Reflecting

 Media is everywhere around us. From the day we are born to the day we die, it is inevitable that we will encounter some form of media on a daily basis. As mentioned in previous blogs, I have been exposed to media even before I was born, and it definitely has affected my current mindset and lifestyle. In the grand scheme of things, media makes up the majority of the world we live in, as it has managed to snake its way into every nook and cranny possible.

The books, posters, handouts, and documentaries we use in school are all forms of media, and there is no doubt that the use of media has and will continue to become more prominent in our traditional systems, such as education and the workforce. As a student, I am constantly consuming large amounts of media while on campus, through all of the books we read, podcasts and videos we watch, and signs in the hallways telling us to stay drug free and advertising yearbooks. Even right now, as I am writing this blog, there have been multiple ads that have popped up in the corner of my screen for cars and cleaning products. On my own, I would say I spend the majority of my time outside of school watching YouTube, going on Instagram and Snapchat, or out shopping and hanging out at stores and things of that nature with friends and family. With that being said, media has the biggest influence on my life today, and has in turn affected me both negatively and positively.

While I have only been allowed access to social media by my parents for the last four years or so, there is no doubt that my exposure to everything social media has to offer has changed my life. When I was first granted permission to go on YouTube and Webkinz as a sixth grader, I was instantly exposed to this new world where everyone looked so cool and I felt like I needed to have whatever products they had and used religiously in order to be like them and have that sort of credibility. The YouTubers I watched at the time helped me dress trendy and showed me what was cool and in and how I could get the looks they had from whatever stores had been popular in that moment. Even on Webkinz and Moshi Monsters, which were gaming sites for kids, I was introduced to this idea that I had to save up to spend money on the items that everyone else had and to go to the places in these virtual worlds that were the most popular. Although I had not been aware of the real effect these forms of media had on me during this time, today I can see what a huge impact these marketing companies have had on not only my lifestyle, but my thought process and ideals as well.

It is crazy to see how much five minute YouTube videos and posts on Instagram can change the way you see yourself and the people around you. Our society today gets the majority of our ideals and morals from what we agree and disagree with on the internet, and those are also dictated by who and what the internet says we should side with.

I think that there is so much power in being aware of the effect that media can have on an individual. Especially since the advertising we are exposed to are usually twisted and edited in some way by marketing companies to sell us their products or lifestyles, it is very easy for one to get caught up in trying to meet impossible unrealistic standards. Being able to tell what is real and what is not is such an important skill when it comes to consumerism. This knowledge is what can keep us from growing these insecurities and unnecessary desires that derive from these marketing companies, and being literate in terms of media can help us differentiate real from fake.

Throughout my experience writing these media blogs, I would definitely say I have become more self aware of my actions and how easy it is for me to let the media consume my mind and dictate what I believe in. I definitely would admit to comparing myself with everyone on social media and gaining all of these insecurities from doing so. By writing these blogs and analyzing the media for what it truly is, I have become more accepting of myself in the long run, and have begun to transition out of comparing myself with others. I think seeing the corrupted messages and images portrayed by the media in depth has shown me that nothing’s perfect, but everything can be edited to make it seem that way, and I think that is probably the most important thing I have gotten from writing these journals. This process has been very eye-opening and enjoyable for me, and I would like to continue doing more writing practices like this in the future.