Reflection

Media has taken over the world. It's everywhere we look.
I personally spend a lot of my free time on the media. I'd say I consume about three hours of media on average every day. I think the media has exposed me to a lot at such a young age, and I've noticed the kids are getting younger and younger.
Being more aware of my media consumption changes my interaction with media because now, it's easier for me to spot the positives and negatives of media. After taking the class of critical thinker, I can easily spot false advertisements and techniques, and looking through the reviews and comments, all of the people are just eating it up. It's scary to see the impact that ads have and the vulnerability the public has. I can also say that it's easier to not believe everything I see online. I have a fully understanding that everything online is structured and developed, people post what they want us to see not necessarily the reality.
I don't think my media consumption habits have changed this semester. Although I am much more aware of what I am consuming and I can always find connection to what I've learned throughout the semester. I believe it is important to have ,media literacy because, like I said before, it's very easy to be vulnerable online. Society implicitly and explicitly sets so many standards for the public and I think it's easy to get caught up in it all. This can all cause mental illnesses and ultimately do nothing but negative things to our society. Although there is a lot to be grateful of from the media, there is also a darker side that isn't really talked about as much as I believe it should be.
This blog has allowed me to express how I felt about a variety of subjects. It's allowed me to talk about subjects that aren't often confronted. Overall, creating my blog and experiences other's blogs had really educated me on media and has made me more aware of what I consume.

Bob's Burgers (aka the best show ever)

Bob's Burgers is my favorite show. It never fails to make me laugh. As a person who watches a lot of dramatic, action-packed, or horror shows, it's nice to have the balance. I started watching Bob's burgers about three years ago and starting it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I can relate to all of the main characters in different ways, which makes the viewing experience all the better. All of the characters have such big personalities and they all seem so unique compared to any other character on television.  It's a show that, to me, seems like a mix between Family Guy and The Simpsons. With that, it is an animated show that comes with maturity. It has the perfect amount of maturity and humor, for someone in my age group to enjoy. It's one of those shows that has a new story to tell every episode. It doesn't follow a specific story line for the whole season like many shows do. If you ever need to relieve stress, or you are feeling down, an episode of Bob's Burgers could lighten your mood anytime.

Where's the Beef?

During these past couple of weeks, Wendy's has really pushed their form of marketing. It may not have been on purpose, but Wendy's has attracted a lot of attention after sending out multiple "roast" tweets in response to rival consumers and hate tweets. There are two ways you can view these tweets: mean and unnecessary for such a large company, or funny and a great way to catch the internet's attention (this is where I side). Multiple large news/ media outlets were publishing articles dedicated to Wendy's roasts and brand.
Like we learned in the movie Merchants of Cool, the teen market is the largest and most influential market as of now. With these tweets, Wendy's has really attracted the teen market, especially using one of the largest social media outlets, Twitter. The reason we are loving it so much is because we love a nice competition and a big personality. Wendy's is now doing what no other large company has done from my knowledge, and that is giving their brand a personality in such an interactive way. It's nice when companies are being less restricting and more authentic. When I say restricting I mean when companies are always promoting, using auto responses, etc. like when every interaction they have just seems so artificial and robotic.
Although these tweets may offend some, I have a feeling that Wendy's doesn't have the intentions of hurting people and that the people they are responding to don't mind. I think these tweets gave Wendy's more positive attention than negative and further developed their brand.

Miss Representation

After watching Miss Representation, it made me think about the ways media portrays feminism. Even at McClatchy, I'd hear conversations along the lines of feminist being a bunch of aggressive girls who hate men and are super sensitive about anything female.Which in some cases may be true, but that definitely isn't what feminism is all about. Because feminist supports a woman's rights, doesn't mean they oppose a man's rights. Feminism provides support and closure for women all around the world. It's not something to look down upon like many men believe. It is possible for a man to be a feminist. It's disappointing that even when girls try to come together to better their future, they are still doubted and looked down upon for doing so. When men support feminist, it's seen as geeky and awkward, when really this is taking a step in the right direction for equal rights.

Grand Theft Auto Controversy

Grand Theft Auto. Should this really be a game of leisure? The game features themes like gun violence, strong language, blood, drug use, alcohol use, street violence, prostitution, car chases, etc. ultimately causing havoc. Let's keep in mind the most recent one is rated M for mature and is suggested for ages 17+ years. Some parents speculate that games like these will brainwash their children and turn them into psychopaths or rebels. There have also been reported crimes that were influenced by violent video games such as GTA. Some believe violent games promote aggression, reduction of empathy, and increase in anger. The game also offers an online mode, where players can interact live and say and do what they please, this may lead to the players taking the game further into their reality. At this point, it sounds all bad, however, many players believe that playing allows them to get their anger out (essentially on the people in the game), express themselves, and feel as if they're doing something exciting. The main characters you play as can be portrayed as mooks, maybe extreme versions. They are out to cause chaos and essentially do whatever they want. This is what makes the games exciting, the player is in control, but they have control that is seen as inappropriate for the common age group playing the game (which ranges 13+ years). Grand Theft Auto might be one of the most controversial game within the industry.



A source used:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/grand-theft-auto-is-good/

Kylie Jenner

We all know her. She is one of the most influential public figure on the internet right now. Her Instagram has almost 83 million followers alone and millions more on other social media outlets. During Merchants of Cool, we were introduced to the term "midriff" which is basically a girl who is proud to be sexual and flaunts their sexuality. Kylie Jenner does just that but she also respects herself. She loves to flaunt her body, you can always expect an Instagram or snap of her in a bikini panning up and down her body or wearing a skin tight outfit showing off her curves. She releases videos and pictures of her and her boyfriend Tyga and displaying their affection. Teen girls aspire to be her and teen boys want to meet her. Although she is still a teen herself, I believe she is a midriff of now.

Evan

     This month, "Evan" was released. It is a short film uploaded to YouTube by Sandy Hook Promise (the nonprofit organisation created by members of Newton, CT community dedicated to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting). Entering the video, it feels so innocent. It follows the story line of a high school boy messaging another student anonymously, engraving their conversation on a library desk, ultimately becoming a love story. However, it takes a turn when it turns out to be a film following another story line, one of a potential student shooter. I have to be honest, I was in complete shock once I realized how much of it I missed. Initially, after watching, I was thinking it was a creative way to raise awareness for the issue around school shootings, and it really made me appreciate the fact that I can go to school and still be able to expect seeing my friends and peers once I'm there, because many people don't have that now. It's one of those things that makes you appreciate the luxuries you have in your life, because as dramatic as it may seem, your life can change at any moment. Let's appreciate every day.