Entry # 23

Reading 9 - 2

To be honest, I didn't understand the reading too much. What I know though is that it touches every thing we've discussed. 

What struck me the most with this reading is how companies are using their environmental responsibility as a competitive advantage. I don't know if it's a good or bad thing. I do know it's a good thing because they are driven to become better. However, I feel that it's bad in the sense that they are only doing this to give their company a head start instead of doing it for their own individual intentions. "The end does not justify the means." I guess this is what I'm using as a basis for this situation. I'm kind of biased towards the "bad" part. It's just that I am the type of person who thinks that why do something good just because it will make you look good? Why not do good because you are supposed to? It's so hard to explain hehehe.

The sustainability part got my attention as well. I know that the time will come when we would have depleted all our resources and it would be a short time before we all perished from this planet. I know that this will happen if we won't stop polluting the environment and start lessening our waste. We are blessed with technology and manpower but we are also very apathetic. We don't really think of the consequences for every decisions we make. We sometimes forget that we are not the only living beings in the planet. Our animals and the environment is suffering for the mistakes we made. They don't deserve it. Neither does the future generation when they can't go near the sea because it's full of dead fish and chemical waste.

We are all responsible in our own little ways. Time will come when we will have to decide for the sake of many. We don't have to rely on the higher bodies (government, corporations, innovators) to do something about the problem we ourselves are contributing to. As I've always emphasized, change must start in ourselves. It's better to have known that you did something instead of complaining when you haven't contributed anything. I end this post with this quote, "Be the change you want to see."

Entry # 22

On October 24, team CRAMY went to the FCED headquarters to shoot the success story of Regine Magalona. I was very excited because I enjoy making short films or producing any sort of multimedia output (even though I am not necessarily good at it.)

We arrived pretty late but thankfully, Regine was still at work and we were able to set up and interview Regine's friends first. At least, our time was spent productively.

To be honest, I was kind of disappointed because our interviewee was changed from John Paul to Regine. When we arrived there, we were confused (at least I was) because we thought we were going to interview John Paul at his home and see the environment he grew up in but we ended up going to the headquarters instead. I mean, I'm not complaining, I just wish we could've made a better project output if our plan went well. That's one thing to know about me: I hate it when plans get changed.

Thankfully, Regine was really nice. She answered any questions we had and she was patient whenever we had technical issues. She's very bubbly and you can truly see in her that she is proud of being a part of FCED. You can see that she is very passionate about leadership and helping the youth. It's refreshing to see and hear stories of people like her when majority of the youth I know yearn to get corporal jobs but rarely jobs that involve volunteering.

It's amazing to see that an organization like FCED is helping to  make many children's and families' dreams come true. There are so many negativity surrounding us that it is all we hear on the news and on our social media timelines but we rarely see posts that see the goodness in people. This project gave me the opportunity to produce an output that showcases the life of a person with an extraordinary life. I yearn for the day that the news we'll mostly hear are full of happiness and goodness. Until then, thanks to this project, I will continue to look for stories worth hearing.

Entry # 21

The reading regarding the Next Industrial Revolution made me realize how important it is to think of the bigger picture. I have always believed that one day, we will be left with nothing but the ruins of what were once the mightiest structures to have been built on earth. One day, we will have to find ways on how to survive because the sun has become too hot and our waters have dried out and the trees have been wiped out to help shade us from the harmful rays of the sun and provide us the oxygen we need in order to survive. One day, the generations after us won’t know what it’s like to swim in the sea because it has become too polluted with toxic waste or know what it’s like to breathe fresh air. It will come one day if we continue with our current thinking regarding eco-efficiency.

Eco-efficiency as first defined in the book, “aspires to make the old, destructive system less so.” The fact is, if we keep on aspiring to lessen the problem instead of actually finding ways to solve it, it will catch up with us but only in a later time. I’m amazed how much research is put into finding ways to sustainability and if only more people will be more aware about the current condition of our environment, then maybe we are not as hopeless as I perceive humankind to be.

I know that sacrifices must be made in order to achieve eco-efficiency, and I also know that a lot of companies aren’t large enough to be able to invest in R&D programs. However, if the smaller companies can start lessening the waste from operating and do the 3 R’s, Reduce Reuse Recycle, then they can help in not contributing a lot more to the problem regarding sustainability and the pollution in the environment. I truly believe that a small step can have a huge impact. If a lot of small steps are made while the plans to make a huge one are still in progress, imagine how much bigger the impact would it have? How much more if years of research actually allowed us to discover a system that will allow us to not release any more harmful substances, allow us to drink clean water everyday, to be able to use our cars without the use of fuel which is a non-renewable source of energy?

Change must start in ourselves; we can’t simply rely on the government or the companies to help us. The future generation do not deserve to be given an unsafe place to live in. They deserve to experience the comfortable warmth of the sun and have fun in the seas. By lessening the green footsteps we leave in the planet, we are able to contribute to a better life for the future.

Entry # 20

I think that online food advertising strategies targeted towards children are very clever. Let’s face it: during our generation, we enjoyed getting free toys in our cereal boxes. We loved playing physical games with our friends. It’s the same for the online food ads companies are doing right now. Instead of giving away toys and freebies that come with the food, why not give away codes that can unlock special features/games that kids would love to play? We are now living in a digitalized world but the marketing strategy has always been the same. It’s all a matter of innovating and coping up with the changes.

I don’t think it’s right to blame advertisers with the high rates of childhood obesity. Products are meant to be consumed, and it is their job to make the products they advertise sellable.  Parents should supervise kids with the food they eat and make sure that even though they are giving them food that are generally unhealthy, they make sure that the kids do physical activities or encourage them to eat healthy food.

However, one thing I don’t like with online food advertising is that it promotes the use of computers/gadgets. It’s not that it’s bad, but it promotes a generally unhealthy lifestyle. Kids would rather face their gadgets every day instead of playing outside, and I think that’s one of the main contributors to the obesity epidemic that is happening today.

I honestly think it’s all a matter of moderation and responsible parenting. The truth is that advertisers will try to find ways to promote the products they are assigned to advertise even if it can be harmful for others. They shouldn’t be blamed because they are simply doing their job. We can’t always just look at the bad side of online food advertising as it has its peaks too. It promotes creativity, responsible internet usage, etc. If they can find ways to make the children aware of the nutritional values chart for the products by injecting fun into it, then that would be better.

Entry # 19

Decision Point: Advertising for Erectile Dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction is no laughing matter. Imagine the psychological turmoil it gives to men affected by it because they think they’re a shame to society. I don’t see any reason why these prescription drugs should not be advertised. After all, other drugs have advertisements, so why can’t these drugs have it as well?

I understand that people have completely morphed the image of the use of Viagra from being an actual medical drug into a recreational/novelty one. I don’t need to wonder why people are so against having ads about it, especially when it is shown at times where a child may be able to watch it. These kinds of drugs have been shown in bad light for so long that it’s hard to change how people perceive it to be.

I do get that these drugs have numerous side effects so it’s better to turn to alternatives (e.g: therapies, treatments) that have lesser side effects. But, I get what pharmaceutical companies are trying to do. I know that there is still a stigma against erectile dysfunction and a lot of men are too embarrassed to go to the doctor regarding it because they don’t see it as a real medical problem. The pharmaceutical companies are simply offering an alternative that would seem most plausible to men – even if it means allowing consumers to buy the drug without seeking medical help, and this is where the problem comes in.

Honestly speaking, I am not against advertising drugs for erectile dysfunction. There is a reason why these drugs exist and it should be used responsibly. However, I think marketing these drugs can be problematic because of the image it has already established.  If it can be made to make it more serious instead of putting mature content that makes the ads funny to some, then I think it will be more effective. Air time should also be looked into because most of the time, ads for these kinds of drugs have mature content, and it is not suitable for kids.

In the end, I think the most important thing when marketing these drugs is that they should send off the message that erectile dysfunction is not something to be laughed at, that it’s better to seek medical help, and that it should be used accordingly.  It should send off the message that these prescription drugs are simply an alternative to the wide array of medical help that are available.