Media in My Life

To put it simply, media is a really interesting thing. In the Oxford English Dictionary, the first definition of "mediate" (noun form) is "to act as an intermediary or a mediator." Not super helpful, but  they all have the same root word. The adjective form gives us a better definition, "intermediate; intervening or interposed in position, rank, quality, time, or order of succession."

Now, I realize that that's pretty boring and frankly, not super clear. Let's break it down a little more. The etymology of "mediate" comes from the Latin word mediatus, past participle of mediare which means to "halve" and later meant "be in the middle." That all comes from the online etymology dictionary, which I find pretty cool.

So how is that relevant to our use of media today? My interpretation of this would be to take the literal meaning of the root word: to be in the middle. Pair it with our understanding of media today (social media, the news, books, tablets, etc.). We've also got that massive Wiki list of artistic media ranging from paintings, to films, to power tools,  and we are left with an interesting concept of what "media" means to our generation, something that comes in the middle of us and information, or a message.

I'm a TV person. I love horror movies, and comedies, and TLC, and The Biggest Loser. I'm also an internet person, to an extent. Not a huge social media person, but I do dabble. I'm obsessed with music. My most beloved media outlet is through text. I am a huge nerd when it comes to reading; books, mainly, including non-fiction, classics, realistic fiction, teen romance novels, mystery novels, history textbooks, any kind of literature assigned to me in class...the only thing I really hate to read are textbooks that are math/science related. I've always been the girl to sit with my book and binge-read until my eyes were blurry. 

I think that media has revolutionized the world. (Duh.) Televisions, phones, newspapers, music; these outlets reach people in a way that has never been possible in the millions of years before. All of this stuff is serving as a platform for stuff to make its way to us, and I cant think of anything cooler than that. Before media became a thing, there was just all this knowledge floating around out there but somehow we've found a way to snag it and plant it on a tangible thing for us to absorb and learn about and love/hate/whatever. It's really a beautiful thing. 

All media is important

It’s pretty obvious that there are endless forms of different media, some of which have been around forever.  We use media to communicate with others and express ourselves.  For example, we have literature, films, photography, the performing arts, and many more.  However, now we have forms of social media that seem to appear overnight.  It’s almost impossible to try to keep up with.  Do you have an account on the newest social media app?  I probably wouldn’t know how to use it yet, but it wouldn’t hurt to try it out.

I think that all forms of media should be embraced because they all have something a little different to offer.  Reading a book and watching a film are two separate experiences, even if they are each telling the same story.  Painting a picture would allow me to create and express whatever I wanted, while taking a photo might limit me to show what is already in front of me.  These different forms of media can pretty much be enjoyed by everyone.  There aren’t many people who would say they hate listening to music or watching movies.  But for some reason, a lot of people seem to dislike media that involves newer technology.  Maybe it’s because we haven’t quite gotten used to the new technology yet, but I don’t think these new ideas should be rejected so easily.  Just like older forms of media, these “new” types can still be viewed as ways to communicate and express ourselves. 

Of course, I still think it’s fair to prefer certain forms of media over others.  Most days, I would probably rather watch a movie than read a book.  In regards to social media, I would prefer to use Facebook over Twitter.  One type of social media that I use the most would be Snapchat.  I know a lot of people see it as pointless, but I see it as a way to keep up with my friends that I don’t see that often.  Instead of texting them all the time (which I don’t like to do anyway), we can send snapchats to show each other what we are currently doing in our lives. 

My main point is that all forms of media have something different and valuable to offer.  Some types may only appeal to certain people, but that doesn’t mean it is useless or pointless.  Each different form can be used for something different and we can find new information in each place we look.  

"It's Complicated": Meditations on Media

Can you imagine how people wrote research papers pre-Internet? They actually had to look in books! Can you imagine how time consuming that would be?! When I need the definition of word? Do I pick up a DICTIONARY? No. I Google it. BTW, there is something to be said that the name of a company is now a verb! But why do I Google a definition instead of picking up a dictionary? One word: Accessibility.  I don’t own a dictionary and I probably never will (lets be serious, that $10 or so could go towards a nice cold brew). I can hop on my laptop, IPad, Iphone, what have you and look up the definition in 10 seconds flat. BOOM.

However, I do and will always have an adoration for print. I love books and absolutely cannot read a novel electronically. And think this stems from my passion for literature. Great works of literature where not accessible on an IPAD when they were written. Books, words on a piece of paper, should be cherished like they were back in the day. And I am someone who enjoys sharing a book with someone else, and well, I am NOT going to let someone borrow my Ipad. I also love a handwritten letter. When someone writes you a letter, you know they took the time and the effort it takes to actually write with a pen or pencil. There is something visceral about it, like there is a part of that person on the paper.  An email with the very same words seems stale and too formal. I also take notes the old-fashioned way with paper and pen. To me, writing is more fluid. I can listen and write easier than I can type and listen, even though I type faster. I feel like when I am handwriting notes, I am digesting the information better than if just I typed it.

I see the various benefits and pitfalls of media, particularly social media platforms.  I’m pretty sure I recently saw an article title (I didn’t actually read the article) comparing Facebook to a drug. I hate to say it, but it’s true. Social media is addictive. When I wake up in the morning, the very first thing I do is grab my phone and check my email, Facebook,  Instagram, and Snapchat. Do I feel particularly excited when I wake up and check these sites? No. It just seems like another part of my daily routine like brushing my teeth. I use these sites to keep in touch with family and friends and as a way to share aspects of my life with them. Social media provides us with this sort of detached way to share our lives; it is not the same when you tell someone the same exact thing over the phone or in person. That is too intimate. Face to face interactions are reserved for those closest to me. And I think that it is extremely important to recognize that there are connections that must be valued outside of social media.

 

Wow, I haven’t really reflected this much on media; I feel like I could write a 20-page paper on it!

There is a LOT of Media

Before looking at the Wikipedia page that listed out all of the different types of media, I only assumed that physical ways to communicate an idea was considered media. We all know about social media, such as Facebook,  Twitter, Tumblr, etc., as well as print media, like newspapers and magazines.  Television was also an electronic version of media that I knew of before reading the article; but I never would have thought that food, light, and carpentry were sources of media.

I feel that we are all drawn to the types of media that directly give us the information we want when we want it, and that can also entertain us.  We can use Google for almost anything, Facebook to share random things and to look at what other random things are in your news feed, and YouTube to watch plenty of videos varying from pop culture news to gaming videos, and make up tutorials to the cinnamon challenge.  But we don't really come into contact with the other forms, such as paintings and architecture, because unlike during the Renaissance, we aren't drastically changing our style and our views.

Now on the talk of social media, which everyone has at least some version of, I personally only use Instagram, Vine, and Tumblr.  When I first got an Instagram, no one used it, so I thought it was just a photo editing app.  Next thing I know, everyone is using it and are requesting to follow me.  Vine and Tumblr are versions of social media that I have an account on, but only use to procrastinate, I don't actually post anything.  Now Facebook is where things get complicated.  I have an account, but since Facebook became less about what your "friends" actually post and more about ads and what they have shared, I have gotten really annoyed with it, and just don't use it.  Twitter and Pinterest are the types of social media I do not use.  I don't have accounts with either and I honestly don't understand how they work or what their points are, so naturally I just don't use them.

Then there is the topic of Youtube.  Is it considered social media, or is it not?  I consider it a form of social media because their is a possible form of two way conversation.  Their is the comment section where people can communicate with the video's owner or other viewers.  Some YouTubers have Q&A's where they answer their viewers questions, or host livestreams so that their viewers can watch and interact in real time.

Ultimately, social media is a form of media that can reciprocate communication, hence the word "social."