who reports never using p2p software because of ‘ethical concerns’ still thinks that a more appropriate price for music would be 50 cents/song or $3/albu

m” (2004). I completely agree. Going out to the store to buy a CD is inconvenient, especially when you only like a few songs off the CD. Then you have to company the CD to your computer and transfer it to your listening device. The whole process is just….inconvenient. I would much rather just download it and transfer only the songs I want. Even of it is from a source like iTunes. Another fact is cost. I think that this is the biggest reason why people download music illegally. Spending over a dollar on one song through itunes is expensive, especially if you want to download a whole album. Downloading one song fro every artist you like could cost a fortune! And with the constant new music being produced…students just cannot afford to buy music on top of all other expenses.

I understand that it takes a lot of work to produce a song/album, but I believe that if song/album prices were lowered the industry would profit because buying would be more affordable.  McCourt & Burkart state that that recording industry claims to loose $300 million per year to pirate recordings (2003). In addition,  “…a report prepared for the recording industry predicted that by 2002, an estimated 16 percent of all US music sales, or $985 million, would be lost to on-line piracy” (McCourt & Burkart, 2003).

To deal with the issue of piracy, the industry needs to lower prices to make it more affordable for consumers. Also, making the music more accessible would also, I believe, help with the problem.

-Ola

References

Condry, I. (2004). Cultures of Music Piracy. International Journal of Cultural Studies, 343-363.

McCourt, T., & Burkart, P. (2003). When creators, corporations and consumers collide. Media, Culture & Society, 333-350.

Op-Ed Piece – Wikipedia: Dieting

Hello readers!

For this post, I am suppose to be answering “Given the process of creating a Wikipedia entry, how reliable is the information found therein? ” Well, when reading through the ‘Dieting’ page on Wikipedia and reading all of the comments, I conclude that wikipedia is not a reliable source of information, at least when it comes to dieting.

The page discusses types of diets, muscle versus fat loss and medications that help with weight loss. In my opinion, the page represented a lot of little bits of information. There was not a section within the page that I felt provided enough information to convince me of their claims. Although Wikipedia encourages producers to back up their knowledge with reliable published resources, this page is an example of readers opinions and experiences, that is not backed up by facts.

While reading the Wikipedia page that is devoted to dieting, it is easy to see how one comment/section is biased from the next. Although many sections come with references, some comments left behind suggest that this page provides only a very basic list of dieting options without comparing one option to another. I agree with many of the comments that are written that a lot of the information provided on the page is limited to one point of view and is lacking references.

The thing with a topic like dieting, is that it is very subjective. One method that may work for one individual may not work for another. But it still stands that this page should be a source of credible information, not individual experiences without facts.

Moreover, this page does not seem to support the claim that Wikipedia is always changing to stay current and support research. The most recent comment that I could find was from March 2012. This is surprising to me because I thought that with the current hot topics of health and nutrition, this page would be more up to date.

After looking through other articles within Wikipedia, I believe that this page is underdeveloped. There are many other pages that are well developed and provide good sources of information and references. I believe that this topic is too subjective and there needs to be more emphases on research. Not just stating what a certain diet entails, but comparing it to others as well.

 

-Ola

 

References

Royal, C. & Kapila, D. (2009). What’s on Wikipedia, and What’s Not . . . ?: Assessing Completeness of Information. Social Science Computer Review.27, 1.pp 138-148.

Wikipedia. “Dieting.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dieting

Faraan Majeed –  http://fitforyourmind.wordpress.com/

Sarah Kristina Hull – http://stayhealthysandiego.wordpress.com/

Alexandra Jessica Allan – http://tthehealthblog.wordpress.com/

Module 3: A Reliable Source of Information???

openclipart.org

Hi!

Throughout my academic years, I can honestly say that I have not had much of a relationship with Wikipedia. It was always a source that I was taught not to use back in grade school, so it was very surprising to me to discover that, according to a report from Nature, “Wikipedia comes close to Britannica in terms of the accuracy of its science entries” (2005).

Over the past few weeks, I have explored Wikipedia and came across a few observations. First, Wikipedia is biased. Rather, it only contains information from those who choose to contribute to it (Royal and Kapita, 2009). Some entries are large and extensive, but others are very small and bare. I feel that this is a drawback to ‘crowdsourced’ knowledge, the kind that Wikipedia provides. Wikipedia is an open, peer-to-peer system of information and it reflects the interests and opinions of those who choose to contribute to it. I thought that this fact would discourage the use of Wikipedia, but after asking many of my friends and colleagues of their opinion, it seems that they use Wikipedia as a base source, a starting point for research rather than as an accurate source of information.

According to Royal and Kapita, Wikipedia is now a very popular source for news and information, ranking third in the Web and surpassing sites like Yahoo News and CNN (2009). This statistic surprised me because I was always taught to not use Wikipedia or take anything from Wikipedia at face value. But I guess that the drawback to ‘crowdsourced’ knowledge that I mentioned earlier is not relevant here and may be opposite. I think that people are more willing to use Wikipedia as a source of news information than as an encyclopedia source – the third overall ranking in the web would support this.

After reading these articles, my opinion of Wikipedia has slightly changed. I guess I am not so against it as I originally was. The fact that a report from Nature states that the information within Wikipedia comes close to Britannica (at least in some entries) encourages me to use Wikipedia more often. I think that I will begin using Wikipedia from time to time, as a starting point for information. I don’t think that I will ever be able to take information from Wikipedia at face value; without checking/verifying it through a more credible site.

Ola 🙂

 

References

Giles. J. (2005). Special Report: Internet encyclopaedias go head to head. Nature. 438, pp 900-901.

Royal, C. & Kapila, D. (2009). What’s on Wikipedia, and What’s Not . . . ?: Assessing Completeness of Information. Social Science Computer Review. 27, 1. pp 138-148.

Are fat-free foods good for you?

Hello readers!

This video is about fat-free foods and why they many not be as healthy as people think they are. I have really been trying to eat healthier and change my lifestyle so I found this topic really interesting because I really did not know a lot of this stuff until I started to research it.

I hope you enjoy it,
Ola

Creativity Revisited

openclipart.org

Creativity is something that I believe is the main ingredient in many things, but mainly in, well creating new things. Ferguson’s “Everything is a Remix” series really opened my eyes and showed me that one brilliant moment in creativity can be adapted, slightly changed and transformed into other creative things. I had not really realized how much music and movies were remixed! It really made me think, are we just lazy? or are there no more creative ideas to come up with? no more creativity in humans?

Currently, there is rapid development and change with technology. Systems and processors are becoming faster and better. Cell phones are like another body part we cannot live without. When cell phones were first invented, they were BIG. Then we went through a phase where companies made the smallest phone they could (remember the flip phone?) and now I see people walking around with almost tablet sized phone pressed to their ears while they are having a conversation with someone. It looks very funny when someone is walking around with what looks like a book pressed up against their ear. Weren’t convenience and portability once the selling point of cell phones? We went from big screens to small screens to even bigger screens. Its like old technology is new again. Almost like fashion- what was old is new again. This is just something I thought of when thinking about remixing.

A problem with developing and adapting an old idea are the copyright laws. Sara says,  “In health related programs, we are always taught that ideas are to each their own and plagiarizing is a serious problem.” I guess that when we take someone else’s work it is not a problem, but when someone takes credit for our work, its a huge problem. I think that is one point that Ferguson was trying to say.

Lastly, I think that without remixing, our world would look very different. In the case of music and movies, we remix and use similar beats and scenarios because we like the sound/scenarios? Or because we cannot create something new? In the case of technology, we remix and adapt the old to make something better…? I do not believe that there will ever be a perfect relationship between producers and consumers.

Ola

Module 4 – “Copy, Transform, Combine” – Creativity

Hello readers! (Sorry for being M.I.A recently, but I’ back!)

Over the past year (and many years before that), I have been a consumer of internet media, but I cannot say that I have created any of my own stuff. I have never really been involved in any remixing.That is really NOT my forte. Although I am currently in a health related program (that has pretty much nothing to do with media studies), I found this topic very interesting. I myself have noticed similarities in music and movies in the past (whether it be a similar story line or bass line) but this module has introduced me to a new perspective.

Ferguson’s “Everything is a Remix” series is something that completely fascinating. I have since shared the series with many friends who also find it very interesting. Jenkins said, “we are entering an era where media will be everywhere and we will use all kinds of media in relation to each other” (2004). We are now in an era where technology is ever changing. Where every year there is another newer advancement, it is easy to see that now more than ever we have access to things that we never had before. Now, we almost do not have use for things that were once thought to be the most advanced technological device, (like the television) because smart phones give us access to  things like YouTube and live broadcasts. But we have the invention of the first television and subsequent inventions from that to thank for the little thing we carry in our pockets called a smart phone.

I have a one way relationship with YouTube. That is, I am a consumer of YouTube in the fact that I use it to listen to music and it has helped me discover new music. But I am not a producer of YouTube. I do not make videos and upload them onto the web, but many others do. YouTube is a source of expression. It can also be used for entertainment or as an educational resource. The use of online resources can enhance the consumer-producer relationship, but if the  consumer and producer are not on the same page it can lead to conflicts (Jenkins, 2004).

In his videos, Ferguson states that “creation requires influence” (Ferguson, 2010). I totally agree. Creativity involves making something new or transforming something into something new. This is not the problem that I see. I believe that creativity is accepted everywhere it is just the ‘entitlement’ (copyright) where we run into problems. Individuals who create something new like to take credit for it, as they should. But when we create something new through the transformation of something old, who takes the credit? The world is truly becoming more remixed.

 

Rerefences:

Ferguson, K. (2011). [Everything is a Remix – Four Part Video Series]. Retrieved fromhttp://everythingisaremix.info/watch-the-series/

Jenkins, H. (2004) The Cultural Logic of Media Convergence  International Journal of Cultural Studies March 2004 7: 33-43

Manovich, L. (2008). The Practice of Everyday (Media) Life. 1-14.

 

Is technology your BBF?

Picture reference: http://www.instantshift.com/2010/07/23/make-web-not-war/

Hello readers!

Technology is all around us. That’s obvious. Almost everyone owns a cell phone and keeps it close. With a cell phone, the world is at your fingertips. It is a very powerful feeling. You can stay connected to the world from a small device that fits in your pocket. Privacy and dependence on technology is something that I have been hearing about lately, so this assignment is well timed 😛 I think that for all that technology is good for it is also bad for. It is like a double edged sword. Technology and the need to stay connected has almost become a basic necessity such as eating and sleeping. As a matter of fact, I know of people who sleep with their cell phones and eat dinner with their phones sitting beside their plates; it is because it is the last thing they use before they sleep and the first thing they look at when they wake up.

Yes, technology has made life ‘easier’, and has helped in many different aspects but at what cost? People have become so dependent on their technological devices that it has replaced human contact. I remember a time where I would memorize my friends phone numbers or programme them into my home phone because if I wanted to get in touch with them I would need to phone them or speak to them in person. Verbal communication has been replaced by texting or tweeting. I know that within my own circle of friends I will very very very rarely talk on my phone tp them.  For me, it is just more convenient to text or Facebook someone because I know that they will answer. With a phone call, they may be too busy to answer.

I believe that I have a fairly good balance between my public, private and personal life in relation to social media. My public life is, well public. My private and personal life stays private and I share it with only the people I choose. Online life becomes tricky because the lines between what is public and what is private can be blurred. The online world is technically public. It was created to be able to connect with anyone and everyone. There are privacy settings that can be turned on but skilled specialists can probably find a way through if they really wanted to. Now a days, people place a lot of trust in the internet and give up a lot of private information by using online banking and purchasing items online wit credit cards. I know that these systems were built for convenience, but how private are peoples lives if everything is online?  I think that the more technological the world gets the less privacy we will have.

What I believe is most appealing to people about an online life is the fact that you can choose how you can portray yourself and you have the ability to edit-nothing is set in stone. You can choose to be whoever you want to be. An online life also allows us to be connected with everyone but also be alone. Technology is a way for us to have a voice but there are some things in life that I believe technology cannot teach us and we must learn them through trial and error.

Sherry Turkle mentions that there are people that are hopeful that Siri (iphone technology) becomes more advanced so that she will be more like a best friend. I think this scenario speaks volumes to the way that technology influences us and in what aspects we use it. It seems that we have more faith and exepect more from technology than we do from one another. Sherry Turkle said it best during the 2012 TED Talks: “we are designing tech that will give us the illusion of friendship without the demands of companionship” (Turkle, 2012).

Is technology your BFF? It is time to break up and find a new one, preferably of the human variety.

Hppy blogging!

 

References:

Cyberspace and Identity Sherry Turkle Contemporary Sociology Vol. 28, No. 6 (Nov., 1999), pp. 643-648. http://www.jstor.org.proxy.library.brocku.ca/stable/pdfplus/2655534.pdf?acceptTC=true

Sherry Turkle. The Flight From Conversation. New York Times Sunday Review. April 21, 2012. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/opinion/sunday/the-flight-from-conversation.html?pagewanted=all

Places we don’t want to go: Sherry Turkle at TED2012. http://blog.ted.com/2012/03/01/places-we-dont-want-to-go-sherry-turkle-at-ted2012/

Introduction

Hello readers!

My name is Ola and I just completed my third year at Brock University in the Public Health program (one more year to go!!) I have always been interested in health and health related topics and one day hope to work within this ever changing field. With one more year to go before I graduate I am trying to narrow down what exactly I would enjoy doing next 🙂 I am considering going into nursing because that is what I have always wanted to do. I also enjoy the hospital atmosphere (which I know that people may think is weird, because it is a place with sick people). I have also been fortunate enough  to work in a retirement home for the last few years and have been able to learn and experience first hand about how our healthcare system works and does not for our increasing senior population.

What interests me about the health field is that it is constantly changing, it impacts everyone. Health is a very broad career stream but what I like most is that no matter which avenue you choose, you will be helping people. That’s what health means to me – to be able to help someone.

In this blog,  I will be posting about different health issues that impact the population. As the tittle suggests, the information posted may not always be ‘good’ but I hope to inspire people to become more aware of their health and about the health of the population. I will blog about health related topics that I believe impact and/or interest individuals today. I will be commenting on the current health and fitness fad to alternative medicine modalities, the agining population, nursing shortage and everything in between.

I hope you all enjoy reading my blog. Please feel free to add any comments 🙂

Ola

Blogroll:

http://www.weightymatters.ca/

http://healthpromotion.blog.ryerson.ca/

http://read101.ca/brocku.html

http://blogs.oxfam.org/en/health-education

http://www.beckyhiggins.com/blog/

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/

Websites (similar topics and issues, sources of information):

http://www.everydayhealth.com/

http://www.oahpp.ca/

http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/index-eng.php

http://www.phecanada.ca/home

http://www.who.int/en/

Hashtags:

#health#fitness#publichhealth#healthytips#mentalhealth#globalhealth#healthcanada