My Relationship with Media

     Like many of my peers, I’ve been surrounded by various forms of media for my entire life. Sure, I didn't come out of the womb and immediately make a Myspace, but I know that my parents brought media into my life. I remember watching the news with my dad from time to time, and looking at the pictures in my mom’s “People” magazines. I knew who Angelina Jolie was before I knew the names Gandhi or Nelson Mandela. Watching TV on the daily led to me knowing the jingle to Mr. Clean commercials by heart, but having a tough time remembering the pledge of my elementary school. 

     As I entered my pre-teens and teenage years, I got a phone along with an Instagram, Vine, YouTube, and Twitter. I was constantly connected with friends through pictures and videos on social media apps, so even after I said goodbye at school, I knew when one classmate won her softball game or when another liked a funny dog video. Although I still saw the news on TV and  heard or read  celebrity gossip on the radio or in magazines, social media has influenced me the most.

     Social media has has a heavy hand in molding my thoughts. In this case, I'm referring to social media as the apps I have on my phone like Snapchat and Twitter (amongst others). Instagram and Pinterest allow me to keep up on the latest fashion trends, giving me the outlets and tools that I need to piece together my own style. Without such easy access to from around bloggers around the world like Inthefrow and Tothe9s, I would be a very, very different person in terms of physical appearance. Others like Snapchat and Twitter allow me to keep in touch with friends whenever and where ever. However, social media apps like these have probably played a role in me developing a bit of FOMO (fear of missing out). Being able to see what my friends are doing also means I can see how much fun they're having and with whom they’re spending time with, which sometimes means I'll feel left out.

     There are a plethora of media platforms available in the tech savvy era we live in today, and I, like many others are surrounded by it daily. Although I've only addressed the tip of the iceberg, there are plenty more ways that my life has been shaped by media. From apps on my phone to the radio to the TV, media has weaseled its way into my life and has been able to heavily influence my opinions and views the way the waters of a river heavily influence the shape, direction, and size of the river. There's been a slow build up of small changes media has brought to me, but the changes I've gone through have all come together to change me in major ways. In other words, I am a person who is heavily involved with media.

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