November 9, 1989...

The fall of the Berlin Wall and the upheaval that engendered in 1989 constitute a historico-political event of international importance. The opening of the Wall on November 9, 1989 transformed not only Germany, but also the private, professional and social lives of East and West Germans.

On November 9, 2009, Berlin will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall with a "Festival of Freedom", during which over 1,000 foam domino tiles over 8 feet tall will be stacked along the former route of the wall in the city center and toppled.

An international project called "Mauerreise" – Journey of the Wall takes place in various countries. Twenty symbolic wall bricks are being sent from Berlin starting in May 2009. Their destination: Korea, Cyprus, Yemen and other places where everyday life is characterised by division and border experience. In these places the bricks will become a blank canvas for artists, intellectuals and young people to tackle the “wall” phenomenon.

Face-to-Face Communication

It’s no secret that Generation Y is the most tech-savvy to date, but in light of all the technological ways in with we communicate nowadays, I cannot help but wonder…

When was the last time I actually went to office hours instead of relying on email? Would I prefer a text message from a friend or actually hearing their voice tone via phone call? How often do I use face-to-face communication compared to Facebook posts and Tweets? When was the last time I received a hand written note? Do we even know how to read body language anymore?!

Obviously, the digital age had done incredible things for our society and I certainly cannot complain. But has the value of face-to-face communication been overlooked?

In this video, a Communication Studies professor says that when the stakes are higher or the topic is clearly important, people will rely on true face-to-face communication rather than email or other digital options.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZaevv1Frv4

Face-to-face communication adds quality, a personal touch. Making the effort to see the person we are speaking to implies that we care enough about them to make an effort and allows us to communicate more effectively. As communication becomes more and more instantaneous, the quick-fix, most convenient ways of communicating are certainly beneficial, but maybe a little more time, effort, and personalization will truly breed the most effective, meaningful messages.

Kohl's First Social Media Video

The reach of social media is growing longer by the second. Yet as more and more brands jump on the digital bandwagon, I can't help but wonder ... Does the social media sphere have a place for every brand?

Taking a huge step forward into the 21st Century, Kohl’s Department Stores has begun execution of a social media distribution strategy.  Most people don't view the Fortune 500 retailer as a tech-savvy company, but the first of a three-video series has already been posted to YouTube. This first video is from a back-to-school event that Kohl’s did with the Dream Center in Los Angeles, where more than 1,500 underprivileged inner-city kids were given backpacks, school supplies and haircuts to get them ready for school.



I like how the video aims to raise awareness of Kohl's goodwill and social responsibility as opposed to its clothing.  It's a side of the corporation many shoppers would not see otherwise.  However, as I look at the mere 372 views, I have to wonder if enough impressions will be made to justify the cost.


Take a look at the first video.  Do you think Kohl's will succeed in captivating the YouTube audience?  (Keep in mind, their target audience is females ages 24 - 54.)

‘Gossip Girl’ Gives Us Something To Talk About

Check out this link and tell me what do you think about it.

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/11/04/entertainment-us-tv-gossip-girl-complaint_7087736.html

Where did the integrity in television go, or was I blind to think it ever existed?

TV shows’ directors are aiming their adult themed shows at an impressionable young audience. Shows like Gossip Girl that focus on “teen drama”, tend to have episodes with what most adults will recognize as adult situations. When you think about it the situation, it becomes hard not to see the Parents Television Council side of the argument. When the show Gossip Girl premiered the characters were in the 11^th grade. Ideally, the high school scene would generally appeal to those in high school or younger.

Maybe I am wrong, so lets take a poll. What adults care to watch teen dramas?

If I am correct then there are not many. Meaning, the majority of the show's viewers are teenagers, mainly girls in the age range of 13-21 as opposed to 18-34 as stated by the directors.

Sure the characters are older now because the show is in its third season. However, in relation to the demographic of its teen viewers, the viewer who was 13 three seasons ago is now merely 16 years old. The characters of the show are progressing into adulthood while many of their viewers are still teenagers.

I will not suggest that Gossip Girl ads/episode be pulled from the air because I do not agree with censorship. However, I do think that the show's directors should consider maintaining a level of appropriateness for their impressionable young viewers.

What do you think?

Is Gossip Girl a show truly aimed at adults?

Or did the show directors bait and hook their teen viewers with enticing adolescent experiences?

Academic vs. Creative Ability

I stumbled upon an article on CNN the other day titled, "How Schools Stifle Creativity" - it grabbed my attention because one normally wouldn't think his/her education diminished his/her creativity. I decided to read the article and watch the video commentary and was enlightened by what had been said.

The speaker in the video, Sir Ken Robinson, talked about the difference between one's academic ability and his/her creative ability. He pointed out how our education system (worldwide) has a hierachy of subjects, beginning with mathematics and literature then to humanities then the arts and drama. If you remember, just a few years ago many public schools suffered huge budget cuts and the very FIRST programs to go were music and art. For someone like me, to not have choir or a moment in my day to express myself in the way I most enjoy would have been devasting. Who says that these programs are any less important than anything else we're taught?

Sir Robinson briefly mentioned the overdiagnosis of children with ADHD. The story he shares in the video of a friend of his was very enlightening. Just because a child may not learn the same way as everyone else, talks too much, moves around a lot, finds excitement in drawing on their notebook more than doing math problems doesn't mean s/he needs to be medicated, that is how s/he chooses to express himself. Creativity is the driving force behind one's imagination, a world without imagination seems unbearable to me. School is not for everyone, especially the highest education, so who says it needs to be a requirement to have a BA, MA, or even PhD to be considered "smart"?

Watch the video and form your own opinion: http://www.cnn.com/2009/OPINION/11/03/robinson.schools.stifle.creativity/index.html

Did You Know..?

Hey everyone,

I was busy reading up on my "feature news story" candidate's wiki page and came across a very interesting set of YouTube videos titled, "Did You Know..?". Each of the videos in the series focus on a specific topic. The information presented is mind-boggling. (Yes, I said it, Mind...BOGGLING). Here is one that I found on Social Media.

For example, here is a fact found in the video... "More video was uploaded to YouTube in the last two months than if ABC, NBC, and CBS had been airing new content 24/7/365 since 1948. (Which was when ABC started broadcasting)."

That is amazing. The degree to which social media has influenced and really, shaped, our lives is phenominal. Really, unpresedented by any other means of communication to any other age demographic throughout history.

Another intersting one, "10 Million, the number of unique visitors ABC, NBC, and CBS get every month, collectively. These businesses have been around for a combined 200 years. 250 Million, the number of unique visitors myspace.com, YouTube, and facebook get every month, collectively. None of these sites existed 6 years ago."

This just shows how socially aware and responsive our generation has become. Myself, being one who is semi-torn between keeping up with the times and holding some sort of self preservation, cannot decide whether this is a shift for the better or worse. Check out the video and see for yourself.

Here is another one that is pretty interesting as well. Did You Know 3.0.

Enjoy!

Robin