Media

My journey through media was a rollercoaster ride filled with shocking realizations, and light bulb moments. I was very surprised at how much I didn't know or understand before this semester began. Both in class time and outside of class time were learning experiences as I learned the material, and then was able to immediately apply what I had learned to the hundreds of advertisements I see around me everyday. I consume so much media. As I drive my car I am bombarded with advertisements begging to distract me at every turn. The bright colors and catchy slogans compete for my attention in a space that should command my full attention to be on the road and the task at hand. while I am watching TV, doing research for my many classes, or simply reading emails, I am bombarded with advertisements for things that I know I will never buy. I believe that the ways in which media markets fight for our attention is harmful to our society, and distracts us from what really matters in the world. The media has taught us to be self-centered, materialistic beings that focus only on what we can buy next, rather than our friends and family. Being aware of my media consumption has helped me tremendously when living my life outside of school. I no longer pay much attention to the hundreds of ads, and I constantly attempt to warn others of the negative effects of our modern day media. It is so important to have media literacy because if we do not, we are letting others control us. We feel the constant need to be free, yet we let ourselves be enslaved and brainwashed by those who are attempting to control what we think in order to persuade us to hand over our money. Being an educated consumer is liberating. It shows those around us that we know what we are doing, and what we are spending our hard earned money on. Keeping this blog was fun and interesting, and really forced me to look at my world through a more critical lens. It has definitely helped me in the long run, and I am grateful to have had the experience of keeping it. Education is important. It liberates us, and allows us to make the choices that we want to make without the help of others. In the end, all you really possess is yourself. The truth is that all paths lead nowhere, so in order to love yourself in the end, you must choose a path that has a heart.