Unit 1 project: mass media monopoly

Unit 1 Project: Mass Media Monopoly Karla N. Treadwell Kaplan University CM202: Mass Communications Tibe Jordan So, the prelude to this assignment was to keep a journal of my interactivity with mass communications for a few days. Sounds easy, right? I guess it might depend on how involved one’s attention is, and I have to be honest and admit that I was done after the first day and a half. I couldn’t even step away from my cable T. V. and my computer long enough to see how much of a media junkie I really am. A friend of mine once told me that “ you can’t see the picture when you’re in the picture. ” The way in which we have become so inundated with the media is astounding. Without any recorded figures to go by, I’m going to say that I watch television about 90% of the day, particularly during the week. I could say that the remaining 10% is broken up into my Internet usage, and the radio, except that my computer usage has increased drastically, between school and FaceBook, so, ironically, I use it about the same percentage as I watch T. V. I am able to do this by having them both on at the same time. I can watch a movie and net surf /social network at the same time, and successfully divide my attention between both, simultaneously. I don’t read like I used to; the only time I pick up a magazine or newspaper is when I’m in either the doctor’s office, or a diner, where they are typically available. Unfortunately, I haven’t read a good novel in years. My primary media are Cable T. V. and the Internet. In recent times, I will jump online more for current events instead of waiting for the story to be repeated on the 6’o clock news. The majority of my music and video entertainment come from the websites such as YouTube and Amazon. com. I watch music videos and download music to burn on CDs. The only time I may listen to the radio is when I’m in my car, and that would only be when I’ve become tired of playing my homemade CDs, which is not too often. In the last 10 years, this is how I interact with media. I have not purchased a newspaper or magazine in almost 7 years. I barely listen to the radio; downloading allows me to control what I want to listen to, so I no longer have to wait to hear my favorite song, I just jump online and I have it at my disposal, anytime. Almost everything is online and digital now, and technology will only continue to enhance everyday. I don’t like to wait for information; the Internet gives me the here and now, and right away and it’s great. Advertising is everywhere: T. V., Internet, billboards, magazines, newspaper, books, flyers, posters, radio, there’s no escaping it. And why would we want to? If we didn’t have it, we would never know what was going on in the world, or in our own backyards, for that matter. I think it’s important to know the latest trends of music, clothing, hairstyles, furniture, food, and more, just so we may have choices. Advertising isn’t just entertainment and pop culture, it’s the news, and other important aspects that we need to exist: it is employment, housing, transportation, childcare, healthcare, and banking, just to name a few. It is a much needed form of media communication, I would say we are exposed to it 110% across the board. There is definitely no mistaking the influence that media has on me, from real life coverage to fictitious programming and other entertainment; I can’t get enough of it, and if all the satellites crashed and failed for even just one half hour, I would probably go mad. One of the downsides to Internet media is that we’ve become less verbally and physically involved in our interpersonal relationships, and social networking sites such as FaceBook and Twitter have become the new telephone; we’re all fanatics in one way or another. Because I know that perceptions aren’t necessarily the truth, I try to keep that in mind when I’m reading and watching media. Media doesn’t necessarily shape my perceptions of people, places, and things, but it definitely puts me in deep thought, and leaves me wanting more.