Reflection

Over the past few months, I have grown much more aware of the impact of media. Whenever I see a commercial on tv or hear one on the radio, I immediately notice the strategies or fallacies used in the advertisement. A few months ago, I don't think I would have noticed all the tricks and traps in commercials and all the different ways that companies are trying to subconsciously control me. I never acknowledged the clutter or registered the numerous ads but now I notice them everywhere I go.

My media consumption has also decreased. After acknowledging how addicted I am to social media, I made an effort to put my phone away and not let it distract me. As a result, have been much more productive and less stressed. I never truly realized how much my phone controlled me until after I stopped using it as much. I feel more free when I am not constantly running to my phone every time it buzzes. I still use my phone more than I should, however; I use it much les than I did a few months ago.

I noticed that I am also much more aware of all the assumptions made by media and the negative impact that media has on me and the people around me. Media reinforces stereotypes such as the ideal images for women and men. These ideas are planted into the subconscious of nearly everyone. Eventually, they adopt these points of view without realizing the ideas were fed to them by the media. Whenever I see pictures of flawless models in magazines, I understand how fake the image truly is. No one actually looks like the people on posters. They are just pictures of models that were distorted in to something that is unreal. I know that I am not the only one who notices the artificial nature of media but I wish there were more people who could recognize this. If everyone noticed false images in media, then no one would hold themselves to these unrealistic standards. People could look in the mirror and accept their flaws rather than hate them.

I am glad that I kept this blog because it prompted me to dig deeper and break through the wall of media and expose the toxic messages behind every pretty image. I came to realizations about media that I don't think I would have noticed without this blog. I was also able to read other blogs from my classmates that were very interesting and introduced new perspectives on matters that I never would have noticed. Overall, this assignment was beneficial for me because it encouraged me to grow into someone who is aware of the double sided nature of media.

The Bachelor

I was recently scanning news headlines on my computer when I found an article that stood out to me. it was about a woman on the Bachelor who was sexually assaulted during her time on the show. She claimed she was drugged by a female masseuse who then sexually assaulted her while she was too intoxicated to stop it.

Besides this horrifying act of sexual assault, what really bothers me is why this woman did not speak up sooner: "she wanted to protect the franchise." I find this so maddening because she chose to protect the image of the franchise when she should have put herself first. This an example of a tv show that has created cult like devotion and I am sure this woman is not the only one willing to sacrifice herself for the show. The Bachelor and The Bachelorette have both generated so many followers who obsess over the show to such an extent where it is unhealthy. People are so invested in the show because the producers stage nearly everything so that The Bachelor and The Bachelorette are more entertaining. There is so much unnecessary drama in the show that is clearly staged because it is what the consumers want. Most of the viewers watch these shows because they love the drama which is why the producers create so much of it. This franchise has generated cult like devotion for the sole purpose of making more money which is why they manipulate so many people into blindly trusting the show. 

This woman should not have felt the need to protect the franchise over her own well being. Because she did not report this sooner, the person who assaulted her continued to work on the set which put other people in danger. This proves the serous consequences of cult like devotion. 

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Fangirls

As I was watching one of my favorite shows, Riverdale, I realized how emotionally invested I was in something that ultimately does not mean anything. It is just a show and it is completely fictional. There are many other people who become so obsessed with tv shows that they create entire cultures surrounding the popular show. They grow obsessed and create fan clubs and little communities that revolve around the media. They create fan fiction, fan art, and so much more. This obsession is not healthy. We treat fictional shows like Riverdale as if they are a part of our reality. Essentially, it distracts us from the real world and makes people detached.

Popular shows like Riverdale also string people along as they take at least a year to release a new season. And to make matters worse, they always end each season with a huge cliff hanger, which makes all the fans remain interested in the show. Once they release a new season, they repeat this process until the people start to grow tired of the show. 

I think the only reason I have not turned into a mindless fangirl is because I have grown more aware of how media manipulates us. After watching so many documentaries about the ulterior motives behind media, I am much more conscious of its deceptive nature. However, I am still affected by some of the tricks and manipulations. I am aware that it is all fake but I can't help but get emotionally invested in these mindless shows. I wish I could flip a switch and not be affected but I still fall into these traps and become obsessed. I allow myself to obsess over trashy tv shows because I look for distractions and excuses to escape from real life issues. I also make rationalizations whenever I watch too much tv. I'll tell myself that everyone else is doing it or I will only watch one more episode then I will be productive but these are only lies. Addictive shows like Riverdale create unhealthy habits that affect many people and ultimately create a negative impact.