We hear the word “media” constantly being tossed around
in our present society, but for good reason. Media is constantly around us,
whether it is the news we watch, the books we read, or even the people we
interact with, we are all helplessly intertwined with media. For me, media is
the technology we are exposed to in our everyday lives. By technology, I am
referring to all sorts of ‘mediums.’ Alan Durant (2009) wrote in his book Language and Media, that “Media may be
described as the technologies that extend human communication capabilities”
(2009, p. 57).
Being the quintessential source of influence in my life,
one can certainly assume how important media is to me. It basically makes up my
perceived ‘reality’ of life. Without media, I would be a boat without its body
of water, stuck in the barren ground, without any means of fulfilling its use. I
am constantly being exposed to information via the seemingly infinite mediums
around me; it really is both a blessing and a curse to have technology so
readily available to us nowadays.
However, as much as I appreciate the technology at my
disposal, I should also question how this constant bombardment of information
affects my mindset. Upon logging into my Facebook account, I am always quick to
check my timeline and literally get exposed to different news articles, all
with bold titles. However, how can I be sure of what I am reading as a source
valid information? In all honesty, I cannot.
There is where my bittersweet appreciation for media
comes to play, I love the convenience and usefulness everything related to
media brings to me, but at the same time I am hesitant to readily absorb the
vast array of shiny images, and bolded headlines presented. Media can quite
possibly be a tool used by whoever is in control to desensitize and turn the
massive viewing population into zombies. I remember reading from somewhere that
media was an instrumental tool in shaping the general population to all be
alike, therefore easier to control.
I’ll leave you, the readers with the following question;
How big of an impact do you feel that media has on a society?
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