Entry #9. My Perspective on Media

 

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Intentions in Media

As scrolling through social media and checking out different headlines has become the new norm for my daily routine I find that every post online  whether its on the News app or its a story from my favorite clothing line, every post has 1 common factor. They all want to be clicked, watched or read. While the idea that social media feeds off attention, clicks and views is not new to me, As i got older I began to understand that every advertisement and every post had different purposes. It wasn't long before I understood that most online media is posted for some kind of influence/gain. Advertisements use science to play on our dopamine receptors, News headlines are supposed to freak you out so you click on them. Almost everything on the internet is designed and posted for some kind of influence on the user. And while this has been the case for many years now, The recent advancements in media has aided and continued the expansion of the negative and toxic place known as the media.

Its 85% Negative & 15% Unrecommended

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If I was to describe todays Media in one sentence, I would say that while media is not 100% bad it seems as if 85% of media we encounter on a day to day basis is geared towards a negative connotation or posted for personal gain and the other 15% doesn't reach our screens as it isn't widely advertised or sought after. From political bias to the constant Sexual advertisements and even racial and ethnic stereotyping that can be seen in popular TV shows, listened to in the most popular songs, and even put on billboards to be seen while driving down the freeway, these agendas are pushed onto the consumer without a choice and many times without notice. Furthermore, these agendas have found a way into every aspect of the media, a 19 year-old might see different parts of what's going on than a user in his 40's but advancements in media algorithms and artificial intelligence have made it possible for organizations to reach their target consumer right in the comfort of their own bed.

 Effects & Influence

The Media has always had the power to influence large groups of people, and well in todays society everyone I know including me is influenced in some way shape or form by the Media, whether its constant political fear, constant online shopping or even doom scrolling different online videos it is close to impossible for it to not affect our day-to-day lives, from the food we eat, the people we vote in and even that shoe ad that popped up after you were talking about that same shoe with a friend, the media is unescapable.