Like is the new love

One of the great benefits of our age is the ability to access data and swiftly turn it into an enlightening (or at least entertaining) infographic, and share it — quite literally — with the world. Who knew that college students had such a strong liking for Corona, Chipotle, and Macs? Facebook, of course.
This graphic makes it clear.

"Day Without Media" not worth living?

A former newsroom coworker just spotted this gem of a public notice in New Mexico — and naturally captured the image with her cell phone camera and posted it on her FaceBook page.

It brings to mind a fascinating study my husband, Dan Close, recently conducted with his classes at Wichita State University's Elliott School of Communication. Asking digital natives to give up their cell phones, videogames, laptops, iPods, TVs, etc., etc., for just 12 hours was asking more of them than most initially realized.

Students wrote about their experiences, and he presented the findings at a Popular Culture Association conference (in Albuquerque by coincidence). He called it “A Day Without Media: Freaking Out Students Who Take Technology for Granted.”

Most, as the title indicates, described themselves as disconnected, lost, afraid, alienated, on edge, lonely, stressed, frustrated, silenced, withdrawn, clueless, irritable, antsy. . . you get the idea. “It was a weird experience,” said AB, “and that’s saying the least.” A few made good use of their new-found free time and tackled chores, enjoyed time with family or friends, or just felt blessed by the relative silence.


For the course I teach for the Elliott School, Comm 502 Public Information Writing, I opened the first night of class with a request that students turn off their cells and put them away — but conceded that if it proved too uncomfortable, they should at least put these distracting little devices out of sight and out of immediate reach for the 90 minutes we meet. It's not surprising that young adults are programmed to reach constantly for their phones; a recent Pew study indicates they typically send and receive 50 text messages a day.     

Brunettes kick more butt?

My teenage daughter is caught up with the idea that although a highly acclaimed film version of "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" has been made in Sweden and released on DVD in the United States (just $19.99 in a flashy display at Borders!), there are already plans to remake it with an American cast.

She is anticipating casting "disaster."

"They can't just stick a nose ring on some blonde Kristen Stewart and call her a badass."

Well, they can, but it won't make it so, I assure her.

There are few bedrock truths in this life, and one of them is that badass girls are brunettes.

So who could be believable in the role as punked-out crime-solving computer hacker Lisbeth Salander? A young Angelina Jolie? A young Wynnona Ryder? Do we even have actresses like this in the wings these days?

"No," she says emphatically. "They are going to have to find someone unknown."

You know, like Sweden's Noomi Rapace, the original Lisbeth.

Freshman reading, give or take a few years

Thanks, Kansas State University, for assigning "The Hunger Games" to this year's freshman class as summer reading. I grabbed the paperback copy you gave my daughter at orientation and didn't return it until I'd finished it four days later with a hearty: "Wow, you're gonna love it!"

And of course, she did.

Suzanne Collins' deceptively simple tale of postapocalyptic America will give students the framework for discussing the ethics of self-defense, rebellion, government control, bio-engineering and even hunting. Along the way, she borrows elements from the Greeks' Minotaur myth, Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" and "American Idol" to create an altogether new story.

Chances are good, however, that before classes start Aug. 23, many students will have already blasted their way through the second book in the trilogy: "Catching Fire" — just in time for the concluding "Mockingjay," which is due out Aug. 24. This is, of course, exactly what 18-year-olds need: Books that light up their minds, that provoke discussion and discourse.

Can't wait to hear all about it at Family Weekend.

Adding social media to the medicine cabinet

People fighting chronic illnesses are less likely than others to have Internet access (62% vs. 81%), but once online they are more likely to blog or participate in online discussions about health problems, according to a report released March 24 by the Pew Internet and American Life Project and the California HealthCare Foundation.

"Once online, having a chronic disease increases the probability that someone will take advantage of social media to share what they know and learn from their peers," the study found.

Still, people living with chronic disease remain strongly connected to offline sources of medical assistance and advice:

• 93% of adults living with chronic disease ask a health professional for information or assistance in dealing with health or medical issues.
• 60% ask a friend or family member.
• 56% use books or other printed reference material.
• 44% use the internet.
• 38% contact their insurance provider.
• 6% use another source not mentioned in the list.

Looking at the population as a whole, 51% of American adults living with chronic disease have looked online for any of the health topics included in the survey, such as information about a specific disease, a certain medical procedure, prescription or over-the-counter drugs, or health insurance.

Quote of the day

"There's a saying that we've now changed to read: 'Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can kill.' "

— Warren Blumenfeld, Iowa State

lead author of new study into cyberbullying

Stop, focus and read

Long before it was called "multitasking," researchers have been looking at just how well people can do two things at once. An article in The Chronicle of Higher Education gives a fascinating — and for many folks, counterintuitive — update. More than 100 years ago, the Industrial Age saw young factory workers rolling cigars while listening to books, newspapers and political or religious tracts being read aloud; the Tech Age finds today's college student sending text-messages in class while listening to the lecture, watching a PowerPoint with imbedded videos, taking notes and googling facts in anticipation of the professor's questions.

The multimedia experience, conventional wisdom tells us, enhances learning as it "lights up" more parts of the brain, but now it appears that people may be merely buzzed by over stimulation.

"Heavy multitaskers are often extremely confident in their abilities," Clifford I. Nass, a professor of psychology at Stanford University, told The Chronicle. "But there's evidence that those people are actually worse at multitasking than most people."

Nass and colleagues published a study in 2009 revealing that people who described themselves as multitaskers performed much worse on tests of cognition and memory that involved distraction than their counterparts who said they preferred to focus on single tasks. And a newer, as-yet-unpublished study by Nass, et al., shows that people who give a lot of time over to media screens fare worse on analytic questions, too.

"One of the deepest questions in this field," Nass says, "is whether media multitasking is driven by a desire for new information or by an avoidance of existing information. Are people in these settings multitasking because the other media are alluring — that is, they're really dying to play Freecell or read Facebook or shop on eBay — or is it just an aversion to the task at hand?"

So glad you dropped by to read this post — hope it didn't distract you for too long from your other tasks!

Quote of the day

"Businesses today fall into three camps – the social 'denyer,' the accidental socialite, and the socially aware.

— Michael Fauscette, IDC

Man of Steel takes on self-righteous rants

He may not think of himself as a Superman, but the strength of John Stewart's political humor on "The Daily Show" is that he consistently conveys the message that he is looking out for Truth, Justice and the American Way. His delivery style shows that he's not grinding an ax, he's just trying to have an intelligent and witty conversation with friends (his audience). And like any good friend, when political observation degenerates into ranting, Stewart considers it his responsibility to lead an intervention.  Rhetoric and debate professors across the nation no doubt cheered his Jan. 21 Special Comment.

"Wichita" on video

Have you ever been watching a movie or TV show (or music video) and realized that you recognize the location? Maybe it's the 10,000th shot of Central Park featuring that little lake that you cruised past in a pedacab on your trip to New York City. Or a house with a lot of character near your old school. It gives you a little thrill, eh?

It's even better when the camera captures familiar images but gives them back to you in a way that opens your eyes. Lonny Quattlebaum and Wade Hampton, a couple of talented videographers and fellow Wichitans, took a quick nighttime tour through our hometown the other day and produced a startling little video. Thanks to the soundtrack by local musician Gooding, Wichita has never looked (or sounded) so space-age and gritty in the space of about two minutes. But that pretty much sums up the spectrum here!

WICHITA from Wade Hampton on Vimeo.

Look! Up in the Sky!

Trash or Art? I say: Pure genius! Check out an aptly named photo collection: Things Caught In Trees.

Thanks to cellphone cameras, it's easier than ever to document the world around us, but we have to take the time to actually see what's around us!

An informal survey quickly revealed that the irony inherent in the pic of the Dollar Tree Store bag was a favorite of many viewers . . . proving that these are not just "throwaway" snapshots! (Sorry for the pun; couldn't resist.)

(thanks to @nprnews for the heads up on Twitter!)

Creative video projects

I love working with videographers and editors because the time they spend with a new tool (camera, graphics software, etc.) is just one more reason to let their creativity run loose.

This "playing around" isn't wasted time — it's all about learning how to get the most from your resources. As a bonus, it usually produces something that's fun to watch, too!

Consider this "videoscrapbook page" from Wichita State University video/editing guy Rik Dubiel, who incorporates footage from a Cannon HV20, some fun music, nicely choreographed color effects, and one cute as a bug little boy exploring his back yard.

My Backyard 3 from Rik Dubiel on Vimeo.

Did you catch the basset hound wagging his tail to the beat? Nice work, Rik!

A whirlwind of a week!

Broadcasting legend Cokie Roberts visited Wichita State University as part of her national author's tour, and generously gave her time to several campus events, including a speech Wednesday night, a "Conversation With the Provost" Thursday morning and about an hour on the air during KMUW-FM's spring pledge drive. Cokie, promoting her updated best-seller "We Are Our Mothers' Daughters," has plenty to say about the changing roles of women, the expectations of men, the current state of politics and business, and much more. It will be a challenge to package the video footage we collected into just an hourlong show, but it's a good challenge to have. Several people have stopped me to ask when they could see "Wichita State & The World's" Cokie episode — look for it in May. (And check back for updates!)


Thursday night, local TV icon Anita Cochran hosted an in-studio Tweetup for her Twitter pals during the 10 o'clock news. Tonight is her final broadcast for KSN, Ch. 3, and though Wichita viewers will miss her terribly, I couldn't be happier for her. She decided a few months ago to invest more time in her family life, specifically her tween-age daughters. I may be biased; I made a similar move in 2007. Anita won't languish at home with daytime TV and bonbons (for those of you who cling to stereotypes!); she has some exciting projects in the works.

A victory for Wichita

So satisfying to see Wichita City Council candidate Janet Miller elected Tuesday. She is going to do a great job representing District 6 (a wedge that starts downtown and runs along I-135 on the east and the Big Ditch on the west). Integrity isn't just a campaign buzzword when it comes to Janet; it's central to her character.

I served as her campaign media coordinator, which meant working on everything from postcards to TV ads to Web site content. Greg Sullivan of Sullivan Gang Graphics did an outstanding job on her "visual message" (everything from developing her logo to designs for mailers and the Web site) and offering gentle counsel — he's worked on countless local and state campaigns.

And the volunteer organization was awesome. I especially admire those who gave up their weekends to walk neighborhoods in the wind, rain, cold (13 degrees one day!) A severe ankle injury kept me from joining them, but I'm not sure I would have made it that day even if I had been whole!

After 26 years in a newsroom, where professional ethics prevented me from taking an active role in a political campaign, it is so good to be able to do more to ensure that voters get a clear view of the best candidate in a race.

Changing things for the better: Dr. P

I'm so happy with how the new episode of "Wichita State & The World" turned out. This month, Provost Gary Miller talks with WSU Professor Ken Pitetti — one of my favorite people on campus.

Ken is one of those rare human dynamos who manages to inspire everyone he comes into contact with — without wearing them out. His generous spirit means he is as giving to aspiring nurses and medtechs in the classroom as he is to autistic kids and his fellow amputee veterans in the research environment. His personal story — of, yes, tragedy and triumph — has led him on a winding but fascinating career path.


I first "met" Ken through my husband, WSU Associate Professor Dan Close, in 1991. Dan had interviewed Ken for a magazine profile and came home mightily impressed with his ground-breaking work, his character, his innate curiosity, his humor and grit.

I've never taken a course from Ken — maybe one day! — but I've learned a lot from him.

I hope you'll check out the show. This episode debuts at 8 p.m. Thursday, April 9, with repeats at 7 p.m. Sunday, April 12, 8 p.m. Thursday, April 23
and 7 p.m. Sunday, April 26.

For more info and links, go to www.wichita.edu/provost and scroll down to the center of the page.

Telltale numbers

As we approach the 10th anniversary of the Columbine shooting, you will no doubt be confronted with lots of "where are we now" stories. Consider these results from a new survey of K-12 teachers:

— 2 in 5 teachers have faced verbal or physical aggression from a student's parent or guardian.

— 1 in 4 say a pupil has attacked them.

— 1 in 3 teachers in primary schools say they have experienced physical aggression, compared with 1 in 5 in secondary schools.

More evidence that American kids are out of control? No.

This data comes from Britain, where nearly 60 percent of those who took part in the Association of Teachers and Lecturers' survey said they thought student behavior had worsened during the past five years.

Horror stories included 6-year-olds trashing rooms and computers, pulling knives, and attacking teachers and other students.

In contrast, my time last year filling in as an English and history teacher at Wichita's East and North high schools — which many people perceive as "inner-city" environments — was rewarding and low-conflict. Just a thought.

Life list

Saw this here and thought it would be fun to play along — especially considering the theme of Wednesday's presentation: Reinvention. The rules: Bold the things you’ve done, and post on your blog!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea (does "from shore" count?)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice (well, at The Venetian in Las Vegas!)
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors (The old stone house in Glenadagh, County Mayo, is now a hay barn.)
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language (Plains Indian sign language, very handy in elementary school)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

More than words can say

Music speaks to us like no other media, communicating volumes in just a few notes. Last week in a class I'm taking on law enforcement issues, we all giggled when the instructor's cell phone began ringing "The Imperial March" (Darth Vader's Theme) from "Star Wars." And a friend on Twitter today summed up her thanks for a job well done with this BlipFM Props to the cops for making a speedy arrest in the carjacking of an 84-year-old man. Says it all.

The 3 R's for the new economy

I'll be speaking at the Wichita Professional Communicators' March lunch meeting on a topic that's become hot in this chilly economy: Career reinvention.

I happily took on this task because I've built my work life on the principles of taking calculated risks, accepting creative challenges and other key factors that help keep life interesting and rewarding.

My presentation is called "Reinvent, Revitalize, Renew: The 3 R’s You Must Master Now," and here's the pitch: "As a professional communicator, you’re a whiz at readin’ and ’riting, and thanks to calculators, you can even handle ’rithmatic. But your old reliable skills may not be enough to help you ride out these rough economic times. Media consultant L. Kelly offers practical advice for rejuvenating your job skills — and your life — at the March 4 Wichita Professional Communicators luncheon meeting.

"L. Kelly spent 26 years with The Wichita Eagle, working a variety of jobs as a writer, editor and page designer in the news, features and opinion sections. After directing the paper’s coverage of the BTK investigation, she was project leader and co-author of the true crime book 'Bind, Torture, Kill: The Inside Story of the Serial Killer Next Door' (HarperCollins 2007). She is now a media consultant, TV producer and communications trainer with her own company, L. Kelly Media Services, and teaches at Wichita State University."

RSVP to Becky Funke by noon Monday, March 2, at bfunke@activeagingonline.com, call 942-5385, or reserve and prepay using WPC’s online PayPal account at www.wichitaprofessionalcommunicators.com.

DATE: Wednesday, March 4
TIME: 11:30 a.m. sharp-12:30 p.m.
PLACE: Larkspur, 904 E. Douglas
COST: Members $12, students $10, guests $15

Wake-up call

As I've noted here before, I'm a statistical junkie.

Not the memorize-the-back-of-a-baseball-card type, but let me log into the online Statistical Abstract of the United States, or the Department of Justice's research section on violent crime, or a well-executed attitude and opinion survey, and I'll be gone for hours. I'm a miner at heart, digging up little gems and following veins of information this way 'n' that, hoping to reach the mother lode of knowledge and insight. I'm constantly finding stuff while on my way to look up something else.

Today's treasure is a 2008 video that challenges viewers to consider the necessity of career reinvention — given global pressures and technological advances — in the Information Age.

The video asks: "So what does it all mean?"

It's a competitive world. Position yourself accordingly.