Listicle: COM250 from 10–1
10. How stories shape our minds
This section of the semester was incredibly interesting to me. I am someone who has always been deeply affected by the stories I watch or read. The concept of assimilation was that key intrigue for me when studying this topic. The idea that reading a book or watching a show can change the way we view ourselves, our world, our relationships and even our entire reality. The process of imagining yourself in a story or a universe that has different challenges, dangers and heavy issues. Using the artwork that someone created to move your mind has always been something that has affected me. Stories are persuasion, they embody emotion and show us different forms of conflict and how to push through them. There are lessons to learn from being immersed in a story and the changes they make to us can change how we see everything. Stories are powerful tools and I love to take part in the adventures they provide for my mind.
9. You are the product
This concept was something that I felt was very impactful from our course and one of the topics that I truly felt like I learned something new from the ground up. The idea that “companies sell you” was completely confusing to me at first. If you aren’t paying for a service then you buy the product that is for sale. How does something completely free like Facebook make millions of dollars from their “free” platform. The power that advertising holds over the media has an unmistakable hold on all of our platforms. They make their money by selling you through advertisements and it was probably one the wildest things I learned from this semester and now think of every time I download a “free” media platform.
8. Stereotyping
Stereotyping has been a topic that I have learned about in many different contexts throughout my education. Learning about it through the lens of the media was incredibly eye opening. Too many people believe that we have advanced past the point of stereotyping. Our lessons taught me just how wrong that is. Stereotypes are built into our media and are the foundation for so many different platforms. The example we listened to about gender stereotypes in present day video games for example. Women being objectified and created to have these unrealistic bodies. Incorrectly representing cultures and beliefs. These are issues that need to be more prevalent in conversations because stereotypes birth hate and marginalization. It is so important that the younger generations see how they are still being used and what to do if you see them in their everyday media.
7. Credibility
This concept connected to media literacy for me. While media literacy is my number one concept on this list, credibility needed to be included. In college and even through high school, you are taught when you do research to find credible sources. You are referred to specific news stations, specific writers and so on. The question I never thought of is WHY are these sources credible. Understanding the background of those who are providing you with information is vital in determining true credibility of your sources. Does the provider have a degree in the topic, did they do extensive research, are they connected to the information in some way, do they have first hand accounts of events and so on. We are only as credible as our work and the responsibility we took in our research. Unless someone prefaces information by expressing that they are not an expert on that topic, then you should be researching the words on a single source to get a clear picture of their credibility.
6. Propaganda
The impact our conversations had on me regarding propaganda was immense and moving. As a jewish woman in a world where anti semitism is on the rise, propaganda has a special place in my history and my present. With the misinformation surrounding Russia and the Ukraine, with the lack of information people in the US receive about the challenges Israel is facing daily, with people on opposite sides of the political spectrum, propaganda is potentially dangerous and still highly used around the world. This is one of the reasons our class was so important to me because learning where your media comes from directly relates to the effects of propaganda. In today’s media, where information can be passed through images, memes, blurbs and spread worldwide in seconds, propaganda is even more powerful today than in our history.
5. Censorship vs. Content moderation
The lines in terms of moderation are blurring today in a world revolving around the media. Where do you pull the curtain over peoples eyes when it comes to having access to all of the world’s information. Where does it become dangerous and negatively impactful to censor our world and when is it necessary to come clean. At the end of the day, these concepts are choices that are made. Censorship is the disruption of communication from author to audience and content moderation is the filtering of content depending on specific parameters, like maybe where you live or how old you are. Personally I have always seen censorship as an offense against or basic rights to free speech and freedom of the press. I have never believed censorship is a positive thing, however if I worked for a government job or something with classified information I do wonder if my opinion would change. Content moderation is something I believe in very strongly. There are certain things that kids should not be exposed to until a certain age for instance.
4. The archetypes of storytelling
I LOVED learning about the archetypes of storytelling. It was fascinating to me how I could look back at my favorite shows or movies and place the actors into these categories. It was almost satisfying to see them fit so perfectly. To make a story meaningful, you need characters that are going to fill some of these roles. You may need a hero or a villain to have a successful plot line, you need a creator to base the plot on and you may need a destroyer to tear it all down. I think it is so powerful how strong of a hold a character can have on you. Maybe you aspire to be like the hero and stand up for justice, maybe you have experienced a villain in your life that resembles one in a show. There are so many ways archetypes can impact your view of a story and it was one of the most interesting yet simple ideas we discussed.
3. Social Learning Theory
The bobo doll experiment was very eye opening to me and brought this concept to life in my mind. The idea that we are impacted by the actions and words of those around us is so unfathomably important in our current society. There is so much anger and violence today that people are being affected daily by the actions of others. What you do causes a ripple effect and setting a better example is our responsibility for the younger generations. When we discussed video games and the hold they have over young kids, I was dumbfounded. The possibility that their brains were being changed and their exposure to violence increasing every day was terrifying to me. The fact that these images are embedded into our world whether it is video games or youtube or tv shows. Like it or not, you are a product of your surroundings and you learned how to live your life based on what you saw growing up. I see so much of my parents in me because they were my role models and I believe this theory is something people need to be more aware of today when it comes to spreading hate and fear.
2. Authenticity
Be yourself. That is what you’re told from a very young age. Just do your best and be who you are. BUT dont be too loud, or too quite, dont be too smart or too dumb, don’t be too creative but have passions, this concept could go on forever. Being authentically yourself is not as easy as one might think, especially for a woman. In the media today, we see models of the ideal body, the ideal lifestyle, the rich and famous and we aprire so be like them. However, the ideals the media presents are almost always unattainable and unrealistic. Living in a world so consumed by media it is so hard to pull yourself away from those suffocating ideas. It is important to remember that no one is perfect, an instagram picture is just a moment in time and does not represent a person and their character. Being true to yourself should not be as hard and scary as our world makes it seem. Our differences are what makes us beautiful and I live by that.
1.The Five Critical Questions of Media Literacy
No one has ever broken down analyzing for me the way this class did when it came to these five questions. In college and high school you have to analyze hundreds of articles and readings but how to do it was never a huge topic of conversation. This concept was one of the most beneficial things I am taking away from this class. Not just who is the author, but what is their purpose. Where are they taking you with their writing or research. What impact are they trying to have on your mind. What techniques are they using to capture your attention. Their style of writing and their effectiveness in pulling you further down the page. What lifestyle, values and points of view are depicted? Look at the perspectives! Do you connect with them and their ideas? Are their thoughts totally off from how your mind works? GOOD! It’s a challenge to connect with something out of your comfort zone. How might people interpret the message differently? Do you see offense being taken or do you see a movement being formed. And finally, what is omitted? What is the point of it all. These ideas have changed the way I look at writing and reading articles. This class has changed my perspective on media all together.
