Reflection

            Throughout the course of updating my media blog and studying the different makerting techniques of large industries, I have learned a lot more about media and the way it affects me. I am grateful for having this class and especially this unit because it clearly defines certain aspects of the marketing world and how I perceive it.  The media blog was a good way to keep track of things I had been learning throughout the course, and eventually helped me analyze media a lot better than I could have done before without any guidelines.

            The amount of media we consume influences our preferences and perception of ourselves and others. If something is “hot” and “in”, we will want to have it. If it’s not, we won’t want it. Being fully aware of media trends and our consumption allows for our desires to be kept in check. If we were to go around completely unaware of the media’s influence, we would be more susceptible o the subliminal intentions of media corporations.

            With our awareness, we can slowly build a resistance “shield” and become immune to the worst marketing techniques. My media consumption habits have changed throughout the course of the critical thinking semester. Although I was never completely unaware of media techniques, this class reassured me of my discontentment with media. Now, if a marketing technique pops up, I recognize and name it almost as second nature.

            I can recognize techniques, needs, and the tricky ways in which media disguised itself. Having media literacy is very important because we can learn to keep a level head and read into the real intent of corporations and media. Being an educated consumer goes hand in hand with being media-literate. If someone is an educated consumer, they will see past the smoke and mirrors that is the advertisement world; we will know better than others about the glittering generalities and different appeals of commercials, print ads, and other types of advertisement.

            This media blog facilitated my ways of expressing my progress and thoughts on media. It was like a constant list that kept getting bigger each time I learned a new way to analyze media. There are different angles to analyze media; in example with the techniques, needs addressed, thoughts expressed, and associations. I also got a chance to see how other people were analyzing the media of today’s world. My peers and I updated our blogs every week and we could comment and read their own thoughts. Sometimes I even learned something new from their pages. I like the fact that we can be better critical thinkers and more intellectual people who can make decisions based on judgment of the case and consequences. We can incorporate all of our new knowledge and blend it with our old intelligence and turn into an upgraded version of our critical thinking selves.