Media Blog Reflection: Back to the Start and Back Again

             So here we are. Look around and absorb it in all of its glory. You might not ever get to see this again. (Although not really, because the internet is forever).
Throughout the process of keeping this blog, I've really learned a lot about how much media I consume, and what goes into the media I consume. And for once, I'm very excited about being able to look back on my life and cringe at my ignorance. Usually I would try to block these parts out of my mind. However, now I can actually recognize my ignorance, I'm proud of how much I have learned. Being able to recognize my own ignorance means that I have changed, I have grown, and I am now more aware of the world around me.
             Despite this, my relationship with media has yet to change. Although to be honest, I wasn't very aware of my media consumption habits before starting this blog. Sure I would notice the little sidebars and such, being tailored to everything that I already consumed, but I never did anything about them. At least now though, I can recognize what companies are trying to get me to feel and believe. However, sometimes that doesn't prevent me from falling for it. In this respect, I have a lot of work to do in my coming years, but I think now I'm more ready than I ever was to take on this challenge.
              For me, it is important to have this new found media literacy so that I can navigate through the sea of lies that sits before me. And so that I can help the people around me who have been so negatively impacted by the media they've been exposed to.
              You always consume more media than you think you do, and just because you notice it doesn't mean you aren't still gobbling it up like a thanksgiving turkey. Sadly even the media that we are aware of still manages to impact our identities by telling us that we're not good enough, or that we're so close but we're just missing one little thing, and that thing just so happens to be whatever they're trying to sell us. But listen, you could have everything in your life be perfect, and you could still not be satisfied. Media always tries to tell us that to be happy we have to be somebody else. But if you're somebody else, who the heck is going to be wonderful and glorious you? Believe it or not, because you were born you now play an essential role in all of humanity (not to put too much pressure on you or anything).  You are a person, and you are all that you need to be and it is a downright shame that media tells you otherwise for the sake of their billion-dollar corporations that will collapse with time and be nothing more but wasted wealth.

       You are a person. Nothing more. Nothing less. You can change the world, or you can conform to it. But ask yourself first which way you will be happier.

     
Thank you for your time, it's been a journey.