Blog Post #4

Hey, it's Noah. This week in class, we discussed how cultural values are reflected in advertisements. Today we're looking at two advertisements made by Gap focusing on children's clothing. These advertisements are a good example of how our cultural values are shown in advertising. Here are the two images we'll be looking at:

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The major differences between the two ads are first, the gender of the two children, and second, how Gap believes children of this day and age should be dressed. As a clothing company, my perception of Gap is not changed because many other companies use the same kind of advertising and I see it all the time. One trip to the mall and you can see advertisements similar to these plastered across the walls. I feel as though there is nothing wrong with the advertisement depicting the boy as the "little scholar" because our society values knowledge. The child is dressed in comfortable clothing which looks like something a child would actually wear. I believe that the advertisement depicting the girl as "the social butterfly" is not focusing on the future but more on branding and logos. She is wearing very fashionable clothes which makes her look like an adult. Saying that girl's "chambray shirts + logo sweaters are the talk of the playground" while boy's "shirts + graphic tees = genius ideas" implies that girls may not be as interesting in an education. If I had to change these advertisements I would make it so both of the children are dressing for one common goal such as a higher education in their own styles. At such a young age, gender stereotyping in advertising can set up the believe that a child has to be something that they are not. I do not believe that there is much that can be done about advertising towards children right now because of the profits being gained and because there is no immediate danger being imposed.

My overall impression of Gap is that they are focused on advertising towards children under the idea that their clothes will make them look more grown up. Both children in these advertisements are wearing clothes that an adult would wear and they both look stylish. Gap is just another clothing company selling the styles of the season to all ages.

Blog Post #3

     Being with my friends and family is what makes me the happiest. I feel comfortable and relaxed with the people around me and I can really enjoy myself. I also feel happy whenever I play sports. I can be a competitive person and when I play a good game I often have a good time.

     The idea of a national happiness index has come up in class and I have mixed feelings for if it would be a good idea or not. Happiness is a mood that can change a lot during a day an answer could change depending on the time of day. Being truly happy living in your country could get mixed in with something like having an argument with a friend. I believe that there are too many factors to consider in getting a statistic of how happy a country is. The best way to measure happiness could be taking multiple surveys over a few days with the same people and averaging out the happiness.

     The Story "I've Been Called A Luddite" is about a man who does not enjoy the things technology has to offer. The narrator Prefers to mail instead of text and use a typewriter instead of a computer. There's a part in the story where the narrator refers to the people outside the UN as "funny-looking people from around the world" it makes me think that they are missing out on what is going on around the world. The narrator is closed off from the world due to the lack of technology. This could be a more simple lifestyle that is enjoyable to people but I just can't imagine what it would be like with all my experiences. 

     In the NY Times article, "But Will It Make You Happy," claims that changing your buying habits can improve your happiness. The idea that spending your money on experiences rather than things is a good way to increase your happiness. When you are "keeping up with the Joneses" you are trying to outdo or own more luxurious materials than another family. I can agree with what the article is saying. I often find myself holding back on buying things because I know that I can enhance an trip with my friends if we spend some money to do things.  

    Here is an image of what happiness represents to me.

“Water Park.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 22 Sept. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_park.

     This photo represents happiness to me because I have had a lot of good experiences at water parks with my friends. This is a generic picture of a water park because I lost all of my original pictures but it still holds the same idea.