Reflection

      As long as i have been able to see, read, and truly absorb everything going on around me, I have been a target of countless media messages. And from the time i was born, the amount of media we consume has only tripled. These messages shaped who I am and how I perceive myself. At some unconscious level, I was always aware of these messages, but until this year, I never really stopped to think about them. How these messages affected me, and the society around me.
      Recently, when confronted with any sort of media, I am able approach it tentatively and with healthy skepticism. With the skills I have learned i can identify what messages, either implicit or explicit, the media is sending to me. I think about who is sending this message, and what they are trying to get out of it. Once I realize the intent, I can consider the different strategies and techniques used to get my attention and persuade me. For example, when playing an app on my phone, i was shown a video ad for a different app. It showed a women clad in white on a horse encouraging a group of men to charge into battle. I was almost immediately able to recognize that the ad was focusing on satisfying the need for aesthetic sensations, and the need to achieve. Another thing I have noticed is the amount of hidden messages in all of the media we consume.
     It is not always as easy to recognize these messages as it is with a commercial. For example, I have begun to notice the insane amount of product placement in the shows we watch. finding these brands is almost like a scavenger hunt. In one episode of Its Always Sunny In Philadelphia I saw two conveniently placed brands. One for Coors Light, and one for Subway. It never occurred to me to look for them before, but now that I am aware of these messages I can think about them critically, instead of just absorbing them unconsciously.
     Another thing I have observed this semester is the media's effect on women. Close analysis of the media's depiction of women shows a dark picture for our society of how we see women, or how big media corporations want us to see women. My discoveries this semester about the objectification of women by the media has only increased my feminist drive. It has also taught me more about myself, and how i view myself due to the media's depiction of women.
     My new-found media literacy has shown me how important media literacy really is. It's almost like regular literacy. In history, we always learn about how educating the population of a country and improving literacy makes for a well informed democratic population able to make their own informed decisions. The same idea goes for media literacy. It is essential for people, especially young people, to understand how the media manipulates us. Being a consumer is like being on a battlefield, hit with so many different messages at once. It is our job to educate ourselves and know what is best for us, instead of eating out of the hands of corporations with huge advertising budgets.
     Keeping this media log really helped me understand the world around me, better than doing a made up example in class would. I think this log and this class really did something to prepare me for the real world. I believe that the analysis I have done has greatly improved my media literacy.