There is no doubt in my mind that everyone in the world has
been or still is being affected by mass media. I believe that how someone grew
up has a large impact on the level of which media affects him or her. If someone
was raised in a household of little technology or exposure to media (no TV,
computer, magazines, etc) then as they become older they won’t be as largely affected
by mass media.
Growing up I was exposed to multiple forms of media; I’d
watch TV and read magazines as my daily routine and surf the net on occasion.
These things affected me growing up as a child immensely. Being a “chunky” kid I
would always strive to be like some of the characters they portrayed as;
pretty, skinny, smart, funny, etc. in some of my favorite “Family Channel” TV
shows. Looking back on it now, this kid friendly channel was actually one of my
worst enemies because of how it made me portray myself as someone I wasn’t. It affected my self esteem, I would always try
to act just like the actors shown on TV because that’s how I thought one was
suppose to look or act. And of course the images that were being shown were
depictions of a perfect human being.
The media impacts my life immensely still. I’ve never really
thought about it before, but everything that I partake in on a daily basis will
incorporate the media in some way. Having a smartphone, I constantly check the
latest Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram updates, or do doing little things such
as picking up a magazine while I’m waiting for an appointment. All the things I
see and read alter my mindset of who I am. They have such a large impact on how
I still see myself today, how I dress, or what I say and how I act.
Media has drastically changed the way most females see
themselves. When searching the Internet 9 times out of 10 you will encounter
some sort of advertisement that says, “how you can lose weight fast”, or “how
to get the latest fashion trends”. Personally, every time I encounter an
advertisement like this it affects my self-esteem and makes me self-conscious.
The media makes us portray ourselves in a way that we don’t need to see
ourselves. When I see a “Lose 10 pounds fast” advertisements it makes me feel
as though I need to change and I HAVE to be that one body image of a supermodel
in order to be deemed pretty.
The mass media greatly impacts my worldwide view. It is
always there in some way or another. For me the media is like the devil that
sits on your shoulder, its is telling you to do something that you know you
shouldn’t. Well the media sits on my shoulders and tells me what I need to look
like and how I need to act in order to fit in rather than being my own unique
individual.
