Wise Thoughts

     Throughout this semester, my relationship with media has definitely changed. I have become more aware of the subtle messages that media sends us, and have become aware of the different techniques they use. The concepts we learn about in class, from fallacies to advertising techniques are all something that I am now hyper-aware of. Whenever I see an ad, a billboard, or walk into a store, I observe more carefully than I did before the implicit messages that the company is sending. Though I was observant of media before and tried to not be susceptible to advertising, now I am more aware and therefore I can truly be aware of the inherent messages media is sending to me. Therefore, I don't feel as though I'm as easily influenced as I was at the beginning of the semester. I was relatively unaware in comparison to the knowledge I have gained now. I feel as though I armed with weapons of knowledge to navigate the media driven world that we live in now.     ...

           The seniors had their last day of school last Friday, and it was quite difficult for me. I have a lot of senior friends, and I formed so many close bonds with many of the people leaving to different parts of the country or state. I felt extremely sad at the changes in my life, and was finding it difficult not to be consumed by the fear that we would not remain in touch, and our dynamics would change. They were going on to greater things, and I knew this, but that didn't make my fear lessen or my sadness become alleviated. Though I have a year and a half to two year age gap with a lot of my senior friends, I formed the closest bonds with many of them than I had with anyone else. They were, and are, people that matter a lot to me, and the fact that they are leaving is very hard for me to grasp and come to terms with. However, my reassurance actually came from a surprising source. Media and technology have become the shining light for me in th...

          I have found that media seemed to have contributed to the conversation around school shootings, both in a positive and negative way. Media has a large influence on how we gain information surrounding major events and how we approach and consider those major events. Media has an inherent bias, and I often see people become greatly influenced by the messages the media spreads and the side that they take when reporting the news. Media is supposed to be unbiased, but headlines in today's day and age are becoming more and more biased towards one side or the other. In addition, media often profits off of other's misfortune, without a care for the people who are suffering. I have seen this idea of profiting off of misfortune become even more prominent in the current state of affairs, and even more so regarding school shootings.       News outlets continuously show great interest in school shooters and school shootings themselves, but...