Why I Heart My Media

Media is a very broad concept which can be understood in the different ways. Speaking of myself, my media is more about social networks. I heart my media because, first of all, it is my “friend”. It is always there for me when I need it. I can share my emotions, feelings and events through it. Media listens to me every single day and never hinders my communication with the external world.

For the last month media helped me in a way it had never helped me before. Recently I have faced with the experience of immigration. In August I moved to Amsterdam in order to start university studies. I can not fully describe my emotional state in the very beginning because it was completely difficult to adapt myself here. But then I started to use my media a lot. I started creating tons of new content. I filmed every eye-catching street view, every time I met someone and so on. Sharing different experiences on my Instagram stories provided me with an ability of expressing my feelings and opinion. It has actually become a hobby of mine now. And it is even cooler when I receive any kind of feedback from my followers. It is so nice to hear from random people that they feel me and like what I am doing. Moreover, my media is a communication tool. It helps me stay in touch with my friends and relatives, who are far away from me. Media makes me feel that they are so close, so I even can feel that I am home. 

By the way, I think as an example I can borrow a line from the song called “Home” by Machine Gun Kelly: “Home, a place where I can go”. The reason for choosing this song is that media is my “home” now and I can go there whenever I want. It is my place of comfort and coziness. So, all in all, media is my “friend” and “home” at the same time. And that is why I heart my media.

Alexandra Lomakina

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Before I start off this blog post, allow me to apologize for the extraordinarily long title. However, I simply couldn’t come up with a better comparison. Imagine being an alien and looking at our society from a non-Earthling’s perspective. Wouldn’t you see social media as a plague on our society?

As an example, take this excerpt from an article by The Guardian:

The BBC reported that Sammie-Jo Forde, 32, died in the Ulster hospital on Saturday, where she had been treated on the same ward as her mother, Heather Maddern, 55, who died on 31 August. Maddern had shared a number of Covid conspiracy theories before her death, MailOnline reported, as well as a post about nurses facing dismissal if they refused the jab. She also shared videos from Candace Owens, a conservative commentator and activist from the US, on how to respond if your employer forces you to be vaccinated, and another from a woman arguing against children being jabbed.

Would this woman still be alive if she hadn’t found a platform that hosted a group of people sharing her beliefs?

From the rampant, uncontrollable spread of potentially lethal misinformation to the countless hours people waste on these websites, apps, and platforms when they could be doing something productive: at a a quick glance, it seems like a curse. However, as a teenager who grew up during the rise of social media and got to experience it in all its glory at the ripe old age of 4 – when I booted up a computer for the first time to watch children’s songs on YouTube and was immediately traumatized by a horribly gory cartoon named Happy Tree Friends – allow me to explain why, in my personal experience, social media isn’t all bad.

I am a musician in my spare time. To be more precise, a music producer and a rapper. I’ve spent many hours meticulously dragging together audio samples, editing, arranging and customizing them to my liking. And I’m not the only one. In fact, so many people across the world create music digitally from their own house that we have our own label: bedroom producers. Twenty years ago, this would have been unheard of. Where would one acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to create full-length tracks, all from the comfort of their desk at home? Nowadays, the answer is simple: social media.

The wealth of knowledge that has been made available to me and others who share my interests is mind-numbingly awesome. Industry big-shots who have most likely worked with your favorite artist (or, even better, are your favorite artist) are livestreaming their creative process on platforms such as Twitch. Professional audio engineers create simple, easy-to-follow tutorials on mixing or equipment and post them to YouTube or Instagram. There are an infinite number of forums online where aspiring producers can ask any question they might have. On top of this, new artists can ‘blow up’ and gain fame literally overnight simply because their unknown song is discovered on TikTok.

The existence of social media has opened up many career possibilities that were once limited to those fortunate enough to, for example, be able to afford studio sessions or successfully convince their parents to let them into music school. Even though it brings many issues with it, social media has many more pros than cons, especially for someone like me who’s trying to pursue a career they otherwise would never have access to. That’s why I love my media.

So, even though all your friends tell you not to, maybe you should call that one ex up and tell them you miss them.

Kamran Gasimov
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I do love media but I hate it at the same time.

I was born in 2002. Since then, my whole life has been influenced by media. Of course, my generation was not the first that grew up watching TV or playing video games but from early childhood we familiarized ourselves with DVDs, playing Wii and PlayStation and we’ve also been the first generation that started to use smartphones on daily basis at a very young age. Over time, we’ve become not only consumers but also media producers and we all get used to it. We get used to the attention we got on social media even if it is fake, we have weird feelings that we should share our lives with our followers even we do not know many of them personally and we think about self-presentation a lot. I know I’m generalizing right now, but we as Gen Z, do not know how to live without social media because it has become an inseparable part of our lives and society. We’ve learned how to understand and use media very quickly, how algorithms control us, and that we need to evaluate information in media critically and detachedly. We are the “Digital Generation” and using technology is subconscious for us.

Unfortunately, our parents and older generations didn’t have the opportunity to learn about the future technologies as much as we could, so they use it in ways we sometimes can’t understand. I’m not opening this topic very often because I am ashamed to talk about it but I feel that social media destroyed my parents. Yes, it sounds like a paradox these days when many young people are depressed, have eating disorders, or commit suicide because of the social media impact but it is true. My parents are nice, educated, and literate people so I felt disappointed when I realized that their opinions have changed, they have become haters of everything and everyone and believe in every hoax and false information on Facebook. It started a couple of years ago but as soon as this pandemic started their problem escalated. At first, I blamed them for being different than before but over time I’ve changed my mind and realized that they are just victims of the algorithm. Of course, I tried to explain how social media works, how bad it is for their psyche, and how cautious they have to be while reading and sharing but it was too late. My parents completely fell into the vicious circle of algorithms and they are still confirming themselves in the opinions by liking and sharing something. They do not understand that how many posts they like, share or comment that many other posts from people with the same beliefs will show up on their Facebook wall. Regrettably, our family restricted or avoid contact with them because of their posts on Facebook but what’s worse is that their only way from this “hell” is to delete all social media and stop using it and I know they would never agree with it. Unfortunately, they don’t see that they have a serious problem and that Facebook is slowly destroying their family, they see only how untrustworthy other media and news are and how they feel unique and appreciated in the group of their fake Facebook friends (also haters).

I’ve chosen this programme to learn more about media and to understand it in detail because it affects our whole future. I will try my best to help my parents get out of the vicious circle and I hope I will succeed.

Kristina, 13598511

Just like media are messy and complex, so are my feelings towards them. I usually find myself confused, irritated, or even hateful when thinking about our digital environment. It’s very easy to slip into this negative viewpoint after hearing older generations constantly complain about Gen Z’s dependence on technology, or after watching countless video essays dissecting the harmfulness and stupidity of the latest social media trends. It sometimes seems like media are solely negative, the source of all evil in the world.

But they are not. And despite those cynical feelings that unavoidably arise when I use my media, I do experience a sense of wonder and fascination when thinking of them. I love the opportunities they give me, the access to knowledge and content I would otherwise never find. I love how they not only inspire me and bring out all sorts of emotions, but allow me to capture and share my own feelings. How they enable me to communicate with friends and family hundreds of kilometers away, and to meet new people in this unfamiliar city as well. How their ubiquity, ultimately, makes my life easier. And how they shaped the person I am today. 

So, after all, I have to admit – I do love my media:)

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I heart media because it supports my relationships. I’m experiencing long-distance relationships and I have no idea what would I do if media didn’t exist at all. Because of FaceTime I can see his face every day (just to make sure he’s still alive); Telegram allows us to send text, voice and video messages briefly, even though we are busy at the moment; Instagram provides me with a fantastic opportunity to announce our relationships to the world (just a friendly reminder of me still dating him for the girls following his social media). Look at YouTube alone: we can watch movies simultaneously, pause and comment on what’s happening on our screens, like we did at home while eating pizza in our bed together. Every so often it leads to the deepest conversations I’ve ever had (and would never have if not for some random film). I’m so grateful to social media for shortening the distance in my long-distance relationships❤️

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A limitless space of secrets and adventures expecting to be experienced. You are a brave and determined cyber-astronaut willing to explore the corners of the known and unknown media. Grab your equipment, jump into your spacecraft and sett off to your journey. You will travel to unimagined places, from incomprehensible tooth paste commercials in which you keep thinking about that one 1/10 stubborn dentist who refuses to recommend the product just to fulfil their ego, up to breathtaking wildlife documentaries about our world and even further!

Consuming media isn’t just reading a newspaper or watching a movie. It’s a journey to the unknown, where many adventures are awaiting. Imagine yourself freely surfing the stars of news, cute kitten videos and suspicious free iPhone giveaways.

You are tempted to stop by a near constellation of hilarious YouTube fail compilations, take a moment to appreciate the abundant nebulae of reading materials on the reach of a single click. Take a break from your everyday life and watch your favorite TV show lying down on a space comet drinking your favorite drink. Close your eyes, take your space helmet off and listen to the most unique songs and podcasts ever created.

Are you feeling lonely out there into the unknown world of media? Just send a message to aliens! Because you have the internet, you can talk to anyone you wish!

Don’t feel like it? It’s completely fine, take the omni powerful tv controller and start switching down all the channels in the universe, there is something great for everyone!

There are no limits but the ones you set yourself! You can be creative, explore, learn and most importantly, ENJOY! This is namely, why i heart my media. And now, if you excuse me, more adventures are waiting for me, au revoir!

Martin Hadzhiev

Media is part of who we are. Media has shaped me to be the person I am today. All my hobby’s and interests are to some extent influenced by media. The movies I watch, the music I listen to, the clothes I wear, the books I read, even my passion for football is influenced by media. I am grateful for the ability to keep up with my favourite football team and players, my favourite artists, designers, film producers, youtubers and other creatives. All these different influences help and inspire me every day.

In media, I find both comfort and inspiration. The joy I find through media, whether it’s watching my team do well or discovering new music, is partly what gets me through the day and what gives me comfort. The fashion and interior designs, the art, the movies and short clips I watch, inspire me to create and realize ideas. The certain youtubers and other creatives I follow help me to improve and ground myself and remind me to appreciate the little things in life. All of this is because of media. Because of the internet, we are able to find new interests, create new hobby’s or even create new connections and relationships with other people. 

However, I find it increasingly important, but at the same time very difficult, to take breaks from media. Because we are exposed to media every single day, because we are constantly on our devices, we sometimes forget what is really important in our lives. Because we constantly have the distraction of the internet and are increasingly drawn into these forms of escapism, we can find ourselves neglecting things such as your own family. Because we are constantly confronted with all the amazing aspects of people’s lives on social media, we fail to appreciate and see the beauty in our own lives. 

What I like to do is to take breaks from media, at least to some extent, or I really think about the effect of what I am consuming. Instead of picking up my phone first thing in the morning, I decide to take a walk. Instead of scrolling through social media while eating breakfast, I read a book, which influences me in a completely different way. During the day I take moments to drink some tea, meditate, journal or simply to reflect on life. These practices keep me grounded.

That being said, we know that it is impossible to completely escape from media. So instead of being afraid of media, try to embrace it. Try to be grateful for the existence of media, because it definitely has advantages. Just be aware of your media consumption. Take moments every day, to reflect on your media use and life itself. Because to think rightly is to create. 

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