My media analysis is on an advertisement video that focuses on the ways that plastics are entering our oceans. It was created and published by an organization called Greenpeace UK. The advertisement also makes a point to explain certain products that contribute to pollution in the oceans such as: microbeads in toothpaste, synthetic clothing fibers, wet wipes, and plastics bottles. I love how there are pictures included that show how plastics are impacting the ocean and animals as well. There is text throughout the duration of the video that describes the numerous ways that plastics are winding up in the ocean. The video includes text, instead of spoken words, so the information conveyed is completely dependent on the text provided on each slide of the advertisement video. I thought it was a great strategy for the advertisement to only use text. This makes the audience pay close attention to the video and the message being portrayed, that way we are able to understand what was being explained. When reading the text on each slide of the video, the attention of the audience can also be directed to the pictures displayed behind it, which are very detailed and clearly shows how plastics are impacting the ocean. The goal is to present a visual of the different ways plastic can end up in the oceans. The main value represented in the advertisement are to know and understand the details of how this problem is occurring and how we should take the initiative to prevent this from happening. I feel as if the video s based on how our everyday use of plastic and other things wind up in the ocean, causing negative impacts. Therefore, there should be something done about this issue, instead of sitting around and watching it happen. When it is evident that something in particular is causing negative affects to the environment, we should want to take charge and do what is in our power to fix it. In my opinion, I feel as if the advertisement is from a negative view point. The message conveyed in the video isn’t positive because it shows how we contribute to plastic pollution in the oceans, which has become a large problem. I think that if there were more pictures included in the advertisement of how the animal are impacted than it would be really affective. Although the video shows the various ways that plastic winds up in the ocean and how the oceans look due to pollution, I think that the audience will not be as motivated to help resolve this problem. However, adding those pictures of creatures and other things that are affected may add more emphasis to the seriousness of the issue. The advertisement was very educational and serves the purpose to inform those who watch the video. This video was very easy to understand, and the message was clear. The advertisement did its job of educating and informing the problems just by including pictures and a few words. I felt motivated by the end of watching it to go out and make a change!

The homework activity that was assigned towards the beginning of the semester really helped me understand how individuals, including myself, can sometimes be wasteful of our resources. The activity required the class to calculate our ecological footprint and reflect on it, which really opened my eyes as to how my daily and weekly habits can impact the world. When I calculated my footprint, I received a score of 4.3 global hectares, which was significantly different compared to the ecological footprint of 1.7 global hectares available per person. The activity displayed that if everyone were to live the same lifestyle as me, we would need approximately two and a half earths. After completing the activity and discovering how high my ecological footprint is compared to our current global hectares, I felt that it was very crucial to consider things that I could do differently in order to live a more sustainable life. I noticed that one problem that could be improved is the amount of trash/waste that I produce. It’s normal for my roommate and I to fill three trash cans that are about one foot each, every week. The trash that we create tend to be things that can be recycled such as plastic, cardboard, and paper. I still struggle with recycling since our garbage room in our dorms doesn’t have a recycling bin. Therefore, the things that can be recycled winds up in the trash bag with other wastes. However, recycling is easier when I am home because we have two separate garbage cans outside, one for waste and the other for recycling. I also produced a great deal of trash from going out to eat and bringing to-go boxes back into the room. Yet, I can say that I have improved in this area. I hardly eat out as much as I use to, and if I do I try to make a tendency to finish my food. I also reflected that I use way too much energy than what is necessary. I am not always mindful of how much energy/power I am using in school and also at home. My mom always tells me that I have every light on in the house! It is very common for me to turn on the lights when they are not needed. I also have a tendency to leave the television on, while I am not in the room. I really need to work monitoring the amount of energy that I use in my dorm room and while I am home from school. I plan to make a routine and write reminders in order to limit my usage. This way I am making myself aware of things that can be unplugged and turning off appliances that I am not using at the moment. I love the natural sunlight, so it motivates me to turn off the lights and let the sun shine in. This course makes me realize how my lifestyle can really impact the world! It inspires me to make changes in my life that will result in positive benefits.

A few weeks ago, trying to pass time, I found an interesting movie on Netflix. There had also been post on Facebook mentioning that it was a great movie to watch, so I decided to watch it. The name of the movie is What Happened to Monday written by Max Botkin and Kerry Williamson and directed by Tommy Wirkola. The movie is a dystopian science fiction thriller, which depicts the issue of overpopulation that is occurring in some countries. The film begins in the year of 2043, a time where overpopulation has caused a crisis worldwide. In order to confront this issue, the Child Allocation Bureau, implemented a strict one-child policy! The film can be very gruesome because it depicts how the issue of overpopulation should not be addressed in a way. If multiple children are born to one mother, each child except for the oldest, are pried away from their mother and siblings. They are then kept in a holding room located in the Bureau’s facility, until they are put into a modified cryosleep and incinerated. I believe that the Bureau’s initiative to implement a one-child policy was acceptable, however how these children were taken and processed was not an appropriate way to deal with the issue. A set of identical septuplet sisters are born, however their mother died by giving birth leaving their grandfather to raise them. Their grandfather names them after the days of the week, and they only leave the house on the day of their name. Also, each sibling must comply with the one identity that they are given, Karen Settman. They all wear the same wigs, makeup, and clothing every day. In order for the siblings to keep up their one-person identity, they arrange group meetings every afternoon to share information from what occurred that day. Mysteriously, one day a sibling doesn’t return home, which is very unusual! The siblings become very worried that someone has finally figured out that there is more than one of them. They have to find out what happened to Monday, without being caught by the Bureau. Yet, the Bureau finally discovers that they all have been acting as the same individual. Therefore, they try to eliminate each one. While trying to find Monday, a number of events occur throughout the film leaving Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday dead. In my opinion, I found that this film was very interesting. Towards the end Thursday learns that Monday is the cause of all the commotion because she decided to work for the Bureau in order to live a better life. Monday also reveals that she is pregnant with twins, which was also another factor for turning against her siblings. It grabbed my attention in the beginning because it mentioned how over population was affecting the world. Since this topic was mentioned in class, I wanted to continue to watch to see how the authors would present the concept in the movie. However, I didn’t approve of the way that the film portrayed dealing with this issue. I felt as if there could’ve been another way, that wasn’t so gory, to solve the problem.

https://www.netflix.com/title/80146805