HR: Discussion 1: Navigating the Media Landscape: Understanding, Consuming, and Reflecting on Information in a Connected Society

What do you understand about "media"? How would you define media? Where do you get your information? The term “media” has a myriad of applications and is often altered with phrases such as “new-media” or “old-media”, referring to the new ways in which our society consumes mainstream content, such as the addition of social media. In my own words, “media” is how a society can communicate and spread information and ideas within themselves, and internationally considering the impacts of globalization on a connected society’s culture and media. Where do you get your news information? How sincerely do you question your sources? Why would it be important to question what you are told? I build my understanding of current events and news information from a mix of sources. I consume what could be considered an “older” variant of media by listening to NPR, and then supplement with readings from sources such as the Washington Post or Aljazeera. Unable to be totally partial, I consume some media through Twitter and biased-sources such as MSNBC. I actively question my sources of information, especially when interacting with media that agrees with my views. By reading sources that agree with my personal views, I am cognizant to still conduct my research and am cautious of only consuming media that I agree with. What media sources influence your perspectives about how you should act, who you should interact with, what you should wear, what you should buy, and how you should think about yourself and the world? As I mentioned above, both formal/informative sources shape my knowledge and view of the world around me. I feel as though I actively try to not allow social media, through advertisements or content creators, to influence my likes and dislikes, however, social media can allow for an individual to further understand their place in their community or to educate consumers. An example of this that comes to mind was the mobilization Black ofLives Matter on social media platforms to expand the movement and reach/inform new demographics this past summer following an escalation in police brutality. This increase of media about the movement helped to educate individuals about the views of BLM and systematic racism in the United States. In what ways do you see yourself consuming and producing “media”? In terms of social media and the creation of new media, I consider myself to be more of a consumer than a producer. I believe this to be a common trend among us in this course and our generation; I spend much more time-consuming media than creating content, whether that be an Instagram post or a short tweet. How do you think your media consumption impacts your relationships with people around you? Media consumption, mostly, benefits my relationships with those around me. Being informed of the events and happenings around one’s own community and society in whole is essential to understanding one’s place in their community and within relationships. However, as I spoke of briefly in the previous question, many of us in our generation can fall victim to consuming too much social media. Overconsumption of these social sites, as has been proven by social scientists and psychologists alike, can have disastrous effects on an individual’s mental health, affecting their relationships.