1.) What do you hope to learn about MEDIA in this course?

I hope to learn what media really is and why people are so drawn to it and influenced by it. Growing up, we learn that media is “any form of advertisement”, but I’m sure it’s a whole lot deeper than that (or else there wouldn’t be a course on it). As well, I hope to learn “the science” behind media and techniques that companies/sources use to draw people to them. I want to learn about the effect that media has on society and the effect it has on people of different ages. I hope to learn about the progress media philosophers have made in discovering the construction of media and in the past and up to date. I’m coming into this class open-mindedly, I’m willing and ready to learn anything that’s being thrown my way regarding media. 

 

2.) Why is it important to study and promote Media Literacy?

It’s important to study and promote Media Literacy because in order to defend yourself from becoming influenced and manipulated (by literally everything), you need to be able to identify and understand the media. Even if our current generation understands media, it is still very important to promote media literacy because future generations will have no knowledge. That means they won’t be able to defend themselves. Which means media monsters will kick their butt. We don’t want that, therefore it’s important to study and promote media literacy.

3.) How has Media constructed YOUR reality?

Media has influenced me to have certain views on things. I never realized it until after I was in this course, though. The media omits and information and sends out selected images in order to portray to the public what they want to portray. Since I’ve been taking this course, I have been so much more selective about what I believe when I watch television and read magazines/newspapers. I question the sources more than I did before and I am more “media literate”. The media still sways my opinion on things, though. It still influences my choices: whether or not I like a new band, it determines whether or not I want to see a new movie, or even if I want to go try a new type of food product being advertised. That being said, the media also allows me to find things, like new music and movies. I am a media addict.

4.) Identify Marshall McLuhan and explain why he is important in the study of media.

Marshall McLuhan is a media philosopher and he realized that all media has consequences. He believes that media literacy is important so that we are able to analyze and understand the consequences of media. He is important in this study because that is basically what the course is about: becoming media literate so we can protect ourselves and not be lured by the media at every given chance.

 

5.) Identify Noam Chomsky and explain why he is important in the study of media.

Noam Chomsky is also a philosopher of media. He believes that corporations and the government are a threat to resources such as trees, water and oil. He is important in the study of media because we learn about his propaganda model and how it is used to manufacture consent. If we do not learn about this, we are ignorant to the techniques used (such as lies and disinformation), the intentional demonization of certain parties, which makes us ignorant to the point we can’t think for ourselves.

 

6.) What areas of the world do you know little about and how would you like to find out more information about these places?

I don’t know Europe very well. It has always been very intriguing to me, though. I would love to find out more information about it by actually going there. I want to go backpacking for about 6 months or so. I remember watching high-school cliché movies when I was like, 8 or so, and the conversation would go as follows:

 

“So what do you think you’re gonna do after this?”

“I’m gonna go backpacking across Europe for a year or so. Go find myself. How about you?”

“Oh, nice. I don’t know what I’m gonna do.”

 

Now that the end of high school is basically reality now, and it’s so much easier to picture than when you were 8, backpacking Europe fresh out of high school seems almost… whimsical. It’s unrealistic. Either those kids in the movies are extremely wealthy and can support themselves or today’s society has become so obsessed with the image of success that anything but post-secondary education after high school is out of the question.

 

I mean, I can’t imagine and I don’t think anyone in my graduating year will be doing something like that. Speaking for myself, my parents would kill me if I did.

 

That’s what I keep thinking about. If I continue education after high school, then get my degree, then my Masters, then go into the workforce and build my way up the corporate ladder, when am I ever going to get the time to do what I want?

 

I’ll be stuck in the routine. And I don’t want that. I never want to be stuck.

 

I’m rambling. I will stop now.

7.) What are the dangers of media monopolies?

The dangers of having media monopolies is that you are only receiving one point of view, which will make your reality biased. Eventually, the danger will amount to such a point where people will “think” for you. That’s very dangerous, as exemplified in George Orwell’s 1984 novel. When one is limited to speech, essentially giving up one’s power of thought, horrible, horrible things happen.

8.) What is the long-term cost of expanding western consumerism to a global economy and ecology?

The result and long-term cost is that we become in love with ourselves. We believe that the world revolves around us. By being so narcissistic, we lose perspective and context in the world. We become easily controlled and we begin to grow a fear of losing control, power and comfort. I never noticed before, but it’s sad that newspapers and news stories are so focused in delivering how North America has done “good” in a third-world country rather than giving the straight story. That definitely made me think.

9.) Where do you see branding? How do you feel about it?

I see branding everywhere. From food cans to clothes, branding is a part of my every day life. It’s a part of everyone’s lifestyle. I used to try and avoid the whole branding thing, but now I embrace it. I know that sounds really stupid, but I can’t run away from it, so might as well greet it with open arms. I am a Mac user, that’s branding. I don’t have it because of the brand name, I have it because I like its software better, but it’s still branding. The car I’m driving is branding. My chicken noodle soup is branding. Even my when people call tissues “Kleenexes”, that’s branding. To be honest, I never gave it so much speculation until this class. When I’m writing about it now, it’s kind of making me feel all weird and dizzy inside from realizing how much of my world consists of advertisement and “brands”. 

10.) Identify at least 5 examples of Disneyfication in your life

• I’ve been to the Toronto Zoo before. That is an example of “nature under control”, as it exploits many wildlife animals, such as: killer whales, lynxs, bobcats, etc.
• On MTV, they usually play North American bands only, with the occasional band from the UK. This creates a “colonized mind; it gives us a western domination of pop culture
•  Every time I go to the mall, there are more and more tweenie boppers. This is because the upcoming generation (including mine) are “born to shop”. We are a consumer culture
• Avatar. When the people wanted to destroy the habitat of the Na’vi for some rock that was worth 20 million a kilogram, it made me sad because that is what’s happening in our lives. Countries are losing their natural resources and the destruction of the environment is speeding up. Disney is evil
• McDonalds, McDonalds, McDonalds. They package the entire thing with the Playplace and Happy Meal toys. I will admit, however, I still love eating their food. Mmmmm, I wants a cheeeesbergeeeer