Media, Self, and Society Scholars Reflection
Media, Self, and Society is the perfect title of this program to summarize it’s vast curriculum. Media plays an encompassing role in our lives whether we realize it or not. Before taking this scholars course I had no idea how huge this role is. Through all of our technology, social media, advertisements, and news stories, media is integral to society. It is nearly impossible to avoid media in society today hence the program name, Media, Self, and Society. My understanding of the subject matter has grown astronomically throughout these three semesters. During one of our lessons we learned the value of fact checking sources, especially in terms of politics. Before college, my knowledge on politics was extremely limited. Yet Media Scholars provided me a platform to discuss politics with my peers which proved valuable. We learned what sources to trust and which ones not to trust. We also learned how social media platforms tailor feeds with certain ads and radical campaign propaganda. These lessons were important for my generation to learn because this was our first opportunity to vote in a presidential election. Since I was able to critically analyze my media sources and weed out good news and misinformations, I felt as if I was very prepared and informed before voting. I will be able to use these skills for the rest of my life to make informed decisions and now realize I cannot believe everything I see online.
I believe one of the most harmful forms of media affecting college students' lives is social media. In CPMS 100 we discussed the harmful impact of social media posts. I struggled with this as well during my freshman year because I had not adjusted and found my people yet. When I looked on social media, it appeared like everyone was having a great time and adjusting perfectly. However, this lesson taught me that social media shows a false sense of bliss and people cultivate their feeds to only show the highlights. As a society, this idea needs to be brought to light. Many people struggle from this harmful situation. However, although social media does not always promote a healthy mindset in society, there are some ways this form of media can be beneficial. For example, we have learned about how news outlets cover major events to keep the public informed. We followed news stories closely during quarantine as well as the election. Keeping the public informed about major issues is an integral component of media and it is helpful to society. This course taught me how to notice harmful versus helpful forms of media and I make sure to consume more helpful media than harmful.
Being a critical consumer and producer means that you can analyze and process different media conduits thoroughly and accurately. Passive consumers trust what they read without fact checking. They also are unaware of all the behind the scenes processes of media. I am now more of a critical consumer because I can successfully navigate through media today and thoughtfully use my skills learned throughout this course.
One major challenge I faced with my time as a Media Scholar is that I am much more politically unaware then most. A decent portion of this program focuses on media's role in politics. Many students in this program are political science, journalism, and other majors that deal with the government. Due to this, other students had a much better grasp on politics. However, I was able to overcome this challenge by learning through the coursework and through my peers. Whenever I was unsure about something we were talking about, I would have my friends explain concepts to me. This was an incredibly valuable experience because had I not joined Media, Self, and Society Scholars, I would still be uninformed on imperative topics.
I see such great value in participating in a living-learning community. My freshman year roommate was in the same program as me, as well as many people on my floor and in my building. Through the relationships I cultivated, I was able to gain even more from the course than I would have. It was a great experience to be able to bounce ideas off of my friends and we often found ourselves partaking in in depth discussions relating to what we learn in class. Especially during the election, we always employed what we were learning in the classroom. Also while watching movies and shows together, we have started to notice denotative and connotative symbols, stereotypes, and even analyze certain music choices in film.
I do feel as if I have had opportunities to contribute to the program. I found such a passion and love for media that I tried to become as involved as I could. I enjoyed working on projects with my classmates, active discussions in the classroom, and field trips. I was able to go to the African American History Museum in DC on a field trip. I was signed up for the New York City trip, however that was unfortunately canceled due to Covid-19. To get further involved I became a Peer Mentor for the program. This has been an enriching experience for me. I thoroughly enjoy helping out the freshman in the program and feel as if I have given them important insight into life at the University of Maryland. I am grateful for all of the opportunities that scholars has provided me with.
Although I am a Public Health Science major and plan on becoming a Physician Assistant, I will still be able to take away certain lessons from the course. Media is involved in our everyday life and I do not foresee that changing. I will now be a better informed adult when it comes to politics. I also am now more aware of the impact media has on my life. After learning a bit more about the ‘Social Dilemma,’ Facebook, and misinformation, I will be much more wary of my media footprint. However, the main takeaway that I will have from being a part of the Media, Self, and Society living-learning community is the friendships and bonds I have formed. I will carry these friendships with me for the rest of my life and I am thankful for the great role the scholars community has played in my college career.
I believe one of the most harmful forms of media affecting college students' lives is social media. In CPMS 100 we discussed the harmful impact of social media posts. I struggled with this as well during my freshman year because I had not adjusted and found my people yet. When I looked on social media, it appeared like everyone was having a great time and adjusting perfectly. However, this lesson taught me that social media shows a false sense of bliss and people cultivate their feeds to only show the highlights. As a society, this idea needs to be brought to light. Many people struggle from this harmful situation. However, although social media does not always promote a healthy mindset in society, there are some ways this form of media can be beneficial. For example, we have learned about how news outlets cover major events to keep the public informed. We followed news stories closely during quarantine as well as the election. Keeping the public informed about major issues is an integral component of media and it is helpful to society. This course taught me how to notice harmful versus helpful forms of media and I make sure to consume more helpful media than harmful.
Being a critical consumer and producer means that you can analyze and process different media conduits thoroughly and accurately. Passive consumers trust what they read without fact checking. They also are unaware of all the behind the scenes processes of media. I am now more of a critical consumer because I can successfully navigate through media today and thoughtfully use my skills learned throughout this course.
One major challenge I faced with my time as a Media Scholar is that I am much more politically unaware then most. A decent portion of this program focuses on media's role in politics. Many students in this program are political science, journalism, and other majors that deal with the government. Due to this, other students had a much better grasp on politics. However, I was able to overcome this challenge by learning through the coursework and through my peers. Whenever I was unsure about something we were talking about, I would have my friends explain concepts to me. This was an incredibly valuable experience because had I not joined Media, Self, and Society Scholars, I would still be uninformed on imperative topics.
I see such great value in participating in a living-learning community. My freshman year roommate was in the same program as me, as well as many people on my floor and in my building. Through the relationships I cultivated, I was able to gain even more from the course than I would have. It was a great experience to be able to bounce ideas off of my friends and we often found ourselves partaking in in depth discussions relating to what we learn in class. Especially during the election, we always employed what we were learning in the classroom. Also while watching movies and shows together, we have started to notice denotative and connotative symbols, stereotypes, and even analyze certain music choices in film.
I do feel as if I have had opportunities to contribute to the program. I found such a passion and love for media that I tried to become as involved as I could. I enjoyed working on projects with my classmates, active discussions in the classroom, and field trips. I was able to go to the African American History Museum in DC on a field trip. I was signed up for the New York City trip, however that was unfortunately canceled due to Covid-19. To get further involved I became a Peer Mentor for the program. This has been an enriching experience for me. I thoroughly enjoy helping out the freshman in the program and feel as if I have given them important insight into life at the University of Maryland. I am grateful for all of the opportunities that scholars has provided me with.
Although I am a Public Health Science major and plan on becoming a Physician Assistant, I will still be able to take away certain lessons from the course. Media is involved in our everyday life and I do not foresee that changing. I will now be a better informed adult when it comes to politics. I also am now more aware of the impact media has on my life. After learning a bit more about the ‘Social Dilemma,’ Facebook, and misinformation, I will be much more wary of my media footprint. However, the main takeaway that I will have from being a part of the Media, Self, and Society living-learning community is the friendships and bonds I have formed. I will carry these friendships with me for the rest of my life and I am thankful for the great role the scholars community has played in my college career.