The Dichotomy of Media.

The Media

The media plays a crucial role in the world we live in today. It serves as a source of information, communication with people near and far, a source of entertainment, etc. The first thing that comes to mind when the word ‘media’ is articulated is probably social media but the term media encompasses a lot more. It includes magazines, televisions, radio sets and even the internet at large.

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Just like every other thing in the world, the media has both perks and penalties. Personally, I use the media every single day but there is always this lingering fear within. Fear of dependency. Although the media is easily accessible to everyone, I cannot help but think about what would happen to the world if the individuals steering the media wheels decide to take a break (the possibility of this happening is very slim because these people would lose millions of dollars but there is still a possibility, I mean).

Nonetheless, I will like to discuss a few of the advantages and disadvantages that come with the media, sharing brief personal experiences where necessary. First off…

The Advantages.

We have all benefited from the media in one way or another so it's safe to say that we're living and breathing proof of the advantages of the media.

Distribution of Information

The media is a very fast avenue for dissemination of information. This is a perk because individuals are updated about certain occurrences of their interest from anywhere in the world. All they have to do is tap their screens a few times.

We all have our preferred ways of receiving information; it could be from the news, from magazines, from newspapers. Whatever way it may be, we all derive the satisfaction that comes with new information.

Entertainment

The media has provided a wide range of applications and platforms for entertainment. Is it TikTok? YouTube? Netflix? You name it. These many platforms have a way of rejuvenating, allowing people to relax and recuperate at their own pace.

Media entertainment plays a versatile role in our daily lives, providing enjoyment, inspiration and cultural enrichment. It can be really amusing and entertaining to watch how things are done from different parts of the world.

With the numerous advantages come equivalent disadvantages.

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Negative influence

Certain forms of media come with loads of negative influence. Take violent movies for example, an individual could see a violent movie and along the line, decide to experiment.

As a kid, I was a victim of this. The twist however was that the movie I saw wasn't even a violent one. It was a movie with superheroes. I do not know if it was courtesy of my inquisitive nature or the impact of the cartoon I had just seen but after an episode of the cartoon, I was a full-fledged super hero.

I wore a cape, carried a kitchen knife and I began trying out back flips. Back flips that I had only seen for the first time in the cartoon. Lucky for me, my little super hero session was interrupted by my elder brother who walked in on me trying to do a backflip. His first reaction was a loud yell followed by about a minute of laughter. If he didn't intervene, I probably would have hurt myself badly.

Privacy Concerns

Have you ever wondered why your social media feed is flooded with fashion items or food videos after just one search? At first, it was astounding because I got to be entertained with the things I like without stress but then it became a thing of worry. I asked my mentor and he mentioned ‘cookies’. He explained that accepting cookies is a form of giving consent and as such, the application can always flood your feed with images or videos similar to the initial search.

This is just one form of privacy infringement. There are a thousand and one other subtle ways the media comes up with to breach individuals' privacy and the fun part of it all is that a majority of people do not know about these subtle ways.

Overall, the media can be both a blessing and a curse depending on to what extent we indulge. And as such, it is very important to double check sources, seek diverse perspectives and have a back up plan when dealing with the media.

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This article was inspired by the April inleo monthly calendar which you can find here. You are invited to join in the fun:)

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