In the highly technological world we live in today, it is next to impossible for us not to get absorbed into the world of media. Music, books, television, Internet, and magazines are just a few examples of the resources used to capture our interest. With all of these possibilities, it is hard for us not to be lured into the land of celebrities, wars, meaningful lyrics, fantasy creatures and beyond. Just because we are given options doesn't mean that they are necessarily the right choice for everybody or appropriate for all audiences. The types of media that have the biggest affects on me are news, television, film, and Internet.
There are many events that take place in the world, all simultaneously, so it's very important that we stay updated on what is happening. The best way to do that is keep up with the news, whether it be printed or broadcasted. Personally, I like to receive news by watching it on television. I find this to be the most reliable because it covers stories from all parts of the world, while most newspapers only feature local happenings. Also, news via Internet is not always the best choice because anyone can make something up and post it on a blog or Web site. Wikipedia, for example, may contain some factual information, but there are links where random people can add to the site and edit facts, making them fictional. There are many news stations that air at different times, so no matter what time of day, I can always find a way to see what's going on in the world. Stories come in from every part of the globe, so I find out more than just how things are going in Crystal Lake. While I find televised news to be the most reliable, I don't think that any form of getting the news is one hundred percent truthful. There is always something more going on, and they never tell us the whole story. In class a while ago, we spent the entire day talking to a United States Army soldier, and he told us that they built schools and helped the economy in Iraq, but we'd never heard any of that from other sources because the stations and newspapers only tell us one side of the story; usually the bad side.
While the news on TV is mostly decent, that may not be the case with some other programs. There are many television shows out there that cater to different types of audiences, but sometimes those audiences are crossed. There are many channels designed specifically for young children, such as Nickelodeon and Disney Channel, and channels like VH1 and MTV could be described as mostly for young adults and teens. However, some children do watch the programs for older kids, and these send them the wrong messages. Some of these shows display things like drinking, partying, sex, and rebellion, things that clearly young children should not be exposed to. What kind of ideas does this create for them? Most likely their parents don't know that they watch these shows, so they won't be taught how bad those things are until it could be too late. If they grow up and act based upon what they see on TV, a lot of trouble may follow because those shows were not meant for youngsters' eyes.
On occasion, I do enjoy watching some TV shows, but for longer-term entertainment, I watch a lot of movies. I don't have any specific favorites because there are too many good movies to choose from, but I do have favorite genres of movies. For the most part, I love scary movies and thrillers. It's just very exciting to escape from my own life for a few hours and enter into a wild, “this-could-never-happen-in-real-life” kind of situation. I love the adrenaline rush I feel when it reaches the climax, or something unexpected pops out from nowhere. Scary movies constantly keep me on the edge of my seat and interested. I also really enjoy comedies, especially when I've had a rough day because they allow me to just relax and get in a good laugh. I tend to avoid romantic comedies or chick flicks as much as possible, because they all have the same general plotline, and are so predictable I usually don't need to see past the first fifteen minutes to know how it ends. This is a good example of the point Friedrich Nietzsche made; our world is beginning to lack creativity and originality, and everything is beginning to blend together and feel the same.
The technology we have today provides us with many different modes of communication, with some easier and more convenient than others. One of these modes of communication is the Internet and Instant Messaging. That is what I use the Internet for most often: to talk with my friends. To me, it's more private too because if I talk on the phone, everyone around me can hear my conversation, and I don't always want that to happen. With Instant Messaging, there is no sound required; all you have to do is type in your message and a few seconds later you'll get a reply! This is the reason for most of the time I spend online, and even so I don't spend very much time on the Internet. Other times, I use the Internet for school research, just because it is the easiest and least time-consuming. These days Google can find basically any information you might be looking for! There are sometimes small snippets of current events headlining some Web sites, but I very rarely pay attention to those because they are mostly about celebrities and I have no personal interest in what's going on with their crazy lives.
The media as a whole occupies a large portion of our lives, and this has some advantages. One of the aspects I really like about our media is the awareness it arouses for everyone. Especially with a war going on across seas, it's important for people to be informed on what's going on. Since we have so many different ways for the media to be in our lives, there is always a way for us to find out information. When something happens with the war in Iraq, the next day it's headlined on the front pages of all news papers, the biggest news stories, and pops up all over the Web. The downside to this, however, is that in constricts the amount of privacy people receive. If not political issues, it's usually celebrities in the spotlights, highlighted with the latest trends and scandals. This is troublesome to me because we should be focusing more on our own lives, and how to make them better and how to help others, rather than bring them down by criticizing their every move.
With all our resources of media, there is no doubt that people are affected by it. We experience it everyday whether we know it or not, just by reading a magazine, looking at a billboard, or seeing a television commercial. No two people are affected the same way, because it all depends on how you look at the situation. Our media can either be a positive influence or a negative one, and is a way of showing perspective. The parts of media that affect me most are news, television, film, and Internet.
