Discussion Post #3 - Media Literacy and Advertising

Instructions: Please look at the following video clips and images and respond to the two sets of questions below by clicking on the "Comments" button. Today, you'll be answering two different sets of discussion questions - be sure to respond to both! Your responses to these questions will be seen by other study participants. Be sure to comment using the same screen name you've been using. Like yesterday, feel free to respond or add on to what other people have said in their own comments, especially if you agree or disagree with something! When you successfully submit your comments, a yellow box will appear on the screen with the following message: "Your comment was published."

Video Clips:

"Evolution"



"Onslaught"



Discussion Questions - Set #1:

1. Did you like/dislike the videos? Why or why not?
2. After watching "Evolution," how do you feel? Does this video tell you anything about the advertisements you see every day?
3. Can you relate to the girl featured in "Onslaught?" How so?

Sample Advertisements:


Discussion Questions - Set #2:

1. In your own words, describe the women featured in the advertisements. What do they look like? How do you think they feel?
2. How do you feel when looking at these ads?
3. Do you think the way you look at ads like these has changed after watching the two video clips and looking at yesterday's sample advertisements? If yes, how? If no, why not?
4. Let me know which gift you would prefer as a thank you for participating in my study! Your choices are a $20 iTunes gift card or $20 cash.

Thanks so much for your help, everyone! After you answer today's questions, you're all done! I'll have those gifts in the mail to you as soon as possible. Take care!

Discussion Post #2 - Sample Advertisements

Instructions: Please look at the following two sets of images and respond to the two sets of questions below by clicking on the "Comments" button. Today, you'll be answering the same set of discussion questions twice - once about the first two pictures, and a second time about the second two pictures. Your responses to these questions will be seen by other study participants. Be sure to comment using the same screen name you used yesterday! Also, feel free to respond or add on to what other people have said in their own comments - I would love for you to speak up if someone says something you really agree or disagree with! When you successfully submit your comments, a yellow box will appear on the screen with the following message: "Your comment was published."

If you haven't already responded to my first discussion post (Discussion Post #1 - Background Information), be sure to do that today, too! Also, if you're new to my site, please take a look at my "Welcome! A few instructions..." post at the bottom of this page. There, you can learn more about my study and read important instructions about how to post your responses to all of the discussion questions on my site.

Sample Advertisements - Set #1:

Discussion Questions - Set #1:

1. In your own words, describe the girls featured in the advertisements. What do they look like? How do you think they feel?
2. How do you feel when looking at these ads?
3. Do you see ads like these often? If so, where?
4. Would you want to buy the products being advertised in these images? Why or why not?

Sample Advertisements - Set #2:



Discussion Questions - Set #2:

1. In your own words, describe the girls featured in the advertisements. What do they look like? How do you think they feel?
2. How do you feel when looking at these ads?
3. Do you see ads like these often? If so, where?
4. Would you want to buy the products being advertised in these images? Why or why not?

Be sure to visit the site tomorrow to access my last discussion post!

Discussion Post #1 - Background Information

Instructions: Please respond to the following discussion questions by clicking on the "Comments" button below. When you successfully submit your comments, a yellow box will appear on the screen with the following message: "Your comment was published."

If you haven't already, be sure to take a look at my "Welcome! A few instructions..." post below. There, you can learn more about my study and read important instructions about how to post your responses to all of the discussion questions on my site.

1. How old are you?
2. How would you describe your current body shape and size?
3. How do you feel about your body?
4. What factors influence the way you think about your appearance? (Possible examples might include friends and family, the media, etc.)

Be sure to visit the site tomorrow to access my second discussion post!

Welcome! A few instructions...

Welcome, everyone!

I'm so excited to have you all join my online discussion forum!

Here's how this is going to work:

• Beginning on Wednesday (3/25), I need for you to log on to the Internet and visit this Web site every day. I will post a new discussion topic, sometimes including video clips and pictures, on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of this week - after that, you're all done!
  
• Be sure to read the instructions at the top of every post. I'll tell you exactly what you need to do each day!
  
• At the end of each post, I will always include a short set of discussion questions - be sure to answer these! Click on the "Comments" button, which is written in gray at the bottom of each post - a white text box should appear, where you can type your answers to the discussion questions. Check out Wednesday's post for an example - I'll leave a comment and show you exactly what I'm looking for.
  
• When you're ready to submit your answers to the questions, click on the drop box next to the words "Comment as" and select the "Name/URL" option. To protect your privacy, you're more than welcome to use a made-up "screen name" or fake name when you post your responses - in fact, I encourage this. For example, instead of signing my posts as Virginia, I might type in my name as VMM123. Whatever name you choose, type it into the box underneath the word "Name" and click "Continue." You can ignore the box underneath "URL." Be sure to use the same name every single time you post! This helps me keep track of your responses throughout the week.
• Click "Post Comment," and voila! You're done for the day! A little yellow box should appear, telling you that your comment was posted successfully.
• If you have any trouble posting your responses to the discussion questions, try switching to another Internet browser. If that doesn't work, get in touch with me and we'll work something out! My contact information is at the bottom of this post - feel free to e-mail or call me anytime!
  
• At the end of the week, as an incentive for you to post each day, I'll be giving all of you a gift - your choice of $20 or a $20 iTunes gift card!

If you have any questions, comments or concerns about anything, please don't hesitate to get in touch with me! My e-mail address is vmm@email.unc.edu, and my cell phone number is (919) 360-8505.

Thanks again for being a part of my discussion group! I can't wait to get started!