Melody McLain Contemporary Literacy Blog

The answer to the question: "Is pop culture good for you?" can go any way one wants to argue it. We could argue that it is toxic as it perpetuates harmful stereotypes, sets unrealistic standards and expectations, and reinforces negative ideals. On the other side, pop culture creates a sense of community, and is a source of education, entertainment, and inspiration for those involved. It can provide young people with role models and set examples of positive behavior. Pop culture shapes our outlook, attitudes, and values within our lives. There is no clear answer as to whether pop culture is good for you, as we can see time and time again cases where it proves to be more of a hindrance than a help.  Christina Grimmie was an American singer and YouTuber who was shot and killed by a fan at the age of 22. She was murdered at her own concert in Orlando, Florida after getting a fan with open arms who decided to shoot her as his obsession had gone too far.        ...

My name is Melody McLain and I am a Junior at New Jersey City University. I am a junior majoring in Media Arts and minoring in English with a focus on creative writing. I am interested in reading, writing, playing video games, listening to music, walking my dog and I have started to take up an interest in crocheting. I took this class because I am interested in learning more about literacy and the impact it has on our society in many different ways. I do not remember how I learned to read, though I remember my mother reading to my sister and I every night before bed. She would point to the words, sound them out for us and we would repeat them back to her. My sister being older than me would understand the words before I did though she would always give me time to figure it out myself. One of the first books I read was “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle. My siblings and I were obsessed with this book as we found it equally thrilling and funny, even though it wasn’t that int...