Why I Heart My Media

The reason why I love my media is simply because it can break certain barriers or stereotypes. My example is the game D&D, Dungeons & Dragons always had a negative stereotype around it. People said it is only for 35 year old men still living in their moms basement. However it became a little more “normal” the more media played a role in it. More people started to play when a lot of information and products were available online and did not have to go to a game shop.

Then a livestream on streamer platform Twitch had a big influence on expanding the target audience for D&D. A show called Critical Role, where 9 well-known American voice actors came together to play D&D. The increase of viewers from 2015 to 2017 made the stream the top watched stream of the day on Twitch the day it was live, beating every standard game like League of Legends, DotA 2 and Counter-Strike. It had twenty thousand or more viewers, the had guest appearances of famous Hollywood actors such as Vin Diesel, got nominated for the Streamy Awards and recently got to play live in a theater for thousands of people and tens of thousands watching online.

The show that made D&D accessible and relatable for everyone: Critical Role

This is episode 1 of currently 112

Brend Boorsma (11870060)

What I love about media isn’t the fact that we can show our social status or that we can maintain our social contacts. We can do that in real life. But what I do love is falling into a rabbit hole when you are browsing on YouTube. Ever been on YouTube with the thought of only watching one video because it went viral and ending up a few hours later at an oysteropening video? Well, I did… “But the pearls are so pretty!” The variaty of videos that you will come across in a few hours is incredible and you’ll probably learn something too! So please jump in this rabbit hole and fall away, while I get back to a DIY curling without heat video.

Pien Asveld

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To be honest media really stresses me out. The fact that people expect you to be online 24/7 and you should respond to a message right away is what I hate most. Being able to scroll through your instagram or facebook feed for hours straight without even remembering what you just read or saw is really mindblowing and although I’m also doing it, it just seems like a waste of time.

I feel like a lot of valuable time is lost watching or reading not so valuable things online. I can’t even concentrate on reading an article without checking my phone every few minutes.

But yeah on the other hand I would have never submitted this assignment on time.. And yes it does make studying a little bit easier having this group on facebook.

Teodora Grindei

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Throughout my life so far, Ive moved to 5 different countries and 3 continents. Media has helped me keep in contact with each and every person I’ve cared about whether its through facebook or skype it has helped me keep in contact with new and old friends. Not only has it helped me maintain friendships, but it has also helped me create things I never thought I’d be able to make. During my final year of high school I took art and had to create something that reminded me of my past. I created these Kokeshi dolls and made some sweet profit too.  

(Referring to the internet in general)

I heart my media because it makes my life easier in every way; Google maps helps me get anywhere I want, Whatsapp allows me to comunicate with my friends on the other side of the world, Google translate makes me understand things that I could never understand.. And so on.  Media is present everywhere nowadays, and even though our dependence on it makes us vulnerable in many ways, it just makes our lives infinitely simpler.

Another thing that I love about media is the fact that it is a very powerful source of inspiration in many aspects, since artistic content can be shared internationally for anyone to see. Media has achieved something that a couple of decades ago was unthinkable; it has transformed the world into one unified community, in which any opinion can be shared and listened to regardless of where you come from or your background.

Maria Palacios, 11386819

Media represents various things such as change, innovation and evolution. In what is considered to be very little time, we were able to fully incorporate new media in our society and in our everyday life. The reason why media and its role can often be seen as controversial is the unpredictability of people. People have different values and interests and it is only logical, considering the great size of our population, that we will all react to it and use it differently.

One thing media has (surprisingly) taught me is that people care above all about people. It is easy to disagree, but thinking about it, even when it comes to social media, really all it is, is building an image of you for others to see and look up to. The situation may indeed get out of hand but it really is about how each individual chooses to use media.

It’s safe to say – for me at least – that I kind of depend on my media the way I depend on water (in a healthy way of course).

I wouldn’t want to say that I love my media, but I do love the opportunities it gives me. Besides keeping me entertained when I’m alone and making life simpler (with the use of  google, reminders, calendar, maps, weather app etc.), it gives me the opportunity to travel, study abroad, and still keep in touch with my family and friends. It gives me the freedom to share my ideas, voice my opinions and get inspired by those of others. It gives me the chance to get creative and express myself. It allows me to do a lot of things from home to save time if I need to (shopping, ordering food, studying, storing/submitting work). It gives me the possibility to find anything I need about my interests and people who have the same ones. It gives me the opportunity to stay up-to-date with all events taking place around the world and gives us all the ability to be connected which is a crucial aspect.

The doors media has opened and will keep opening for me are infinite. The only obstacle is myself and the way I will decide to use these opportunities. I will hopefully make the right choices, so I will not only be able to say that I heart my media for the opportunities it gives me, but I heart the way I use my media to make the most out of these opportunities.

By: Bianca Lucini, 11631066

Exactly one month ago, when my life as a media student had begun, the way I had perceived the concept of ‘media’ was very different than it is right now. As far as I am concerned, we cannot escape media. We have (un)consciously embraced it in our society and our way of living.

All those different devices of all sizes, colours and defining features, it is hard to go through a day without them – which sounds heartbreaking yet pathetic at the same time. Even when I do bring my devices with me, the fear of those babies of mine running out of battery is quite apparent. What if my phone happens to be saying goodbye to her (yes, my phone is a female) life in a place without any available wall sockets. Problem solved: power banks. Yet the low-key stressful fear of those lifesavers running out of battery as well becomes another problem. So the cycle seems to never end and we are all going to die. We’re doomed. Or is it just me? I am joking though; this used to be me. No need to be all dramatic about those devices.

After numerous lectures and readings about media life, I have come to the conclusion that it is okay to embrace it while we can – until our devices run out of battery and that it is just fine and actually quite relieving to temporary ‘escape’ the media I love. It is more than okay to let ourselves breathe without depending on anything that lives on battery. Then again, I couldn’t live without the convenience of media as it broadens my insight and opens my mind on matters worldly-wise. Because once upon a time… a very clever Chinese philosopher named Zhuangzi said, and I fully agree with him: “Your life has a limit, but knowledge has none. If you use what is limited to pursue what has no limit, you will be in danger.”

And this is exactly why I ‘heart’ my media.

Kim Dinh (11857250)

Two years ago, I decided to go in a different direction in my life. I had a decent job, I was living in a nice apartment and had been blessed with the opportunity to travel across the world whenever I had a chance. However, I had been feeling incomplete for a while. So I started reading about similar experiences online. A lot of people who had felt the same way, seemed to have solved this by adopting a hobby. So I did the same. I started taking illustration courses. Fast forward two years, I quit my job to become a full-time illustrator and moved to Amsterdam to study media. This overwhelming change in my life has been mainly caused by the encouragement I received online. I had a website through which I shared the content I created with the whole world. As more and more people tuned in to see what I had to say through my media, I became more engaged and used my media in different directions. And today, 4th of October the international day of animal rights, I’m using my media and online reach to generate a donation to the Animal Shelter Amsterdam.

This is exactly why I heart my media.

Watch the announcement here

#spreadthelove

Ulas Uygun

 

I love my media because it connects me to the world like nothing else. From family events to the threat of World War 3 media allows me to view each part of my world that needs my attention. This connectivity has brought many changes to my life, such as the opportunity to move countries and study in Amsterdam. These new opportunities have opened new doors for me in my life that would not have been possible without media.

I also love my media because of the information stored within. Between online language apps, youtube tutorials on how to cook Korean BBQ or watching a livestream of the World Cup, the information stored and passed through media is amazing. With an unlimited ability to access this information the world and its full history is available at my fingertips, a thought of science-fiction to previous generations.

To conclude my media plays a role in my life that can not be categorized. Mine is a Media Life.

I heart my media because it brings up opportunity. Opportunity to engage, opportunity to communicate, opportunity to create but also the opportunity to sit back and scroll through your newsfeed whilst having a laugh here and there. Media brings up the opportunity to make a statement, to inform other people and in contrast media offers the opportunity to watch some silly video and get a way of that oh so serious everyday life for a brief moment.

The great thing about media is that it brings opportunity to almost everything that you can possibly want from it. Media gives you the opportunity to decide for yourself what to do with it and how to use it. There is simply no rules.

That’s why I heart my media.

Kasper de Zoete, 11658452