Entry #9. Media Synthesize

Media has ultimately taken over our world. Every day our society becomes more knowledgable and developed. The technology we have access to is constantly growing and our lives are greatly affected by this advancement on a day to day basis. Since I live with my grandma, I like to compare our generations opinions on  media and she constantly reminds me that my era is much too reliant on it.

I feel like just about everyone has a smartphone in today's age. And most of the smartphone users have apps downloaded that allow them to stay in constant connection with the world. From social media like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, to instant discussions with friends via text messages, FaceTime and Snapchat- our technology give us this capability.

Video games have developed so much since when I was a little kid and even more so when our parent's generation were kids. The graphics and details on the screen are so unreal it is almost like you are actually in the game! This can be a major reason why there is so much violence among men, because there is a large number of the male population who invest quite a but of time into them.

Women are also greatly affected by the advancement in technology. Commercials, advertisements, billboards, magazines, te and other sources of media portray women in the most unrealistic ways. Photoshop and other programs are used to alter features on the women's body to make them look much more attractive than they really are. Models are supposedly the world's idea of a 'beautiful' woman and so many females strive to be this skinny, pretty idea of perfection. It becomes harder for women to be able to accept their flaws and be comfortable in their own skin because there is this constant influence of fake beauty.

News can be another factor about media that is extremely influential. There is so much bias information shared through political channels and other shows that discuss events going on in the world. Reality T.V is also huge- there are countless shows from Keeping up with the Kardashians, American Next Top Model, The Real Housewives, The Bachelor, Top Chef and so many more that have millions of viewers following their series. These are huge sources of entertainment

It's crazy to think that literally only a decade ago, social media was nowhere near what is it today. I remember in 7th and 8th grade when Myspace was the most popular site online. Now, there is Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Tinder and a bunch of others that literally control our society's lives. I feel like now, we are all way too reliant on these apps and websites on an everyday basis. So many people rely on "likes, comments, retweets and shares" to determine their level of popularity in this world. It should not matter what other people think; you are who you are no matter how many likes one of your posts gets.

I think we are a very blessed generation to be able to have access to all of the technology and media that we do. However, there are a lot of downfalls to these advancements- such as too much distraction and dependence on it. Don't get me wrong, I love my social media, constant internet access, and cable television but I am just as guilty of wasting too much time on them. Our technology is only going to get more developed as time goes on and it will be interesting to see what will be invented and how much more will change in the future. How much time do you spend using media and technology? What do you think about where we have come as such a developed society?