Why I Heart My Media

How much I want to hate the media and the negative impact media can have, I kind of love the media.

If I look back to the media in my childhood, it started as comforting. I remember it as a good time, watching TV and movies with some friends and eating good snacks. But later on (social)media kind of had a big negative impact on me.

When you’re a teenager, you can really struggle with who you are and who you want to be. The media created an image who I had to be (and it still does sometimes).It gave an unrealistic image of who you must be to be popular or perfect, so people like you.

But years later, (social) media has changed in some ways. People post more realness and they begun to talk about real issues. And so became social media comforting again. Especially TikTok (I hate to admit that), but because the algoritm gives you what you want and like, it felt as a safe space. Through social media, I owned my sexuality more and I’m really gratefull for the person I became.

I wouldn’t have been the same without my media (so cliché, but the truth).

ID: 13746596

When I talk to my friends about our media usage, we often focus more on the negatives than the positives; we see how it has changed us so far and the potential effects it could have on us in the future. However, me and my friends share the luck of having grown up in a more analogue world than we live in now.

The first phone I ever “owned” was a tiny Samsung “brick” phone that I could call or text my parents with, in case of an emergency. I was 12. I was not allowed to have it on me in my free time, unless I was going out somewhere by myself. I was allowed my first smartphone with 14 and the following years, I was gradually allowed to be more active on social media sites.

The point I am trying to get to is that, although I am in the same generation as my little sister (Gen Z), who is 3 years younger than me, we have a very different approach to consuming media and, I would argue, that media has had a different effect on her than it has had on me. This is because, compared to my friends and me, she (and a lot of her friends) had a smartphone at age 11. She grew up, interacting with her phone and social media at an earlier age than me and, even though 3 years is not a lot of time relative to an entire lifetime, I think that exactly this age and earlier exposure to media, made her have an entirely different experience than me. She spends a lot more time consuming media than me, without reflecting on the negative effects it may have on her. She is a lot more open on social media, and less scared of sharing private information publicly, than me. She does not feel the need to spend time offline to detox from social media or streaming services. To put it shortly: she has developed a far more intimate and co-dependent relationship with her phone (and media in general) than I ever have or ever will. And the astonishing thing is: most of her same-aged friends are the same.

This is fascinating to me, because it feels like there is a difference between my age and my sister’s age that could be labelled a difference in generation, because of the different ways we used media growing up. For this reason, my friends and me often feel like we do not associate with Gen Z, but feel more connected to Millennials. Funny enough, I saw a video, in which a guy was complaining about the exact same phenomenon and labelled our group of people “Zennials”, as in, a mix between Gen Z and Millennials, which is what I shall label myself as going forward.

In conclusion, I think that Gen Z and future generations, will (although being labelled as ONE generation) be made up of groups of very different people, and will not be as homogenous and have as much of a shared experience as older generations, because of the rapidly changing media environment and it’s growing effect on/intrusion into our lives.

– Student 13595105

Even though I did not grow up with a iphone or ipad, media came to me through cartoon shows and radio. Truly some of my best childhood memories came from watching cartoons on a Saturday morning at my grandparents house in the summer. I would sit in front of the TV all day and even though my brothers and I werent talking it was the closest I felt to them. Something about sitting next to eachother laughing at stupid jokes and not arguing connected us.

As I grew media became more prominent in my life, in middle school I got my first phone. At the time I only used it for calling and texting I was not allowed to have instagram like my older siblings. When I started using my phone for social media it was awkward, I felt embraased because all my friends new how to use it and I didn’t. Instead of asking them I just figured it out by myself. My perception of media changed drastically it was no longer cartoon on TV, but now it was snapchat and instagram which did not feel as friendly.

Now in my life I am so comfortable with media. I love media becuase media loves me back, it makes me happy by letting me connect to people. I can scroll endlessly on tik tok and forget any problem I had before. Media has largely shaped the person I am today throughout every walk of life and will continue to do so.

Student Number: 13580922

Lately, I was reflecting that in the past years of my life, when I was saying “I love Media” I was only underling the adoration I have for the audio-visual world (feature film, tv series, animation series and videogames).  During high school, I spent hours and hours watching 3 or 4 films/ episodes (to be honest in the case of tv series I think more than 4 episodes) in a row. However, I believe it’s time to also credit social apps and the incredible work they did in shaping the person I currently am.

As a child of the African diaspora, I have always seen my mother being connected with her relatives through a mobile phone, so I believe that it was natural to me at the age of 12 years old to download immediately Instagram, twitter and whatsapp, both for the fact that I didn’t want to be cut off from my tiny group of “friends” and because, as the only black child in a small Italian town who attended the church summer camp and only white local institutions, I needed new friendships. 

Twitter was the one that opened a new universe to me. It was very threatening for the language and debates mode that many users utilized on that platform ( not that now it’s better, of course), however thanks to my film passion,  it was there that I met other “misfits,  who are currently among my dearest friends, and it helped amplify my knowledge in cinema, new media and also social and civil rights. 

Hopefully, those summers and days were relieved by the fact that I could share common interests, even though these people were living miles away. 

I am grateful to media for telling me and reminding me that although the current world is not designed to welcome you, there will always be an (in)visible worldwide community on which you can rely. You are never really alone.

Student 13968750

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.

My media is my best friend. It captures all my memories, gives me a reason to laugh, to cry and to bond with others. It makes humdrum routines enjoyable and gives me a chance to escape the stress of our daily lives. We have grown up together and witnessed each other become more social, more sophisticated, more nimble. In fact, it has kept track of all my interests and experiences throughout my life that it knows me better than anyone else. Sometimes I wonder if it knows me better than I know myself.

However, once you spend so much time with someone or something, you’re bound to get sick of it.

While my media encourages me to love myself for who I am, it tells me that I’m too short, too fat, too boring. It tells me to buy the hottest clothes yet warns me about fast fashion. It tells me I’m enough, but says I should try harder. It has increased my confidence, yet made me more insecure.

It is a taxing relationship, but I can’t get enough of it.

Student ID: 13544217

As an international student I found it challenging leaving my family and my closest friends behind. Not being able to see them every day or talking to them face to face.

It is in moments like these, that I’m beyond grateful to live in our generation, where applications like Facetime or Snapchat exist and making the distance feel a little less long.

As a music enthusiast I am even more found of my media. Being able to browse through decades of music, being inspired by artists and connecting with others, who share the same passions and even having discussions with people, who don’t share similar opinions, amazes me.

I don’t think media is evil.

I believe that we are responsible for the way we react towards media; is there an Ad that bothers you, would you like to shut up a politician that keeps on referring to issues, that still don’t get fixed, etc. The list could go on and on, but to make my point:

Be openminded towards media, don’t speak to fast or make rational decisions.

Try to see the world though other people eyes and explore all the sides that our media has to offer.

13905376

Love means that you are thinking of that at some point. You want to know more, you smile and cry more, you feel far away even though you are intimate, you feel resent and hate, and you have this feeling of longing. It is delicate, complicated, and imperfect.

I am in love with media. At first, I didn’t want to acknowledge it. I thought media should be a thing that I should be aware of and prepare for a war against it. I didn’t want to be that person who cannot be inseparable from media. But I have to admit, I have deeply fallen in love with media.

Loving media means you are thinking of media at some point. It could be anything. It could be your friend’s profile, your favorite celebrity’s tweet, or a funny viral video. Once you realize you are thinking about it too often, you want to know more. You want to know what’s more in the media. You want to explore and become closer to it. You begin to spend more time with media platforms like YouTube or Instagram. Once you become fond of it, you will smile more. The media helps you cherish special memories and connects you with people. Google photo holds old photographs that bring back good memories you have forgotten. You can now get in touch with your loved ones who are far away easily with skype and facetime. However, it also makes you cry more. You will feel lonely when you are far away from home, and you see an Instagram story of your friends from home hangout without you. You will have this empty feeling when you go through social media. You could also feel angry as there is a lot of information and not all information is pleasant.

Media is complicated and has its flaws, but it has become life itself. No matter how hard you try, you can not stop loving media.

student number: 13695886

When i think about what media means to me i always find it hard to put it into words. I feel like i am who i am today because of media – every song i have listened to, every movie i have watched, every instagram picture i have seen has had a huge influence on me during my adolescence. During some of the hardest years of my life when i was struggling with depression, i found comfort in my favourite artists and characters, i feel as though i would not be here today if it was not for them. Media showed me that i was not alone – there were millions of people out there who lived thousands of miles away but felt as sad and as trapped as me. And if anything, i am extremely grateful for living in an age when everyone is so connected and where people can share their feelings online. Because living in a family where emotion was cosidered a weakness was not easy, and media was my escape. So i always can not help but smile a little when someone asks me why i decided to study media, because the answer is always shocking but true – media is the reason why i am alive today.

Student number: 13551280

living abroad from my family and friends has never been easy. hearing their voices after pressing a few buttons is something that i am forever grateful for.

media has really changed everything. I believe that people now know much more stuff than they used to. as it is way easier to learn and access to information. Leading people to profession in many branches in a little amount of time and help them find their passion.

I do love our media, it does make life much easier

Student no: 13648586