Media Literacy

In my Radio/TV/Film (RTVF) class, I learned that media is defined as things we “consume” or otherwise “use.” In my own definition, I would define media as things we take in. For example, I used to think media was just news. It wasn’t until recently that I found out that there are many different sources of media. For example, advertisements, books, cell phones, and video games serve as sources of medium just to name a few. However, in all sources of media, we don’t just use the media, we internalize it somehow.

What one source of media means to one person means something to another. I believe based on a person’s upbringing, culture, open-mindedness, values, etc. all have an influence on their own interpretations of media. For example, in the recent primary elections, a woman might vote for Hilary Clinton only because she is a woman and a black person might vote for Barrack Obama only because he/she is black. In a case like this, it doesn’t matter what the candidate stands for, but how the voter feels that he/she relates to the candidate. Another example, most advertisements in the media are fake. Some people might buy Kobe Bryant’s Hyperdunk Shoes because they really believe they will make them jump higher. Or some young teenage boys might buy AXE products because they believe it will get them laid. (See links below) Nevertheless, these individuals fall victim to media glamour techniques made possible by Adobe Photoshop, CGI and other technologies that render and edit photos and video.

Essentially, the ultimate effect on how the individual responds to the media depends on what the individual takes in which is dependent on his or hers history and development of their psych. To help break this pattern just as I have become enlightened on sources of media, I agree with what my RTVF textbook has implicitly suggested; the only way for people to become media literate is to educate themselves on an unbiased spectrum of media extremes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22eoVMGoJow&feature=related

http://www.theaxeeffect.com/flash.html