Reflecting on a Relationship with Media

Although the amount of media that I consume hasn't changed since the beginning of this blog, my awareness of the implicit messages being given and other things like appeals and ethics has increased.  Being aware of media consumption changes the way that I interact with media, because now whenever I check social media or look at advertisements, I'm continually thinking in the back of my mind about if this is too much media for one day.  In addition, whenever I see an advertisement in my everyday life, I am more aware that it is there, while in the past, I'd watch ads and commercials and not even be able to remember what they were about a few seconds after watching them.  Now, I constantly catch myself analyzing the techniques being used by the advertisers which I find funny, but also good, because it allows me to recognize what feelings the advertiser is trying to create within the viewer. I think that being able to remember the ads I see is helpful because it allows me to be aware of the amount of media I'm being exposed to in a day, further increasing my awareness of the world that I live in and the gigantic role that media plays in society.  I don't believe that my media consumption habits, in regards to the amount I see, have changed but I've began to think more critically of the things that I see in the media because of all the things that I've been learning in zero period.  This brings me to the importance of having media literacy.  Media literacy is so extremely, relevant in today's world and after learning about it, I'm astonished that all schools don't teach this in their curriculum.  Media literacy is important to have because it helps you to navigate through this rough and stormy sea that we call media.  Without media literacy, it's nearly impossible to really understand the intentions of advertisers and the messages, whether positive or negative that they are trying to send.  Media literacy is mandatory knowledge for a person that is interested in fighting ignorance.  If generations continue to grow up oblivious to the corruption caused by media, the well being of the human race and the world will continue to spiral downward.  Being well-versed in media literacy can be connected to being an educated consumer.  Being an educated consumer is also very important because it will stop you from falling for the traps that advertisers set up and it will allow you to save your money for things that you actually need.  Educated consumers are important in a world that is swamped by advertisements, however, the number that exist in this country and on Earth is small, which helps companies that overprice things and get you to buy products that are useless grow and dominate the marketplace and sometimes the world that you live in.  From keeping this log, I've raised my level of awareness on the internet, which is something that I now see as very important.  Without this log I would continue to be oblivious to the real messages being sent by the media and by advertisers.  Overall, this blog has helped me to understand an aspect of my life, that I will be using for the rest of my life, and I am very thankful for that.