I recall joining Facebook reluctantly after it became a requirement in High School as part of a class activity. I had never really appreciated the hype about it and it was surely not useful for me anyway. A year later I was faithfully following artist's pages, tutorials, and trying to engage with what my friends had to share. Today, I check my Instagram feed daily, a nightly ritual before I go to bed to see what other designers, artists, fashionistas and travelers have posted. Facebook and Twitter are my current news sources with latest social, political, environmental, and economic trending headlines and hashtags. Vine and Snapchat are my go to apps to share IRL moments.
However, my relationships with media consumption has, again, changed drastically since I started taking classes in media analysis. It opened my eyes to perpetuated myths, advertising, & propaganda which were all heightened through the very platforms I willingly subscribed to. Body image, ethnic misrepresentation, subliminal messaging, and news fabrication were some of the topics I had never consciously thought about or even cared to pay attention to. I realized that terms I identify with: Islam, Muslim, Hijab, Middle Eastern, were always followed by a negative connotation. I realized the standard for beauty included being white, tall, and blonde. And, finally, I realized that media is just that: mediated information, which means it's not always the truth.
I still appreciate what media has to offer, more specifically what the internet has to offer through different media platforms. I wouldn't be able to follow activists like Linda Sarsour, learn from healthy lifestyle advocates like Zainab Ismail, or be inspired by the ever so elegant fashionista Dina Torkia, if it weren't for those media outlets. All those people have, to a great extent, influenced me though we haven't met in person. And, to be honest, it feels good to be able to identify with a powerful image you feel represents you.
However, my relationships with media consumption has, again, changed drastically since I started taking classes in media analysis. It opened my eyes to perpetuated myths, advertising, & propaganda which were all heightened through the very platforms I willingly subscribed to. Body image, ethnic misrepresentation, subliminal messaging, and news fabrication were some of the topics I had never consciously thought about or even cared to pay attention to. I realized that terms I identify with: Islam, Muslim, Hijab, Middle Eastern, were always followed by a negative connotation. I realized the standard for beauty included being white, tall, and blonde. And, finally, I realized that media is just that: mediated information, which means it's not always the truth.
I still appreciate what media has to offer, more specifically what the internet has to offer through different media platforms. I wouldn't be able to follow activists like Linda Sarsour, learn from healthy lifestyle advocates like Zainab Ismail, or be inspired by the ever so elegant fashionista Dina Torkia, if it weren't for those media outlets. All those people have, to a great extent, influenced me though we haven't met in person. And, to be honest, it feels good to be able to identify with a powerful image you feel represents you.
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