My Media-Literate, Paranoid Self

I would just like to start off saying how much I have enjoyed this assignment. Although sometimes a blog post became a frantic Tuesday night ,11:45pm task , this project has become the highlight of Critical Thinking. Where else am I allowed to turn in writing with not-so-on-point grammar or the occasional "lol's?"
As a teenager in today's technology-dominated society, of course I consume tons of media! It's within my reach all the time! (literally too because my phone) The media blog has not diminished my consumption of media, but it has definitely made me about 9347183504823x more aware of what it is that I'm consuming. Before this project, the first thing I usually notice about advertisements is either the person featured or the font/color theme. Those eye catching qualities of an ad may actually be harmful to the company if I take the role as a consumer. Now, even if I only get a glance at an ad, I begin to analyze everything possible. I analyze it to figure out what needs the company is appealing to and what techniques they use. As a critical thinker, I also begin to utilize healthy skepticism to question whether or not the company will be able to deliver what it is promising its consumers. Wheels in my brain begin turning and I can no longer enjoy the messages advertisers are attempting to convey, which is the essence of this course.
In just a short four months, my whole view on advertisements and other forms of media has changed. I can't even watch a movie normally without pointing out the product placements embedded in random scenes. Just today, my friend and I were watching a movie and when we saw the main character using her MacBook Pro, we turned to each other and said "product placement!!!"

And that's when I knew, Critical Thinking has permanently changed me, for the better.
I honestly don't think my media consumption level will change in the future, but I have retained enough from Critical Thinking to realize what the advertiser is selling to us is completely different from the reality. I was simply too blind to see this before, when I would fall victim to whatever needs they were appealing to.
Because of this blog, I won't fall for advertising techniques as easily as I did before, nor will I be subconsciously brainwashed by product placements and love marks. Although, who's to say I won't be continuing to support love marks? lol (<-- see I did it again!!!)

me before media blog

me after media blog

Peace out girl scout <3!!

Cutthroat Madison and Vine

Here I am chillin' on the weekend watching Netflix (what's new?). A cooking show I am currently OBSESSED with is Cutthroat Kitchen (It's so good 10/10 would recommend!!!!!!!!! Beat Bobby Flay is super good too). It is a show that provides $100,00 for four chefs to auction and outwit each other, as well as cook. While I'm watching, I have crit in the back of my mind (typical right?). I could not think of a blogpost idea, and just when I was about to put it off and procrastinate just a little more with Netflix, it hit me. I saw my next blogpost, literally. Through all the panicking and cooking featured in the show, Food Network still manages to take a few seconds out of the show to focus in on the Capital brand name on the oven.

Of all the different types of shows available, I would think cooking shows feature the least amount of product placement. But I guess Cutthroat Kitchen needs to get the $100,000 somewhere. No wonder Food Network utilizes Madison and Vine to feature the shiny Capital brand on the oven. Just as a chef is closing, opening, or even passing the oven, the camera immediately focuses in on the obvious brand of kitchenware. This does not just occur once, but occurs about every eleven minutes (yes i actually counted). Let's not forget this show is about forty-five minutes so basically out of the forty-five minutes, Food Network is showing the Capital brand ten seconds. This may not seem like a lot but a whole ten seconds was a big enough influence for me to notice, and I'm sure the majority of viewers notice too, which is exactly what the advertisers are aiming for. When considering kitchenware brands, a Cutthroat Kitchen viewer might recall the frame and be more inclined to purchase from Capital than other cookware brands, like Le Creuset, Kitchenware, and Cuisinart.

Read This Post If You Think I'm Beautiful!!

Like I said before, I attended 4H and became super emotional, but let's not talk about that right now. If you want to know more, just read my old post. This new post however is going to connect to the 4H one. During the weekend I spent with the children, I was super surprised by one thing. Although we did not have Internet access at the time, the children voluntarily wrote down their social media accounts like Instagram, Oovoo, and Snapchats for the teen tutors so we can follow each other and keep in touch afterwards. I was definitely in shock at the amount of media these elementary school children are exposed to everyday. I got Instagram when I was in seventh grade, and I was most definitely not as aware in fifth grade as these children are today. However, are they being aware of the "correct" things? In this specific case, I mean aware as in aware about celebrities and the "new hottest trends," and not social justice issues affecting the world.
Even when I had Instagram in seventh grade, I was not posting the same content as what these fifth graders are posting now. Sevie year little Steffany would post pictures with her friends or cool trips she went on. Now I'm not saying these fifth graders don't post with their friends, because trust me they do, but they are also posting pictures that crave for attention from others.

Posts like these crave for compliments from one's followers. This pictures specifically is defining the person based on whatever emojis his/her followers might comment. As children become more exposed to media, the more consumed they are. Some are even at the point where they allow simple emojis and others to define who they are. One of my absolute favorites is this picture.

Not only is this picture again allowing simple likes to define one's character, but this picture also stresses the fact that children rely on media to strengthen themselves. They are relying on simple taps by people behind a screen to reassure they are beautiful, which is absurd in my opinion.
What is no one likes his/her picture? The damage that could be done to the poster is unimaginable.
As technology advances in 2016 and on, not only are children being exposed to media at an earlier age, but the reliance they have on media is also higher, which is something we as a collective whole need to watch out for.