For those who are hard of hearing, devices that mimic hearing are placed in both ears have helped to improve communication.

A person that has hair damage in their cochlea is considered severely hard of hearing or deaf. These are the perfect patients for cochlear implants. Cochlear implants consist of a microphone, to pick up sound, and transmitter, to transform the sounds to electrical signals, which collect in the auditory nerve. This device restores the perception of sound to an individual who has no sound.  When cochlear implants were first invented, they were only placed in one ear. People were skeptical of their abilities and questioned their effectiveness. In recent years, the bilateral placement of cochlear implants has become very popular. Also in recent years more information has been provided about how these bilateral cochlear implants have helped to improve communication. It is also important to note that bilateral cochlear implants can also be referred to as binaural cochlear implants.

Communication efforts are improved through the more effective use of Speech Therapy.

Speech therapist help to improve communication through oral structure isolation techniques. For example, if a speech pathologist has a patient who cannot produce the /b/ sound, the speech pathologist will use exercises that require the patient to put their lips together and try to blow air in order to build up a force until they are able to produce a /b/ sound. Being able to properly hear the intended sound aids in the reproduction of that sound. As the patient begins mastering sounds, their communication improves. Better communication allows for them to better interact and successfully relay emotions and ideas to others. Now imagine closing your ears and trying to produce a new sound that you have never heard before. It would be very complicated. Many of times deaf and hard of hearing individuals are identified as by the way they speak. Not being able to hear, or having muffled hearing has cause their language skills to develop differently and have not hear the correct pronunciation of many sounds. Implants could help change this. Not only taking my word for it, an expert point of view is posted below. From a first account of a active speech pathologist working at a local clinic in Maryland, Kaleena Rogers believes that the bilateral cochlear implants helps specifically in the area of articulation, voice and language. One important idea that is pinpointed is the idea that cochlear implants help to mirror normal hearing.  Again, please note that binaural cochlear implants is a synonym for bilateral cochlear implants.

Although Bilateral Cochlear Implants sound like a God sent, there are some residual side effects that can impair the emotional side of a person.

With the implementation of cochlear implants, the patients will lose all hearing. While this maybe insignificant for those who are completely deaf, those who are hard of hearing struggle with the idea of losing the small amount of hearing that they have. There is always a possibility that the operation will not work and so in turn cochlear implants is an emotional risk. Also in relation to the emotional risk, the hearing aid to the cochlear implant is visible. For those who are uncomfortable with their disability, a cochlear implant microphone will indicate to others that they have a hearing disability. A person must be comfortable within their own disability in order to have the implants. Last but by far not the least, cochlear implants are a costly investment. This is included in the emotional affects because it is a conscious decision to help yourself and make the financial commitment to yourself. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), cochlear implants can exceed $40,000 and for bilateral implants the cost doubles. These are only a few of the risk and benefits for bilateral cochlear implants. Check out the Federal Food and Drug Administration for more facts about cochlear implants.

Bilateral cochlear implants pose many views. While there is an emotional risk present, the implants can help improve the lives of so many through an increase in communication. Speech therapists see first hand how helpful the implants are in therapy sessions. The areas that are specifically impacted are articulation, voicing and language. These areas are essential for communication. Communication leads to success. Below is a clip when I asked a non-expert how important communication is for success in life. This non-expert works in the financial field and has no background in speech. The importance of including a non-expert opinion is to show that communication is important in all walks of life. It is also worth stating that speech therapy is just as important for those who are hearing as those who are hearing impaired. Please do not hesitate to test your language skills.  

listen to ‘How does language affect communication’ on Audioboo

listen to ‘Do u think children should have good communication skills?’ on Audioboo

A technological feature that records children's sounds will allow for the betterment of Speech Pathology.

Communication is one of the base structures for our society.

Communication exist in different forms as long as there is some type of 'back and forth' between two or more people. Communication can either be non-verbal or verbal. Language is a type of verbal communication where a set of people have agreed on a language system. Language is developed at a young age. By age 5 most children have a full vocabulary to effectively communicate. Within children developing language there are also language disorders. Disorders that impact language can range from Specific Language Impairment to Autism. As a result most children with language disorders receive Speech Therapy. Speech Therapy is supplied by speech pathologist. With a speech pathologist, the goal is to have intelligible speech. Check out these interviews to see how others view the importance of communication skills at an early age.

Its amazing that others even realize the need for intelligible communication. Speech Pathologist capture the problem of the child and isolate it order to fix it. The processes in order to establish that a child has a speech impediment is very simple. Many test have been created to pinpoint different speech patterns and assess whether that speech skill has been acquired. From the test a child can then be diagnosed with a speech impediment. The length of time it takes to fix the problem relies on the motivation and receptiveness of the child. Although this segment focuses on the child and their speech impediments, it is important to acknowledge that Speech Pathologist also see adults. These settings for adults are usually in hospitals and nursing homes. Adult speech impediments normally are persistent from birth or are acquired after a health problem. A common side affect of a stroke is a speech impediment and there for requires the services of an Speech Pathologist. Speech Pathologist aid in the development of speech for those who did not acquire speech skills or those who lost it due to a traumatic health event.

Many problems exist in assessing the language of a child, so therefor a new product was created.

Experts say that the product will advance the assessments and generalization process of a speech therapy sessions. 

(Include video from expert)

Do any setbacks for this product exist?

The language samples are below but they will not embed into my post. It deletes the words in my post when the audio boo samples are included.

Language is an important tool for communication.

listen to ‘Do u think children should have good communication skills?’ on Audioboo

listen to ‘How does language affect communication’ on Audioboo

Are you Looking for that Special Someone

eHarmony: One of the Leading Dating Websites

Dating websites have been around for years. Although they consistently hold the public interest, they are not publicized as one of the major social media aspects. They fall in comparison to Facebook and Twitter. One of the current popular dating website is eHarmony. eHarmony was created in 2000 by Dr. Neil Clark, clinical psychologist. It was created to conned singles in the hope of creating a long lasting relationship. About 2 months after eHarmony launched its website, eHarmony matched its first couple that fell in love and got married. As years continued they began to expand receiving a multitude of subscribers and success stories. According to the Top 10 Best Dating Sites, eHarmony ranks number one.

How Does eHarmony Match Me Up with the Perfect Person?

eHarmony created a questionnaire that pinpoints different qualities of a person. Theses questions allude to personal answers so that they can get to know you better. eHarmony believes in 29 key areas that determine the possibilities of a relationship. They question everything from "what you like to during your spare time," to "how to do you feel about financials in marriage."By pinpointing these attributes they believe they can match you with the perfect person. The problem with a questionnaire lies is that a person may reveal what they want others to see and know instead of the real them. It is difficult to differentiate the ideal person you want to be from the actual feelings/actions of yourself. Questions on a questionnaire are very hallow in that they ask "what if" questions that lead to ambiguity. Also I question if there is a re-evaluation with time. If eHarmony begins making matches that are not successful, will they re-evaulete the person in order create better matches.

Is eHarmony Free?

As Facebook and many other social media websites use ads and sponsors as their financial foundation, eHarmony allows you (the customer) to invest in your future. They extend the option of different levels of commitment to love. Although it is free to register, eHarmony requires that the customer pay a monthly fee to use their love services. The more months you pay for in advance, the bigger the savings you receive. The only down fall to this method is what if you find your match with in the first couple months, after you have paid for 6th months. Or what if you find yourself more outgoing, and you meet someone at a park or restaurant, you have now spent money on a service that gives you no guarantee.

Facebook Love vs. Dating Websites

Where to look for love. Dating websites like eHarmony, provide a service to look for a compatible partner. Facebook is a social network that provides connections by personal choice. If you search "Facebook love" in Google, you  will find a multitude of love stories where they 2 people met on Facebook. Facebook is also a free source of connection. However, who longs on to Facebook just for love. Many persons create a Facebook to keep in touch with friends, find old friends, and to connect to different corporations and companies. The odds of you finding love on Facebook are minuscule to those if you subscribe to a dating website. On eHarmony, everyone is there for a reason, to find love. There is no ambiguity as to what the other person expects, as you can have that on Facebook. You may want a relationship while so many on Facebook just want to build friendships. eHarmony is a service that you must pay for, while Facebook is free. Facebook is also a larger social media outlet. They have approximately 800 million people while eHarmony halts at about 20 million users. eHarmony is not the only dating website. There are many others including "Mate1," "Spark Network,"  and "Do you like". 

The final decision is up to you (the customer). Would you sign up for a dating website? Are you currently signed up on a website? Tell me about your experiences!

Do More People Watch Reality Television or Sports?

While this may seem like a bias question, with the Nielson Rating Company the comparison is possible and fair. There maybe slight differences as to the time of day and household dynamics, but as an advertiser, the Nielson rating comes in handy.

How Popular are Reality Tv Shows?

To assess reality Tv shows, we will view the ratings for "Shark Tank" that was streamed on September 29, 2012 on ABC. ABC had a total of about 4.688 million viewers. The rating was 1.3, meaning that about 1.3% of all Tv's that are in households were tuned in to ABC to watch "Shark Tank." The share data for this show is even more specific, showing the data for the amount of people actually using the television and that tuned in to "Shark Tank." The share number was 4. According to the IGN Entertainment  share number is acceptable. It says that even though it is not a wonderful number, it is a show that definitely has a target audience. 

College Football Ratings do not Compare to Reality Tv

Although sports is a very important aspect of being an American, it seems as if not everyone is interested in watching the games, as least not on Tv. The total viewers of the Wisconsin at Nebraska College Football Game on ABC, 4.009 million, were less than that of the Reality Tv shows? As the ratings and shares only differed slightly (ratings/shares, 1.2/4) it seems as if these shows fall in the same category. It may seem inappropriate to say that Sports are just as important as Reality Tv, but it is notable to look at the numbers and see that College Sports are streamed on live Tv just as much as Reality Tv. As an investor of advertisement, I may have to look at different factors to determine which one is really worth the risk.

Does the shows we watch Influence how we use our mobile devices?
This is an interesting topic due to the fact that Tv technology and mobile devices are constantly evolving. These are two competing industries that are beginning to combine in features. The influence is fast growing according to Pew Internet as about 52% of cell phone users have used their device to interact in someway with the Tv. This broad spectrum includes everything between search things on you mobile device that were mentioned on the Tv to interacting with someone through text messages about a show you are simultaneously watching. As these two industries grow and expand it will be interesting to see how they become even more interconnected.We will question how a new rating system will emerge to capture those Tv programs being streamed through mobile devices. In the competition of these two industries we also question which one will emerge as the dominant media outlet.

Who "Polices" Todays Media?

What is Digital Restrictions Management?

 The DRM is the media police. Have your ever tried to play a game on your phone and you cannot play because the game says that it requires a Internet connection? Or more close to home, who controls what music sites, are allowed and not allowed to provide free music? Artist and companies hire DRM in order to police their work. The DRM encrypts the customer’s information in order to limit distribution without the customer’s permission. In other words, they enforce the copyrighted law, making it illegal to reproduce copyrighted material.

So how does the DRM do it?

The DRM encodes media. Through encoding music, videos, and data they are able to ensure that it is not being copied and mass distributed without the proper dues to the artist. For example, ITunes formerly used the DRM to encrypt there media so that once the song was sold and downloaded to a computer, it could not be copied and played on other various technologies other than there own, this included not being able to burn CDs. Many of the file trading companies that have recently become famous, have found the loophole in the DRM. Many companies have claimed that their sites are person-to-person sharing, which is legal. This allows them to share media with the intensions becoming a large media distribution outlet.

What about us?  How does the DRM affect us?

As a college student many books are becoming placed online. These online textbooks can either be purchased or rented. In renting a textbook, you are not allowed to download any parts of the book due to that company hiring the DRM to police their work. If this is so, what are the consequences if you do not have Internet access? For that period of time you would not have access to information that you rightfully paid for. The DRM also restricts the public from making back up copies and honestly taking what is rightfully ours. In playing devils advocate, it means we must pay for our media. As the DRM regulates, we must all pay individually for our media and sharing becomes more difficult. It also means we must be careful in what we do. File sharing documents/media that is protected with copyrights are illegal. We must Stop-Think-Look-Share, to ensure that we are not committing a crime. Is this right?

Get involved!

Read the following Article by Defective by Design and begin to form your own opinion about the DRM.

Is Social Media Ruining Our Lives? How Connected Are You?

Have you ever texted someone and you wonder why it is taking them so long to answer back?  Or do you check your phone every time it vibrates, blinks, or chirps? Emails are constantly updating to our phones and “Google” is only a button away. This instant technology is now being the fall point of the increase of Attention Deficit Disorder, also known as ADD. Researchers question the amount of television in the home and if that impacts a child’s attention span. According to Social Times, it seems that because of media the average attention span has fallen from 12 minutes to 5 minutes. 5 minutes of attention equates to a paragraph of information that the brain can actually retain. If every 5 minutes a child needs to be refocused, during an hour long class the child would be asked to pay attention 12 times.  THIS IS ABSURD!

Forbes made a play at the social media aspect quoting a very popular slogan, Verizon’s “Can you hear me now?” campaign should probably be replaced with, “Are you paying attention to me now?”  This is the new slogan in our classrooms and in conversations. Face-to-face interactions are interrupted by the flashing lights and catchy ringtones of our society.   

STUDY 

In order to validate these points represented by various media outlets, I would like to conduct a study. In a college classroom, where labtops are allowed, a teacher will give a lecture. The lecture will be relevant and important to the students major. This should incline most to pay attention. Students will be asked to take notes using Microsoft Word.  During this time, I would calculate the amount of times a student deviates from there open Microsoft Word Document. Deviations include anything that is not that open Microsoft Word document including email, Facebook, Twitter, and even Elms. It is important to include Elms because it detracts the student’s attention away from the instructor. The average would be calculated by the amount of deviations over the amount of time that the professor is lecturing. What do you think the results would be?

 Does media affect the attention span of adults? No longer do we wait until Monday mornings to respond to emails. Emails are read through anytime of day throughout the weekend. Society places hourly deadlines on projects that previously were given days to complete. Jobs and businesses expect for task to be done spontaneously. With programs like remote access there is no reason why assignments have to wait until you reach work to be completed. Employers expect customers to be happy and customers expect speedy business.

Media and today’s children go hand in hand. The internet was not very popular when I was a child but in recent years it has begun to take over. Many say we are the instant generation. As an instant generation who know what will happen next.