Before we started going into media messages, I was not aware of how much media I took in and the overall effects it had on my mind. To me, the media messages were so frequent that I began ignoring them and incorporated their presence into my life. I got my first phone towards the beginning of last year, when I started to make social media accounts and use the internet more through my phone, I was being bombarded with all different kinds of media messages. However even before this, I now realized that through the TV, billboards, print ads, and many other types of advertising, media had always been a big part of my life. All this impacted my subconsciously, I wanted to buy different products because they "looked cool" or because everyone else had them, but when I actually got the product I didn't feel the sense of completion that I thought I would get.
The bottom line of all the media I saw throughout my life was that the companies who put out these messages just want me to buy their products. Which I did, whether it be a food, game, toy, shoe, I felt the need to buy these material items to make me whole. Through this class I have been able to identify the techniques that advertisers use as well as be more aware of the media's presence. This skill is useful and needed, especially today. I may no longer feel the need to buy something because I know now what message is being directed, and to analyze my thoughts and ask myself if I really need it. Media literacy is important to everyone because we need to understand how we are being affected and what we may think as our own thoughts, aren't. Understanding our surroundings is crucial to smarter consumption.
From these logs, I have been able to express more deeply, my thoughts about different forms of media and the messages that each one gives. Instead of conforming to popular opinion, being able to express another view is priceless. The skill of being a little more media literate is mine to keep, there isn't anything that can take away the knowledge that I've earned from the class and these logs. I used to look at the logs as just another assignment, but now I realize that I can tie in the rest of the world into what I've been learning. Media can be a great thing for everyone, but only in moderation and understanding of it. Over consumption of media and not being media literate will not only change what you are, but it wont really be you. Your thoughts and actions will be determined by someone else, most people do not realize that someone else's ideals are being directed towards you.
http://medialiteracyproject.org/learn/media-literacy/
No comments:
Post a Comment