Why I Heart My Media

What I love about media is basically all related to the internet. I love especially the strange unfiltered media like Reddit or Quora where you can talk to random anonymous people from all over the world with the same specific interests.
I follow a subreddit about ethereum, which is cryptocurrency. I don’t know anyone who knows about this, but on Reddit, there is always a niche. My mother grew up in Bloemendaal, where she didn’t like anyone around her. Had she had the internet, her youth wouldn’t be so bad because there are always people that have the same niche interests.
Another huge part of my media consumption goes to podcasts. I used to listen to the radio when commuting, but not anymore thanks to podcasts. I follow a lot of American podcasts, one I listen to daily is called the Daily by The New York Times. This is basically how the NOS journaal should be but isn’t in audio form.
Another interesting part of the media for me is the shift from analog to digital news reporting and how these companies can earn money. Since ads don’t really pay off, some are experimenting with donation models. Only big corporations can survive and they acquire small every company that could hurt them.

Max Pusch

I wondered for a long time what’s the best way to express my love for media and it seemed impossible to narrow down one reason. However, I found and example that combines my passion and love for music and multiple media…

This is my second original composition and it is inspired by my love for Salvador Dali’s art. I came across this project by Disney, an animated compilation of his paintings, and wrote a piano piece for it, which I later developed into a small orchestra accompaniment to the vivid surrealistic visual. I heart my media because I can use a simple recording device and a laptop, with the main help of Logic Pro X (the devices) to create my own music (the practice) from an inspiration of famous art, which is also mediated into this short movie. But most of all, I love my media because I get the opportunity to share this project (the social arrangement). https://youtu.be/oN0rOvKW4O4

It is easier to answer the question of why we love media. Humans are social beings and communicating is essential to our everyday lives. Essential in the sense of inevitable encounters, like at the supermarket, and essential to our sense of self, as we crave to connect with other beings. Media has made it so much easier to satisfy our need to communicate and essentially share our thoughts, emotions or a picture of our lunch. The desire to share seems to be innate, which is why especially social media is so powerful and has become imperative to most people, and yes, has also become imperative to me.

I do love media, but I don’t believe it is a healthy love. Love to the brain is like a drug, it is an addiction. I truly believe that we humans are in love and hence addicted to media. We are addicted to our devices and addicted to the act of communicating. This feeling of addiction is the most apparent after spending an excessive amount of time using media and afterwards sitting on your bed thinking: What the hell do I do now?

I am not saying that we should all go to rehab, I just believe that once we start taking media for granted it will become dangerous. Therefore it is important to stay mindful of how fascinating and powerful the devices we use really are.

Yquem Josefine Huth

I heart my media because it has become a part of my live. It lets me stay in touch with family, friends and introduces me to new people from all over the world. I use my media to stay in contact, to promote my business and to get inspired. You cannot get around it or just ignore it, it’s everywhere. One of the media’s that I use a lot is the social media platform Instagram. As a photographer it helps me to get inspired and stay connected to other photographers all over the world and that’s why I for the most part heart my  media.

 

XOXO – Heaverly

I like media because it gives me the opportunity to feel engaged with everything happening on the planet. I think media is great, because it allows me to escape from real life without really escaping, for instance through watching a film or a cool videoclip. Media is amazing, because it is like a creative sketchbook for everybody. I love media because I get to meet people with the same interests, so I can share my opinions on the topics I’m passionate about, in the comments on YouTube, Instagram or a blog.

That’s why I heart my media, because it connects people from all over the world. And it allows me and so many others to get informed, laugh, get inspired and create.

And of course to giggle about memes all day.

-Linda van Mil

When asking myself the question, ‘Why I heart my media?’, I counter-ask myself the question, ‘Do I?’. The heart implies a feeling of love, or at least strong positive feelings regarding media. Depending on the definition of media used, my feeling varies, but in no case is that feeling love. Looking at media as devices, one could argue I feel strongly about it considering how much time I spend on the devices. But the truth is I feel as most of the time I spend on my devices, is spent in vain. Of course, if I were to optimise my time on devices (only use them when needed and for useful, e.g. academic, purposes) my tone might be more positive. However, with my abhorrent discipline, my devices are usually glued to my palm when I need a distraction or I am bored. Given, technology is a blessing (and a curse); I can be on the other side of the world and contact anyone needed within a matter of seconds. But I raise the question, at what cost? I feel as a lot of the things that used to be appreciated, nature for example, can not be appreciated in the same way anymore. My media, my devices, make me less observant through my own eyes and more through a screen. Many view this as a good thing, some are in the middle, and I, view it as a bad thing.

To end on a more positive note, the title does imply positive thoughts on media, I take a glance at what might be my favorite side of media; the possibility to make an impact. There is a lot wrong with the world as it is today, and through easy access to media; everyone has a podium. There are of course setbacks: censorship, receiving a crowd, and the most prominent one, maybe everyone shouldn’t have a podium (#MAGA)? However, media does give the voiceless a voice, and I believe that is a very powerful factor. Would I say I heart this aspect of media? Tough, but I still think my heart shall be saved for the fairer sex, nature and the occasional glass of red wine.

TCW

We know that no matter where you are and what you are doing, the media is everywhere. But if you think about it, it actually is crazy to think that we are closer to each other than we think. It doesn’t matter where you are when you upload a video on, for example, YouTube, everyone can see it, throughout the whole wide world. The media makes it possible for us to share anything we want, with whoever we like, coming from wherever we are. It makes us capable of having a place where we can somehow be together and share our stories, opinions and adventures. It’s a place where stories form all over the world come together. That’s why I love media.

Josephine Ludwig

 

The reason why I heart media is that it gives me the opportunity to stay concentrated and focussed. Living in a big, loud city often makes it hard or even impossible to sit in front of your desk, stay calm and get your stuff done. But when I start listening to music, especially classical or piano the world and everything around stops tugging me and I can finally sink in those beautiful stories. Those which carry you far far away from the place you used to be. Those where you are an outsider at first but then slowly become a part of. Those marvelous tales which you just cannot let go. Those which let you feel invincibility and boundless freedom. You drop deeper and deeper and the way back seems far away. You reach the final door and open it. With a large bang the story is over the song you listened to ends. All of it is clear now. Your view is changed. You can now commence to become the person you crave to be. Even when you were unaware of it before. Each time you are evolving. It is hard to say if in a good way or not but the important thing is that you can constantly shift it. You just have to plug your headphones back in and disappear in a sea of words.

Alec Jason Schweiger

With my parents living in Spain, one of my best friends living in England, the other in America and me being in Amsterdam, social media is the one thing that still keeps them close to me.
Not a day goes by where I don’t have contact with them, despite them being thousands of kilometers away. Sometimes this can be Facetiming with them for hours, some days its just a snapchat. But even the smallest of contact with them is contact, and this would not be possible without social media. Imagine only being able to write letters to each other. And even if I don’t always speak with them, their social media feeds will still keep me updated on their day-to-day life, and vice-versa. I could not imagine a world without media, and I feel like it makes my life so much richer. That is why I heart media ❤

Sarah Altepost

 

Alles gaat snel en gemakkelijk. Beperktheden worden weggenomen. Alles is mogelijk.

”What a time to be alive”