My Relationship with Media

          I find myself not completely hating media, nor do I love it. I am always somewhere in between. When I look at my current relationship with media, I realize it's going to be long-term, and no matter how hard I try to stay away, I cannot escape from it.
          I use media every day, whether it's scrolling through Instagram or watching a new show on Netflix. An aspect of media that is heavily present in my everyday life is music. Although it may not seem like it, I am constantly struggling with anxiety, and it has been quite debilitating to my mental health. A way that I cope with this is through listening to music on my phone or Mac; it helps me take my mind off things. Before school, during passing periods, and through the long nights of grinding on homework, music has always been there to drown out the silence. We are lucky to live in a generation where we have immediate access to songs on our handheld devices, instead of carrying a bulky radio around. Social media (Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, etc.) has given me a platform that allows me to reach out to and communicate with my friends and family, who live in different parts of the world. For example, two of my best friends live in Oahu, Hawaii, and I am only able to see them every two to three years. However, through social media, it is easier to keep in touch with them and to see what they're up to. I think it is amazing to see how the transformation of media has allowed millions of people around the world to stay connected with their loved ones. On a larger scale, media gives us an opportunity to stay updated on the various events that are occurring throughout the world. By simply turning on our TVs, we can easily be informed with the latest news from England or Syria. In a way, media keeps the world interconnected.
          As any good thing, media also has its negative qualities. There is no doubt that social media has played a large and important role in my life. Just as I start my mornings, I find myself subconsciously sending "streaks" to my friends on Snapchat and liking pictures on my Instagram feed. Personally, whenever I go onto social media and see what others are doing with their lives, it makes me want to re-evaluate my own life. I think that social media also holds society's expectations and standards of beauty, happiness, etc. On my Instagram explore page, I constantly see pictures of the "idealistic" woman: tall, curvy yet slender, and tan. I start to believe that the way I portray myself is not "good enough", and I become more self-conscious about my appearance. Sometimes I feel as if social media becomes a place of competition, where people try to prove that they are better than others, rather than an outlet to express our individuality. Even though media promotes communication, it can also be used to spread fake, harmful news and lies. These lies that are told can ruin one's reputation and affect him or her negatively for the rest of his or her life. Words are powerful. The media utilizes certain tactics that twist their words around to make the stories appear one-sided. Therefore, we should not assume that the media is always right. It is good to keep an open mind and take note of how others perceive
the same news.
          It is inevitable to be unaffected by media. However, I do believe that we have a choice on how we want media to affect our lives. We can either see it for all of its positives or negatives; better yet, somewhere in between.