There is no escape - shani Earle
This year in English class we are learning Media literacy. to be honest, when i first saw Media Literacy on my schedule i was thinking to myself, what does the media have anything to do with my life, over and over again. I wasn't interested in the media because I ,unlike a lot of people in our school , don't spend hours and hours watching movies and downloading songs. Whenever any of my friends are talking about movies i rarely know what they are talking about. their response is "how can you NOT know this movie...it's AMAZING..everyone knows it" or " do you know this song? no? where have you been??"... the truth is, i don't spend my time watching the latest movies, or searching for the latest hits, I spend my time writing, drawing, going out on my bike, walking around, sitting in my garden, and Talking to people. Infact the main reason i oppose going to the cinema's is because i don't want to spend my time watching a movie sitting next to my friends and not talking to them..there are better things to enjoy in life. My father works abroad and i barely ever see him, and i oppose talking to him on the phone or on skype, even e-mail. because the truth is i would rather talk to him face to face and not electronically. I do talk to my father on the phone, but not as much as he wishes to. Many have told me that this is wrong and that i'm being selfish, and maybe i am, but as much as i love technology i don't want to be fully amerced into it. i'm not saying i don't watch movies at all, i do, but not as frequently as others. i watch tv when i want to take my mind off things because sometimes it is nice to "escape" reality. I use my computer, for school, and to record songs and what not, but i could never watch a downloaded movie on my computer...it seams ridiculous to me.
so when i thought of Media Literacy as a subject i was very close minded to it. However, we are two months (almost) into school, and i've realized that i was wrong. The media is a great part of my life, more than i realized and weather i like it or not. Media literacy is a great topic to be learning about. it's not just about tv and movies and newspapers, it's about everything. our daily lives are so in fluctuated with the media that it's so unbelievable. everything we use, everything we want or need has something to do with the media, advertisement. I have become so interested in this subject that now i am happy i am learning about it. This course has really opened up my eyes to the devastating truth, and although some people believe that it's sometimes better not knowing the truth, i am excited to learn more about the things that surround me.
I thought that i was one of those people who didn't use technology as much, and a type of person that hasn't become like a living robot like many people in this world. but the truth is that the media is everywhere, it is part of everything, the clothes you wear, the food you eat, the water you drink, your home, your possessions, your knowledge, everything, everything that we are exposed to is connected somehow to the media, to technology, to advertisement. when i realized this i was in shock. just to think that we are a bunch of Guinea pigs in the corporate world scared me. we may be people and have our own choices in life but we are still influenced by the media without even realizing it. I am not in denial, i am just glad that i have finally understood and realized this. see, i always tell myself that i should just take a walk instead of watching tv, and go to the beach or hang out with friends, because i want to be more aware of the life around me. but with the Media Literacy course i have become even more aware of my surroundings and realized that even with "taking a walk in the park" we are still exposed to the media. so even when your not using technology, and not watching movies or listening to songs, you are still inside the world of media. because the truth is, just like the leaves are attached to trees, and just like nature is part of this world, Media and technology have become a dominant part of this world too. a dominant part that us, human kind, has created..and there is no escape
my background on my blog is a Forrest of trees because, although humans are so deeply consumed with technology and media, I think it's important to open our eyes to the things we don't notice (because of technology). It's important for me to remind myself that there are more important things than facebook and youtube. I enjoy the beauties of this world, although at times i do not see them. and even if i won't be able to, i would like to help people to just take a minute and look around at what they are missing before it's too late. before humans are completely and utterly blind to nature and the nontechnical aspects of life. Even I am part of this Media world, but it enlightens me and makes me feel more human to just take in a deep breath and know that it's oxygen i'm breathing, and not megabytes