Double-Edged Sword

Throughout my experience with media, it has slowly but surely made me realize how much of a double edged sword this experience has been. Growing up as a kid born in 1998, it is not shocking that I’ve grown up with media well ingrained into my day-to-day basis. From the old cartoons on Jetix to dial-up internet in order to play solitaire, to myspace, to early stages of youtube and facebook. It’s been an entertaining journey, lots of “classics” to look back to on youtube that brings rush of nostalgia to the brain. However, we’ve grown up now, and it all seems so bleak and morbid. If there’s anything I’ve realized, it matters who criticizes and who praises media, and often you’d realize that some take it for granted, and some have legitimate reasons to absolutely despise media. An example, how can I compare my experience to one who’s fled their country due to conflict, but uses media to stay in touch with his/her family? Organize a genuine working class revolutions by unionizing through the use of media communications? While in my part of the world we’re overwhelmed by the amount of hollow virtue signaling trends that will pop up on your instagram stories every couple weeks. Like I said, a double edged sword. We can no longer comfortably ignore the fact that there are dystopian-like big tech giants willing to incite polarization in society for profit, willing to aid government in surveillance and censorship, willing to curb uprisings against the powers that be, and to protect self interest in order to keep their monopoly on the most popular means communication. It is not all morbid, because within this same space, you’re able to connect worldwide with your friends, see what they’re up to, see all the brilliant content that exists on this online space… And at the end of the day, I’m simply left more conflicted and frustrated with this double edged sword.