The cycle.

In our present day, it seems that seconds count as minutes and minutes as hours. Everything moves fast against the test of time. 

We evolved from a past where individuals once believed in the value of hard work and knew that fun didn't involve going to the extreme. Looking back on my past, I realize that I too have fallen victim to today's fast paced world. Unconsciously, I attempt to dress like the "perfect woman"  the media paints such a vivid image of, I flood my ears with the latest pop/hip-hop songs, and as a college junior I have even partied hard like the students portrayed in the movie Project X. I don't do such things to be cool, it's just what I've become accustomed to.

Furthermore, it's almost unbelievable that we do just as the media predicts us to do. It has become a cycle. To no surprise after almost a complete semester of taking Comm 322, I analyze almost every aspect of what I watch on television. Recently, I watched an episode of a B.E.T television series called the "Let's Stay Together." I was able to see the show in a completely different perspective than I previously did. I noticed the symbols used to convey messages and the gender roles used to display status & level of importance. I also realized that the particular episode included an extremely heavy display of sex. Blatantly, sex was displayed as though there were no boundaries, no care, no shame, no remorse for the impact it had on the young girls viewing as well. 

This is where the cycle begins. . .

Due to early development, both physically and mentally African American girls often earn their stereotyped titles as early as 12-14 years old. The negative connotations have arisen as the closure of the generation gap between grandparents and baby-boomers has taken place.

In reference to the African American community, there is little room to be offended when negatively tagged, especially if there isn't anything being done to diminish the unfavorable views, yet everything is being done to promote such things. This "cool" has sped up the childhood of many and made adulthood look mature at the tender age of about 16. 

As the  seconds count as minutes and minutes as hours, make the clock tick with purpose, make a positive impact worth counting...

Jazmine M. Perry