The "Me" in "Media"

Many will argue what a profoundly meaningful impact media has had on their lives, which in some ways, may very well be true, but with pros, come cons, and I think that media definitely has its share. For most, the media is a way of education, interacting with others, or merely for entertainment–whether it be from watching videos on YouTube, streaming movies or TV shows on Netflix, or playing games through online gaming sites. To a certain extent, this is great–seeing the ways in which modern-day civilization has developed and advanced in the ways of technology and the disclosure of information using technology–but I know that many quickly become addicted. People become addicted to their devices, because they can't look away from what's happening on their timeline with their friends, family, celebrities they look up to, or anything about the world around them. I know that this has become our reality, because I am constantly struggling with the need to check my phone or computer all the time to see what new things are happening around me for some reason, even if I don't actually care. Almost all of us battle with ourselves just to refrain from our addiction to the media. We've become so involved in this, that we choose to ignore the real world, and focus on the virtual one that's represented on our tiny phone screens, through Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, etc.

(Ironically, I might never have found this photo to use if I hadn't scrolled through my homepage on Instagram earlier today!)

I know that even being preoccupied with other, more important tasks or activities, doesn't stop our urge to open that text, or check to see if our favorite sports team is winning, because as I write this with my phone sitting next to me, buzzing from Snapchats or whatever else, it's surprisingly hard to resist the desire to pick it up for just a second to check, rather than ignoring it and moving on, like we know we should.

Of course, the media is certainly not all bad or addictive; there are many ways in which it's extremely helpful. Personally, I know I can use it as a way to express myself, whether it be through pictures or words, and I'm sure that many others use it for that as well. The media also provides us with new information about the world or people around us, through the newspaper, local/world news TV shows, or articles online, which is what I use at least once every week when I write up my current events for Mr. Wong's class. I think in these ways, the media is a vital tool in the lives of many, but as people get carried away, we eventually become addicted to the more meaningless things we see in the media, no matter how much we want to deny it.