Why I Heart My Media

WHY I HEART MY MEDIA 

Student ID: 13929526

This assignment made me wonder why I love the media so much and why I am so dependent on it. 

I admit I am addicted to my phone and all the social media I have downloaded on it but I have never asked myself why. I’ve never met people through social media alone, I hardly ever post anything, and using it doesn’t earn me anything; yet at the end of the week, I always find myself with an average phone usage of at least 10 hours while living my life normally between school and friends.

I think the real reason is that whatever I do with the media (in my case more specifically with my phone) takes me out of my reality and into a ‘world’ where I don’t have the problems that plague me every day. 

Through the media, I can stay informed about my favorite celebrities at all times, which would be much more difficult without it. 

Also through the media, I can feel part of a group of people who have the same interests as me as I don’t know anyone offline. 

Through the media, I was able to improve myself physically and mentally for all the motivational videos.

Of course, one should never forget that with all the positive things the media brings, there are many (if not more) negative things; for example, It is also because of the media and social networks that suicide and eating disorders among teenagers have increased.

Now more than ever I understand the importance of media given the distance of my closest friends and family; but with apps like “Whatsapp”, “Instagram” or “BeReal” I can always be in contact with them and it is almost as if we are not separated.

In conclusion, I would like to say that I believe that the media is a good thing and for example I couldn’t live without it, but at the same time, it’s important to take them seriously and not underestimate the impact they can have on people’s lives. As we have studied, media are not perfect and they make us become “zombies”, so we cannot rely solely on them but use them as a help and a pastime.

My media has accompanied me for almost my whole life. It is the source of some of my best and worst memories; I remember the excitement as a kid trying to watch my sister catch Pokemons on a Nintendo, but also the bitterness as a young girl realizing I’d never look like the model on my explore page. My media’s ubiquity defines our whole relationship. It has been by my side for so long, witnessed and captured countless moments of my life and impacted every aspect of it. I have been able to develop my personal sense of style through my media, to learn about different events around the world and feel wonderful moments of connection with individuals across the globe. However my media has also exposed me to situations that endangered my well-being, I have even had to impose myself breaks in order to mend my relationship with my media.

 My media has permeated through my relationships and friendships. I have found myself wondering why they aren’t answering me, investigating stories and status activity to figure out what could possibly be happening behind the screen. Connecting the dots and recreating timelines, spiraling through the endless livestreams of everyone’s activities. Why wasn’t I invited there? Are they really having that much fun? 

The truth is that I’m still learning to live with my media. It changes and grows over time just like me, and it can be challenging to constantly adapt: always figuring out limits and boundaries so that I can enjoy it without getting hurt. But I love my media enough to make those efforts. I make efforts to keep my media in my life because I love my media.

Student number: 14002779

Media: The reflection of culture to society. Not only has it shaped the modern world we live in, but it has served as a catalyst to influence the way past, present, and future generations have or will view the world. As a teenager in this world, the future lies in our hands. Media has greatly influenced my growing and coming of age, as I have grown up around the constant modernization of technology and its relationship to social media. I have immersed myself in many cultures, including growing up in Venezuela. As I’ve grown and cultivated my own perspectives, seeing and living through the constant manipulation of media in Venezuela has challenged my perspective of the media industry and provoked me to want to make a change in the way issues and certain matters are communicated. 

I would say I have a love-hate relationship with media. The erratic world of media and its influence on different perspectives is fascinating, however, due to my upbringing in such a tumultuous political climate (as I had mentioned before) my personal perspective has been challenged. Learning to pick through what media to trust or not with such a young, vulnerable, and growing mind has truly tarnished the idea of forming objective opinions. Because of this, I have found it difficult to impartially look at all media. On the other hand, I am grateful to have learnt this early on. I have developed and mastered a skill many tend to lack, and it has allowed me to set boundaries for what “facts” or news I accept.

As an effect of all this, I have discovered the true foundation media stands on: Trust.

ID: 13812696

Voordat ik aan deze studie begon heb ik mezelf nog nooit afgevraagd waarom ik eigenlijk van media houd. Ik ben opgegroeid met media en heb het dan dus ook altijd vanzelfsprekend gevonden. Ik hield altijd al wel van media maar de laatste maanden ben ik er meer en bewuster van gaan houden dan ooit tevoren.

Ik hield altijd al van media omdat het mij kon vermaken, het hielp me te ontsnappen aan de realiteit en soms bracht het me juist de realiteit die ik even nodig had. Hoeveel vermaak media kan brengen is iets waar ik bewuster van ben geworden tijdens de lockdowns. De afgelopen weken heb ik ook gemerkt dat media niet alleen als vermaak dient in mijn leven maar ook als een hulpmiddel.

Voor mijn studie ben ik naar Amsterdam verhuist vanuit een klein dorpje dus dat was nogal een grote verandering. Media heeft mij geholpen sinds ik in Amsterdam woon en doet dat nog steeds elke dag. Het helpt mij de weg te vinden, want om eerlijk te zijn zou ik nergens op tijd aankomen zonder google maps. Het helpt mij contact te houden met alle nieuwe mensen die ik leer kennen en het zorgt ervoor dat ik nog contact kan houden met mijn vrienden en familie die wat verder weg wonen. Ook helpt media mij als ik even niet weet hoe iets moet, één google search en ik heb het antwoord.

Kortom, ik houd van media omdat het mij kan helpen en omdat het mij kan vermaken. Ik kan en wil me geen leven zonder voorstellen.

Student number: 13983652

Media can make me feel like I have fallen behind in a race that we call life. Media can make me feel like I can sprint past everyone in a split second. Media can make me feel like everyone got a head start.
Media can make me feel like I can win the gold medal.
Media can make me FEEL.

student: 14111632

If I think about loving my media, there is only one that stands out from the others. The media I’m talking about is a device and its name is Playstation!

Since I was a kid I always liked to play video games and while growing up my love for this platform increased with the years. As a kid, playing to the platform had only a few meanings: have fun and lose time with friends. Today, after a workday or after a long session on the books, playing to the device help me to feel better and relax my mind.

Ik hou van media

Ik haat media

Ik hou van media omdat het mij een podium biedt

Ik haat media omdat ik mezelf vergelijk

Ik hou van media omdat ik altijd in contact ben met mijn vrienden

Ik haat media omdat er anders naar mensen gekeken wordt

Ik hou van media om de verhalen die ze vertelt

Ik haat media omdat het vaak nutteloos voelt

Ik hou van media omdat ik makkelijk nieuwe dingen en mensen ontdek

Ik haat media omdat we aandacht gaan gelijkstellen met geluk

Ik hou van media omdat het mij mobiel maakt

Ik haat media omdat ik druk voel

Ik hou van media omdat het me veel leert

Ik haat media omdat alles mooi lijkt

Ik hou van media omdat ik hou van entertainment

Ik haat media omdat het anoniem is

Ik hou van media omdat het anoniem is
Ik haat media omdat het me wakker houdt

Ik hou van media omdat ik me soms minder alleen voel

Ik haat media omdat mensen zonder talent succesvol kunnen worden

Ik hou van media omdat het me zoveel mogelijkheden biedt

Ik haat media omdat het me afleidt

Ik hou van media

Ik haat media

Jet van der Steen

Student ID: 13772384

“why do you love (your) media”

simple, media is our universal language. think about it, media is not limited to a location, ethnicity, or religion. it is present in all of us. it has grown with us and it will probably outgrow us. nonetheless, what makes media unique enough to be universally understood, is its ability to appeal to human emotions.

for instance, let’s take this compilation of cinematic clips. i can show it to someone who never spoke or understood a word of english, and that person would still comprehend the underlying meaning of the video. the same goes for if i wanted to show it to my grandma. why? because they felt it. just as i did when i first saw the clip. the soundtrack as well as images that complemented it created a medium simple enough to transcend the boundaries of age and language.

the same applies for other types of media. i moved to a country were the native language is as foreign to me as can be. yet, i manage to understand the ads on the metro, what to buy at albert heijn, or even navigate the public transportation.

so why do i love media…

simple, for me its a symbol of unity.

a medium that connects us as humans.

student number: 13790609

I want to show a middle finger to media. Sometimes.

I hate the way it makes me feel. Like I am falsely in control of it. Like it gives me the illusion of being in command. But I eventually realise the obsession and attachment I hold for it are growing day by day. Can it get any worse? Is there a turning point that once I cross I will not be able to go back? Or have I already crossed it? I believe most of us have.

I hate it because I love it. 

My media gives me comfort. I am more than familiar with it. I know its algorithm and know how it works. I always feel welcome and consider it a personal safe-space.

My media has helped me grow. It has put me in the darkest of places by helping negative thoughts flourish in my brain. But it also accompanied me in overcoming them. It shows me who I am and who I can become. 

It has connected me with people from all around the world just like the neurons of a giant brain. But it can sometimes trigger my sense of loneliness.

My enemy, my friend. Back and forth.

The thought of feeling comfortable living with this strong attachment I have only increases my anxiety. I don’t adore how being dependant make me feel. Just the feeling of being in control. But maybe nowadays this feeling is just an illusion. Nothing more. 

Because looking around I realise everyone is dependant on everything. 

I do want to show a middle finger to my media. Also to myself. 

But I also don’t want to flip off the thing that provides me with the comfort needed. That increases my loneliness, but in the meantime helps me cope with it. That feels cold and performative at times, but also warm and welcoming. 

Maybe the real contradiction is not in my media, but rather in me.

Student number: 13996347

When considering why and how I love media, it made me realise how ingrained media is within my lifestyle. I cannot remember the last time I contemplated media as one thing, a separate thing within my lifestyle. For me this was odd because as said, I never consider it as an object or a being, it’s just there, something I live my daily life with and could quite possibly not live without it and to think that I do not fully acknowledge it on a day to day basis is astonishing. Maybe that’s why I love my media, it’s easy, it does not demand my acknowledgement. Additionally, as cliche as it sounds, I love my media for its accessibility, for when I need to quickly message my family abroad, or for when I go to a new city and need to find a cool place to eat so I do a quick Instagram search on ‘best places to eat in London’.

 On the other hand, a part of the media that I also heavily dislike is how easy it was for it to become so embedded into our lifestyles. I now rely on it for so many things, like finding my way home when I get lost. Fundamental small things that should not need media use.  Furthermore, I dislike how a lifestyle or culture is shared so quickly within the media that I now question whether anything is unique anymore, people cling to these niche hobbies or music tastes for example and hope that it doesn’t become trending on twitter or Instagram because then the speciality towards that interest is lost, that idea is crazy to me.