Saturday, July 12, 2008

Technological Threat?

Ah ha! After taking a one week break Mr Potato is back to throw in more intellectual trivia for you! In the 21st century, our life is centred around various communication mediums. To date, I'm sure most of us are familiar with programs like MSN messanger, Facebook, Youtube etc. Being a netizen has never brought us so many opportunities to interact with one another, but have you wondered how dependant you are on technology?How much control does it have over your life?

Life has become more hectic with the emergence of newer communication technologies. What happened to the good old days when you could just laze in bed on Sundays and not bother about work? With Blackberry's to tie you down, one can almost hear their Boss's voice nagging through the email.Techonology has become so embedded in our society that most people will feel crippled if they have their mobile phone taken away from them. One might wonder if this is truely the direction we wish to head in.

Much of our privacy has been lost in this age too. When looking at online networking platforms like Friendster and Facebook, we see people putting personal information like their age, where they stay, which school they study in etc. This is enough for any Tom, Dick or Harry to press a few keys and run a google search on you. You never know if there is a virtual stalker leering at your picture.

Wait, there's more. How often do we receive junk mail or spam in the form of SMS's through unknown advertisers? When we visit a certain webpage you never know who is secretly collecting data about your preferences and selectively sending you advertisements that might perk your interest (most of the time they don't) This form of virtual harassment is probably happening every second despite the layers of firewalls that supposedly protects us.

The bottom line? The world is not what it was 20 years before. Technology has become part and parcel of our lives and it is up to us to discern how we should deal with it. Should we integrate ourselves with it fully or set up perimeters to safeguard against potential threats? What are your views? Let's hear them!

Sunday, June 29, 2008

To be open or not?

Have you ever wondered why we interact or behave in a certain manner when we come from different societies? According to Edward Hall's Classic Dimension of Cultures there are high and low context cultures. Let's discuss about Chinese and American culture today.

Chinese culture is considered to be on the extreme end of the spectrum for high context culture. It is described as
-Having restricted codes
-Subtle cues are more important than actual speech
-Silence is integral in communication
-Explict communication style as rude, coarse and insensitive.

Do you ever wonder why there is this comparison between east vs west all the time? Perhaps it just boils down to the way we communicate that acts as an invisible barrier to accepting another culture.

American Culture, on the other hand is deemed as low context culture. It is characterised by
-Use of direct, explicit and unambiguous verbal communciation style
-A form of expression, to calrify and to influence
-Silence means incomprehension
-Indirect communication style is seen as tricky and deceptive

With such juxtaposition we should all be surprised why there is such tension when America and China hold diplomatic talks.

Having said the above, have you wondered where does Singapore stand in this spectrum? I tend to believe we are still a high context culture society because of our deep Asian roots but with American influence through the media we might see ourself as a more open society. Would you like that?Share your views!

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Being Singaporean


Having spent most of my life in Singapore i am proud to say that i have gone through the thorough "Singaporean Experience". Being Singaporean to me means enjoying your durians, having that hint of singlish in our slang, and being excited when there are mega sales:) Having this identity is our culture. As Trenholm states, culture is shared and dynamic, and our fledgling nation of 44 years has passed its culture down generations to define who we are in the present day.


In Singapore, we are a fast paced society striving to excel in school or aiming to climb the corporate ladder. It is because of our meritocratic system that people are hardwired to perform, and in our culture, the ability to produce results is highly valued in today's context. Sadly, it means that a lot of our time is spent at work, and our personal time might be compromised.


One phase of my life that defined me as a Singaporean is national service (NS). NS is something that was very unique for me because i got a chance to bond and train with strangers from all walks of life and races. It gave me a new perspective on life, and although cliche it made me feel less of a boy and more a man. Having had the chance to lead others i was exposed to the idea of collectivism, where often teamwork proved to be the key to overcoming challenges. I will always treasure my experiences gained from the army.


But I digress, the bottom line is, Singapore will continue to retain its unique flavour in the years to come. Even if one is abroad, I am sure you will remember your neighbourhood char kway teow, thosai or nasi lemak. You will have some recollection of national day parades and your national anthem. Culture bonds our society together, and how we operate surely defines us as Singaporeans. Share your views!




Saturday, June 14, 2008

Relationship woes


Recently, i just watched Sex and the City with my girlfriend, and it dawned on me that the show has a strong message being sent abt relationships.In particular,i would like to highlight the relational dissolution that took place in the show.

4 charismatic individuals in their 40s-50s are portrayed to be in the prime of their life in energetic New York City. They come in the form of writer and bride to be(Carrie), lawyer mom (Miranda), housewife and fitness buff (Charlotte), and last but not least verocious sex guru (Samantha).

The show's centralized plot is actually about Carrie finally marrying her boyfriend after 10 years, and is given a once in a lifetime opportunity to have her fairytale wedding. Unfortunately, at the eleventh hour, Mr. right walks out on her at the aisle. Poor communication skills and aversive communication states were instrumental in the failure of their marriage initially.


Another sub plot in the show is actually Miranda's husband Steve cheating on her. This created a huge rift between husband and wife and becuase they were unable to reconcile initially they chose to seperate.


In our fast paced world, strong values and good communication are instrumental in relational development and management. What do you seek for in your relationships? Share your views!



Sunday, June 8, 2008

Managing Relationships

I'm sure many people out in the world are engaged in some form of interpersonal relationship.I'm not an exception too. Communication in relationships is important to individuals because this will allow effective management of their relationship. (DeFluer et al) Let's have an in depth look on the varying types of communication principles in interpersonal relationships.

While in a relationship, it is deemed that face-to-face communication is the richest medium of interaction between a couple.Without face to face communication, it is hard to maintain a steady relationship (e.g. long distance) and i have seen friends' whose relationships were dissolved in army or because they went abroad to study. As we study in communications, this is known as dyadic communication.

Have you ever wondered what makes us attracted to another individual? Is it the person's physical attributes that click with us or their charisma?Under the theory of relational formation and development, there are a few sub categories that the formation of relationships can be categorized into.

They are:
-Physical Appearance
-Similarities (values,preferences,beliefs)
-Complementarities (differences but help the couple function better)
-Exchange (give and take)
-Proximity (less intimidation and uncertainty)
-Reciprocity and liking (self disclosure, mutual love)
-Competency (richer/smarter)

It's quite a load right? Maybe now we can see our personal relationships in a different light:) I know i will. That's all for this week's class review!

Friday, May 30, 2008

How fast food is portrayed through advertising

In the 21st century, it is common place to be bamboozled by a myriad of quirky advertisements in our daily lives. Mediums like the television and The Internet are constantly drawing in tons of revenue from this lucrative business and consumerism is sharply on the rise because of their successful campaigns.

Looking at the commercials in terms of verbal and non-verbal communication, it can be seen that many conclusions can be drawn. Producers of these commercials often try to come out with alternative views to sell their product in the 30 sec segment they have. Professional studies have shown that if the audience does not get the message within 10 sec the image would be discarded by the brain subconciously. Hence, the advertising world is aggressive, and attempting to be more creative.

Having said this, I feel that some commercials don't really click with the audience. How many of you have seen the recent KFC fish zinger advertisement? I was taking the bus home with one of my classmates recently and we both scoffed at it's unintelligent marketing approach. It shows a young guy doing stunts to point out the correct direction to a tourist afer he takes a bite out of the fish zinger. Where is the logic? Maybe it wasn't meant to be logical. Maybe it was supposed to be using kinesics (hand signals) to communicate with the target audience. Personally, I feel it is nonsense.

Macdonald's eat healthy campaign is also insidiously creating itself an anchorpoint in an age where people are starting to become more health conscious. Did you notice that on the right side of your meal tray there is this table where they attempt to list out the nutrition value of each item you are eating? I'm not sure if that has a psychological effect on people, as it consoles them that the Big Mac they are eating has XXX calories and XXX energy value. That it is OK to eat fast food since it can benefit you in this fashion. If people are buying this idea, I guess Macdonald's has won its war in keeping loyal customers.

I'm sure we will constantly see new marketing campaigns from the fast food industry, and it is likely we will see new creations to draw in the business. What do you guys think? Share your views!

http://www.mcdonalds.com.sg/
http://www.kfc.com.sg/

Friday, May 23, 2008

Marvel Mania!


Have any of you been catching the chain of marvel inspired movies that have been hitting the big screens? Recently, Iron man was a big hit with the masses as it brought out a different kind of hero, the capitalist hero. I decided to take some time to reflect on it.



Typical of any superhero movie we tend to see that the main character always has to go through a life changing experience or crisis before they set their minds on the superhero path... Iron man is no exception. However, unlike superheroes who have an innate special ability, Tony starks has an abundance of wealth behind him to fund the development of his super armour.


What struck me in the show was that there was this scene between Gwyneth Paltrow and Robert Downey Junior when they were changing the arc reactor module(his life support) in his body. There was a lot of non verbal communication taking place between them like paralinguistics, oculesics and haptics.

Also another strong factor in the show is the idea of physical appearance. Tony starks always gave people the impression based on his physical appearance that he was living the glamorous life (multi billionaire, playboy,fast cars) and suddenly he has a 180 degree change in his perspective of life after his afghanistan ordeal. Having being judged on his physical appearance and material possesions all his life the hero decides to forge his new identiy and own form of justice.

Both the male and female leads carry their roles well and Hall's theory of personal space differentiated by relational status is seen as Paltrow and Downey Junior develop their relationship from mere secretorial-boss to close friends/dating couple (don't really know what it is they have looks complicated maybe you guys know:)) Ideas like public, social and initimate distance comes about when we see their relationship is forged closer through crisis.
Looking at the wave of upcoming marvle films like The Incredible Hulk, Thor and Captain America, I am sure that we shall be able to see more of such human communication defining future story lines as this has been the winning ingredient in many Hollywood films thus far. What do you guys think? Share your views!
Stay tuned for more updates from Mr potato! Tata!

Thursday, May 15, 2008

How Mobile Phones Define us

Do you still remember the days of our parents’ generation when they used mobile phones the size of our water bottles? ( Big enough to knock the daylights out of anyone) When companies like Ericsson and Motorola introduced this technology in the 80’s this began to vastly shape our social landscape and how we communicated and operated as a society. With the punch of a button, we are now able to communicate directly with the other party facilitating interactive communication.

In the 2 decades since then, we have slowly but surely seen the evolution of mobile communication in Singapore as more options become available to us and affecting our consumer choices. Power houses like Nokia and Sony Ericsson bombard us with a myriad of handphone models to choose from, and we as consumers are spoilt for choice. Our choice of phone also seemingly defines our character and it is like a virtual extension of ourselves.

Speaking as a member of “Generation Y” and a hopeless tech junkie, I constantly dog the news for latest developments on mobile phone technology or if companies are taking a refreshing approach to integrating features onto handsets. Since the mobile phone’s initial entrance into the market, smart messaging, gprs,wifi, integrated cameras and video telephony are but to name a few of the features that are found in the fray of phones.

In Japan, the statistics show that almost every schooling child has access to a mobile phone and amongst them many begin owning such a device at the tender age of 5. This shows a vast change in landscape and to put in perspective, a social necessity. What’s more, we already hear that they are leading in the innovation arena where things like free to air tv and even phone transactions is nothing foreign in their niche industry.

Our new generation craves for many elements in their ideal phones-style, portability, applications or just the x-factor. Recently the industry’s newest player Apple’s iphone has generated much discussion on how it will bring abt the next revolution in phone usage, and more will be revealed at the developer conference on June 9.Whatever it is, we can see that the next few months will be exciting as we see snazzy designs that cater to our personal preferences.

I feel that the “craze “ is not limited to the youngsters also. Recently I did a stint at a telecommunications company and I was intrigued to see how many retirees or non-tech savvy people snatch up new high end models (even though they dunno how to use them) because innately I think it makes them feel they are flowing with the times and not socially backward. I understand their need to feel inclusive but sometimes u can't help thinking "Dunno how to use n95 8GB then buy for wad? " or "Auntie... you can't delete your bluetooth!"

Having said this, there is also a minority that feel that having a mobile phone is an intrusion into their personal space and even though they have the knowledge to utilize a phone they make a social choice not to. Questions like "Do i want to be contacted?" surface out and it leaves us wondering about the backlashes of technology in this busy age.


I feel that with more consumer options available, phones will continue to integrate themselves deeper into society and my personal choice of phone must be one that can have a good mix of portability and functionality before i make my $ count.


Until the next entry, this is Mr potato signing off! Come comment!

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/cna/cgi-bin/search/search_7days.pl?status=&search=iphone&id=347363

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Test!

Hi, first time putting in an entry, seeing how this goes:)