After doing the Media Blogs, I've realized how much media impacts people's lives. I've never really watched much T.V. so I had never really thought about how much media affect us. However, now I realize Up until now, I've never really realized how much media promotes new things that are the most up to date or what they want you feel when you think of a certain product. Now, I see that I've been just like any other person you could meet on the street. A person who looking for the latest stuff and the stuff that can bring them the most action out of their lives. In reality, I was a puppet of the media and a slave to the advertising products. As of now, I realize that all I was doing was that I was buying into the media messages like a hungry kid who just wanted more food on their plate.
Now that I'm aware of the media messages, I'm able to identify the effect it has on people. For example, some companies like Target or McDonald's has a mascot with the company's overall message, that associates with their brand or product. Therefore, when you think of that brand or their products, you associate the mascot that has the company's message. Based on what the mascot looks like and the way it makes you feel, you can change the way you feel about products. In addition, being aware of media consumption can help us think what is true from false. Some advertisements make it seem like they can give you intangible things like love, hope, and happiness. However, by being aware of media consumption we can see that we can't obtain those things from the products that companies want us to buy.
I feel that I have become media literate. After analyzing advertisements, connotations, and other techniques, I've been able to see more of the media's way of doing things and their approach. I don't think that I'm super good at it yet, but good enough to get a pretty good idea at what the media is aiming for. At this point, I think that I can identify the message of advertisements and who the advertisements are aiming for. For example, in this era, companies that sell the latest technology will appeal more to young teens and young parents. On the other hand, the local community companies appeal to their long-time customers rather than branch countries.
I think that my media consumption habits have changed because now I can see the messages that companies are trying to convey. Although, the media and any other types of advertising make their product look good, convenient, and better than any other product out there will always be another company that says they're better. The past me would never be able to identify what the company thinks their consumer's identity and what they want, what people naturally want to afflict themselves with, or what type of advertising techniques the company uses. Instead, I'm able to see that this product is appealing to us because "this" reason, the company sets up an identity that we want to afflict with in their product, and what advertising techniques the company is using.
After studying media, I believe that having media literacy is important. If we don't have any media literacy then we will always be the little kid with the plate asking for more food. By having media literacy we will be able to see how the media uses words to warp the meanings of words. Without any media literacy, we can buy into the words meanings. For example, the word "slim" sounds better than the word "skinny." Therefore, when we hear the word "slim" it has a more positive effect than the word "skinny." When most people see this they would feel good about themselves, but realistically, both words still mean the same thing.
An educated consumer is someone who can identify the different techniques and always be filtering the unnecessary information media gives us. Without educated consumers, we would just mindlessly buy a bunch of junk that we don't really need. Educated consumers are the stepping stones that realize the problems and think of a way to fix it. This allows us not to fall into the trap of the media who keeps feeding us with more ideas that "all we need is their product" or "this product will solve all of our problems."
Thanks to all the media blog posts, I've realized that there is a whole lot of media in the world and that media exists in many different places. Media doesn't only exist in T.V. advertisements, but also in articles, music videos, and songs. Inside these places are hidden messages that we hear, but we don't really realize. There are all sorts of different messages and these messages have different meanings to different people. Some can make them feel sad or happy, some make people feel achieved, some cause pity which makes people want to take action, and some get us to want more. It is these messages that are driving the world today and the people in it.
I feel that media is like a big puzzle filled with a lot of complicated pieces that we are unable to put together. The images and words that the media shows us is the image that they want us to see. However, with no mind to solve the puzzle, we end up just give up by giving into the media's message.
