Reflection

Do we shape the media, or does the media shape us? I have asked myself this question dating back to the beginning of the media unit, and keeping this media blog has certainly helped me to come to an answer.

Modern culture is crammed with messages spread by mass media. Whether we like to admit it or not, the media's constant nagging and advertising blurs our perception and understanding of the world and our immediate reality. The media shapes our conception of reality because it is responsible for our general understanding of what reality is like. Ironically, while we rely the media to warp our perception of reality and our perception of ourselves, the media relies on us as a means of generating profit. In this sense, we are our own worst enemy. Ok, that may be a bit extreme. After all, isn't it our responsibility to use the media carefully and at our own risk? Whether the media sends out positive, accurate messages synonymous with reality is beyond our control. However, we can control whether or not we choose to listen and accept these messages ... right?

The media is undoubtedly everywhere, this I cannot deny. I consume media all day long, just about everyday; driving to school, at school, listening to the radio, watching TV, and many more. Arguably the most common source of media I am exposed to on a daily basis is social media. This media assignment has allowed me to stop and observe as people sit immersed in the world of technology rather than enjoying the moment. This has seemingly become the societal norm for people my age. Everywhere I go, there are countless faces droned into a virtual world. I am responsible for such behavior as well. For instance, I can't go to sleep until I have checked my Twitter feed and my Snapchat story is up to date. Social media dominates the social lives of myself and society as a whole. It has become and abused platform, and instead of making people more social, as the name implies it should, it has caused an immense amount of antisocial behavior. In addition, the messages that we are exposed to by way of social media certainly add to our tainted understanding of reality. This is just one of many examples portraying the media's influence on us as individuals and as a society.

The same can be said of our perpetual exposure to advertisements, which are meant to shape our personal thoughts and feelings in order to cater to the advertiser's wishes. Because we are so susceptible to the messages we hear in the media, it is incredibly easy for advertisements to lure us into buying their products. The concepts I have learned in class this year when dealing with media have allowed me to recognize the possibility of schemes in advertisements, and has therefore made me a smarter consumer. Now, I know that many things in advertisements are said in a way that makes them appear better than they are. Deals and bargains that seem unreal often aren't real. And many things that the media makes you feel are necessary, are not really necessary. Most importantly, this assignment has allowed me to identify the messages ads are sending my way so I will not be vulnerable to them.

This log helped me see many flaws in media as well as many smart aspects of it. It has also helped me to realize modern media's tremendous potential to influence culture. Advertisers know what their target audience wants, and will do anything in their power, even if that means manipulating consumers, to generate the most profit. That's the bitter truth about the media. This unit gave me the ability to analyze and evaluate the media so that I will not be susceptible to the shrewd messages the media relays to me.