Media Effects on My Life

Did you ever stop to think just how much you are affected by the media in your life? I took some time recently to think about just how much I am affected by the media and what it exposes me to. I’m not even talking necessarily about TV shows or movies. Take commercials for example. I know there have been many times I have been influenced to buy something I wouldn’t normally buy because I saw it in a commercial. Going along with that, I have noticed that when I am in a store even if it’s a grocery store I have a tendency to buy the “name brand” product instead of the store brand because it gives me this false sense of quality.

As far as movies are concerned, I think there might be some correlation between prolonged exposure to violent movies and violent actions. Take for example the tragedy at Columbine. Those boys had repeated exposure to violent movies and video games. Grant it there are other things that made these boys so violent; the way they were raised and the kinds of experiences they had when they were growing up are just a few examples.

The way the media affects your life depends on a variety of factors. In W. James Potter’s book Media Literacy he lists 13 different factors. Of the 13 different factors listed the one that affects me the most is lifestyle. I come in contact with people from all different walks of life in a typical day. This helps to broaden my awareness of the media and its messages and the way they affect people. I am made aware of the way other people translate media messages which can broaden my awareness of these media messages sometimes even exposing me to messages I wouldn’t normally see.

Of the 13 factors in Potter’s book I’m not sure which one I would consider the least affective in my life. All of these factors really depend on each individual person and they are all important in their own ways. So the next time you watch TV, even if it’s just a commercial, really take the time to think about how much whatever it is you’re watching is affecting your life. You will be surprised at how much the media controls your life without your even knowing it.