Why I Heart My Media

Thinking about loving media always leaves me feeling angry or upset because my mind always goes to how much media has negatively hurt my generation. We compare and contrast everything, from the size of our bodies to our glamorously fabricated social media lives. It reminds me of all the anxiety and feelings of being unsettled that going through media has left me with in the past, all the times I have thrown my phone across the room and hoped it would just disappear. However, I have come to realize that media is a two-edged sword, it hurts us but it also gives to us a whole horizon and world of things that we can choose to receive positively. Media plays a role in blurring the line between reality and lies, however, sometimes that is exactly what a person needs to get through life. To me, media is the nostalgia of remembering cartoons and books that I used to watch/read as I grew up. To me, media is the feeling of all the emotions a good song or film stirs up in me. I have grown to use media as an accompaniment to go with my feelings; a happy movie to lift my spirits when I’m down, a thrilling TV show to make me feel excited. I cannot bring myself to say that I love media, but I strongly believe that media is what we make of it, and though it has hardly been easy, I try my utmost to see media as a gift. 

Student number: 13792482

As a young adult and student my life is surrounded by media, and although I often struggle to switch off media and struggle with excessive screen time, I love media. My love for media stems from its ability to connect people from around the world in unique and interesting ways. Throughout my life I have always played video games and now as I find myself in a new country away from many of my friends I am still able to talk and connect with them in a way in which I would not have been able to do before. Medias ability to create new memories and keep in contact with old friends is what I love about media specifically.

student number 13105930

She ain’t wrong tho..

Student ID: 13693190

Media is very positive in the sense that you have almost all information available to you at any moment. A quick google search on how to cook perfect brussel sprouts will not only tell and show you how, but also give you 4 different methods on wikihow to choose from.

Then again when is it too much information?

It definitely sometimes feels like it, when my brain is constantly being bombarded with information from the moment i wake up to when i fall asleep. And i wonder why it takes me an hour to fall asleep… I am very grateful for what media has taught me and allowed me to share yet its hard to know when to take a break due to its addictive nature.

I will forever depend on media but must remind myself that certain things often seem too good to be true. This helps me question media and think critically to avoid drowning in the glam of it all.

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Ik hou van media, ik gebruik het veel, het houd mij up-to-date en ik heb door media contact met mensen waarmee ik dat wil. Als sociale beesten die we tegenwoordig zijn denk ik dat dat een fijn gevoel geeft. Ook uit je jezelf door media en ben je nooit alleen. Althans, dit hoeft niet met media. Door media hebben we alles binnen handbereik. Alles is mogelijk. Muziek, film en alles wat je maar wensen kan in je broekzak. Zo verwend zijn wij. Al die talloze mogelijkheden.

Hoewel media natuurlijk ook zijn duistere kant heeft denk ik dat je je daar altijd bewust van moet zijn. Het belangrijkste is dat je altijd, no matter what ,bij jezelf moet blijven. Educate yourself en geniet met mate!

Hier mijn (korte) gedachtegoed over media.

Student nummer: 13980564

Media surrounds almost every aspect of my academic and personal life. It is unavoidable. So much so, that there isn’t an hour of any given day where I am not in some form of interaction with a media object, whether that be television, film, news, music etc. It has consumed my daily routines and has become an essential component of my life and I am certain that this is the case for many others. While many may see this as an obstruction of freedom and ability to enjoy the natural world, I see it as only a benefit for my wellbeing. Heavy involvement in media often brings with it an excessive involvement in the affairs of other people and interest in the political, cultural, religious, economic and social changes and occurrences that take place in modern day society. A heavy abundance of exposure to media automatically means that you as a member of society become more aware and integrated in either one or more of the aforementioned pillars of our world. News, if accurate, heightens awareness of ones’ surroundings to what is happening in the world. Television and film use non fiction and fiction narratives to underline pressing issue and music diversifies your understanding of different cultures and also acts as a storytelling device. Amongst many other media forms, these three examples have led me to become a more open-minded and aware individual. I am grateful for media and all that it entails, because had I not been so heavily involved, I would not be the person I am today. Many people take media for granted or do not appreciate its presence in society thus neglecting its essential role in shaping the world as we know it today.

Student ID: 13635476

If only i could have liked you

when it was possible

you were as perfect as can be

but then again

my battery life ran out

(and so did yours)

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Dear Media, 

Many years have passed from the moment in which I felt the need to write a letter to you, however, at this point, I think I am ready to sit down and actually put in words all that I feel. For sure this is going to be a challenge, having in mind the love-hate relationship that we share.

I am sorry in advance about what you are about to read but also keep in mind that I am saying it with lots of love, thankfulness, and forgiveness. 

I really don’t know what to say first so I might just start from the beginning. You and I are in a relationship for solid 6 years now, I mean 6 conscious years from my side. Of course, you’ve been persistent in my life since I was a fetus, however, it took me 13 years to create my first accounts on social media, which officially united us… probably forever. I still remember how my parents were against this relationship of mine but I believed that this is where I will find happiness or at least attention, so I wasn’t hesitant to deep into this new experience. 

At first, it went smoothly. I was slowly but surely discovering what you have to offer and you created many exciting memories and occasions in my life. You thought me a lot and expanded my views in various ways. You made me aware and helped me exit the box I was living in. Also, some of the people that I have met thanks to you are still part of my life. Some of them even changed my life.

However, I think that as a 13-year-old kid I was not well prepared in many ways when it comes to what you can offer. I mean the dark side of Media. Thankfully, I believe I managed to exit this phase without much trauma, or at least I would like to believe so. 

Sadly, this is not the case with one of my best friends. Her relationship with you, Media, didn’t go as smoothly. It might be on her, though. It might be her weak personality and lack of self-consciousness. But what I have to admit is that your influence for sure led to many nearly fatal consequences. You must be wondering what I am talking about. That’s normal. I am sure that this whole scenario sounds familiar to you. 

My friend was one of the many victims of the so-called beauty standards that are mainly persistent in social media. Spending time with you and seeing those “perfect” people with “perfect” bodies and life makes people prone to questioning why their life and appearance are not as good. What is more- they start concentrating their time and effort trying to become that better, “instagramable” version of themselves, however, it is really hard to reach… mainly because it is unreal. Now back to my friend. As I mentioned, she was subconsciously triggered by those images of slim, beautiful women and before even realizing it, she was battling one of the most unpleasant eating disorders- anorexia. The process of realizing the problem and starting the battle is way too complex and I won’t write about it now, but one thing that I hate to admit is that I question whether the victim ever wins, or the disorder always stays in the back of their mind provoking them to feel anxiety and quilt. As I said, I don’t blame this only on you, but I still remember how she was comparing herself with those social media influencers and how desperately she had the need to upload similar content in order to feel accomplished. 

This is about my friend’s story, but I am sure it really touched something in me as well. Maybe that’s why I went on a 4-month break from you last autumn. You might not even detect my absence but to me, it was really relieving and thought-provoking. I took those months off, not only because I needed time for myself but because the overwhelming presence of you became unbearable… more than usual especially after the first months of the Covid-19 pandemic… or infodemic. To stop this connection with you for a while was a matter of time and health. I can’t express the amount of inner peace that filled me when the option of sharing my life was impossible. For the first time, I started living in the moment and actually experiencing things without a constant need for acceptance. 

I am sure that I would never be able to express my feelings towards you. I’ve never met someone who fills me with both love and hate at such a high frequency. However, I believe that in order to keep a non-toxic relationship with you we need distance. You are a wonderful place to be but not for too long. Where I strive to be at this stage of my life is to be in the moment. Sadly, I can’t afford this luxury when I am with you. I hope you don’t perceive me as disloyal. I just need to expand myself and my views in order to add value to you, Media. Till this time comes I will love you from a distance. 

Yours sincerely, 

Alexandra 

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Why I hate media? It consumes people. Nowadays a lot of people are obsessed with getting likes, followers, shares etc. I don’t believe that that was the purpose of its creation. It can turn into an unhealthy obsession really quick. I don’t like that about media.

But I secretly also love media. I’ve worked and lived abroad for a while and for me it is a great way to stay in touch with my family and friends over there. I don’t get to see them a lot and I enjoy seeing what they are up to. Without media, we probably would not be in contact anymore. Also, I really suck at remembering birthdays, so Facebook is my savior. 

I will probably never be able to say goodbye to media. I will, however, live my life with a locked account, only following the people that are close to me, and not posting more than 2 photos per year. As I believe that media was created for this purpose. Everyone is free to post as often as they want, I won’t judge anyone for that. This is just how I chose to do it. 

Student ID: 13395513

Media and Me

Media was a big part of my life growing up. It has helped me through many hard times in life as I learnt how to wield it in my advantage. Growing up in a family where emotions were not displayed, I used the media in my possession to help better understand how I was feeling and explain to myself many of the things my parents wouldn’t. I was always careful as the media dimension is broad and dangerous, especially for a young queer kid who was still figuring out who he was. As I grew older I started using media less and less. I figured that If I didn’t feel safe to post anything, I better not post it. The moment you put yourself out there in the fields of media and internet you loose control. Now that I’m not a kid anymore and am not depending on anyone I finally feel like I’m ready to take the control back and start exploring and expanding my media influence through my socials. It is way more easier nowadays to put yourself out there and to create this image for you, putting emphasis on your strong sides and advantages. Media can help you find your truest self, but If you are not being careful it might make you feel even more confused. It’s important to remember that you don’t have full control of the media, but you are fully in control of what you decide to post, when and where. As long as you are confident in what you post and do it with a clear mind – it’s okay! Media was created to help us reach out and explore, but as many explorers know – you should do a research and prepare before exploring something you are not a 100% familiar with.

Student number: 13949063

Name: Rumen Gulev