Media, My distant friend

            When I think about the word Media, it reminds me of the words newspaper, magazines, books and the internet.  Media is really amazing since it put the readers in another side of the world.  A newspaper would be packed with information about other side of world or about bacteria that only exist in a certain environment.  I do not usually read the news or communicate with people on the internet because it is time consuming but once in a while I pick up a newspaper or go to social media sites hence the title.

             One circle that I have dipped myself in to is the world of late night television.  I watch YouTube videos of talk show host and personalities.  They would joke about current events which tell me that things aren’t so bad.  Most of my information comes from late night shows so I may know something about the pope picking his boogers instead of his political views or how the pope saved people.  I think media is so diverse these days that one in thirty people would know a references I am talking about.  While media is so accessible, people have grown apart consuming different types of media.  It seems like only major events like the presidential race or the super bowl tether people together. 

            Media is a huge part of how I see the world.  The news would try to fill in spaces in my point of view.  For example, I do not know many Irish people so I would fill in that space with an Irish talk show host who is funny and I would generalize that Irish people are funny.  Movies also influence my identity since I would sympathize with villains.  Heroes always mess with them.  This somehow made me believe that plans do not work out.  I do not want the media to highly influence me so I restrict my access.

sometimes friends tell me about these interesting things.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1GugkeXGB8

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About myself

 Who do you think you are?

I am an asian girl who is pretty much into Asian Dramas. I am not a big social media person, but I do use social media. But for now, I would rather talk about the media that I watch on a big screen. I was dramas, But, that's not to say that I have never watched American shows, because I have! However, the few shows I watched are Grey's Anatomy, Twisted, Tut, some Disney Channel Original TV Shows, are all coincidentally centered around a women's love and sex life. That's not to say that all American TV shows do that, but they all have in common at least a scene per episode that contains sex or love and that there are more sex scenes than the actual plot. To be honest, I want to just watch television without a lot of sexual tension. It is really hard for me to look for those shows, but luckily for me, I found other media that fits my taste.
Most of my media consumptions revolves around asian media. I watch dramas that are mostly from Asia. Most of the dramas I watch are usually surrounding a female protagonist who is usually in a struggle situation. Which, for me, I see as the character grows and develops the female protagonist becomes stronger!

What I realized is that, most of our personality and how we act are all focused and centered around what we watch. If we watch something kickass and something strong and motivated, we tend to follow and imitate what we see. So, if a person watches shows and drams with a female that's shy to talk to others, and very submissive, the person who watches it might do the same thing and not stand up for what he or she stands for. For me, I'm similar to that too. I like to watch a strong female protagonist fighting for what is good, but is also nice enough to care about others. I think the more I watch dramas, the more I realized much of the person I am today centers a lot from what I have been watching. 

Most of the media from Hollywood centers a girl dreaming and growing up to marry a prince one day. I was at work the other day, and I asked my students, what do you want to grow up to be? Almost all of them said, "I want to be a princess!" That made me really upset. In society, we are taught by media that girls do not have to support themselves but rather look for a prince. For example, you can see some old disney movies such as Cinderella and Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. They all center around a girl dreaming to live in a big castle or waiting for the perfect guy to come. Now, it's not to say that waiting for the perfect guy is wrong, but as a women, we shouldn't just depend on the support of the "prince" and support ourselves. 

We all look up to media. And sometimes, even though we critique it by saying how terrible it is, we always end up imitating the things we watch. And we relate to it as though it is apart of our lives. But, I guess, in the end, we or at least, I, can't escape from Media, so I just end up being absorbed into it. look

This world we call Media

In this age, media can be anything and is everywhere. Whether its television, or social media websites, or magazines and newspapers, its the way information is passed on to the public. Its a general terminology which everyone can play a role in.  I use instagram everyday. I dont contribute as often to instagram but its a way i keep in touch with peoples lives. And whats going on in the world. Everytime there is important information about a black lives matter movement the first place i see it is on instagram. I see it, and then frantically start searching google for whats going and whats the latest update. Thats how many people i know contribute to media. And its a big way as to how i absorb media.

I love movies. I dont get to watch nearly as many as I'd like to,  but i like to think thats one kind of way to see how certain parts of the world or certain cultures are seen in the public. Movies are filled with so many biases. As a child i watched many action movies, all of which had a the tough big heroic MALE character and i used to want to be that MAN because i thought "wow men have so much power". I dont think this in this manner anymore. But many times when i watch a movie, i look for the subtle ways that women or people of color may be downgraded or at the character's stereotypical personality.

Like this picture here from the latest hit movie Suicide Squad. He had the typical hispanic accent with the typical tattooed body of a gangster with the typical belief in jesus christ whom seeks redemption in one way or another. (I will note my boyfriend says I'm extremely critical of movies. Even though i love watching movies.)

The way the media portrays women and men i think contributes alot to how people see themselves. I know when i open up a magazine i wont see a girl modelling clothes that will fit my body. Or even slightly look like the way i do. I'm constantly cross between loving my body and wishing it was "media sexy". Im a somewhat thick hispanic woman who wears average clothing. I dont see that portrayed by magazines or popular shows either. Alot of the times i feel the media pressures me to want to spend money on hot clothes and the latest technology even if i dont have the resources. Because thats what rich stars do and i should want to be like them? I dont think i really do but i think its an idea placed high on the charts. Some people I know will waste money on red bottom shoes even if they don't have it.
Take a look at these shoes! They cost a mini fortune! But why wouldn't we measure ourselves against others portrayed in the media?http://us.christianlouboutin.com/us_en/shop-online-3/women-1/women.html?p=0

How Media Impacts My Life -Simona Borkina

            Media encompasses almost every aspect of our lives and it is almost impossible to escape it without losing some connection to others. Global events such as earthquakes, terror attacks, and new inventions are now presented almost instantaneously through different media outlets, allowing people all over the world to be informed. Political events such as Presidential debates incorporate social media such as Twitter and Facebook as well as live streams to engage a younger audience in asking questions.

As a media consumer, I have the power to support other creators as well as voice my opinion regarding their content. I subscribe to various magazines targeted towards my demographic, curate a collection of YouTube channels that appeal to me, and am able to participate in forums. I also engage myself in keeping up to date with current events and pop culture, along with staying in the loop on all forms of social media.

            In addition to consuming media, I also produce my own content using outlets. When I was younger, I made YouTube videos to share my life with my viewers where I focused on beauty application techniques, clothing hauls, tips for organization, and vlogs. Currently I am very active in posting on my social media accounts including Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter. In posting to the public sphere, I have the ability to shape how I want people to see me by choosing the content that I upload. 

           Media plays a huge role in my life and my identity because when with friends (despite being made fun of for this), I catch myself stopping a conversation in order to take a photo to upload on Snapchat. I always aimlessly scroll through my feeds to catch up with what I have missed that day when I should be doing more important things. Though media has the ability to unite people all around the world, it also can be isolating when it’s taken to an extreme. I feel that I would benefit from being more conscious of living in the moment than through my iPhone screen.

Media Consumption in My Everyday Life- Ashley Roth

Ashley Roth
9/3/16

Media is an important way for society to communicate ideas to a large amount of people at once. My role as a media consumer is to try to form my own opinions and viewpoints about what is broadcasted in television, radio, what is written in newspapers, books and magazines.  Another role that I have an obligation as a media consumer is to be able to express my ideas about different issues.  The most important role that I have as a media consumer is the ability to support fair and honest journalism, television programs and radio broadcasts.  I am the consumer who can choose what television programs and news that I watch.  I can subscribe or unsubscribe to various magazines and newspapers, if I believe they are trying to influence my ideas and opinions about various issues throughout the world. My role is to be able to express my ideas and opinions in a fair and just manner.  My role as a media consumer is to reject computer websites that write about hatred, ridicule or express racist ideas. Media is all around me and most people use some form of media on a daily basis.  People are so infatuated with their social media accounts in today’s world. I use Facebook, Twitter and Instagram on a daily basis to communicate with my friends, family and peers. These forms of media allow me to interact with others in a fast and convenient way. Social media allows people to be able to read or listen to other ideas from all over the world. It is very easy to like posts, share content and comment on other people’s social media accounts. YouTube is another social media account that I can learn about others and communicate with the world. It fascinates me how there are so many videos I can watch on YouTube, all with varying topics and I can easily update this medium globally. In my free time, I enjoy taking surveys, reading articles and watching videos on Buzz Feed. Buzz Feed is another website that is interesting, fun and makes time pass by quickly.

Television is another media form that I use on a daily basis. I watch the news each night and I am able to learn about different events that occurs throughout the world in a fast and entertaining way. Television is an important form of media and allows ideas and facts to be spread quickly. I like to watch PBS news to find out about current events and find out what is taking place in the world, as well as, about other people’s lives. It is a broadcast station that also provide me with different types of cultural activities, musical concerts and a vast array of different forms of entertainment.

Magazines are another type of media that I use in my daily life. Reading different articles allows me to learn about other points of view in my society.  Magazines touch points on politics, disasters in other parts of the world and I can read about different points of view. I am able to get an idea how different voters view both candidates through various polls.  I can then communicate my points of view with others.  I am given the opportunity to share various viewpoints with my friends, family, college students and Professors.  It gives me an avenue where I can become more rounded and expand my knowledge about many issues.  I am able to learn about new products, opinions, knowledge and promotions through the various magazines published content. I enjoy reading Time  Magazine and People Magazine.

 Link:

http://www.socialworktoday.com/archive/051313p10.shtml

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