Materialism and the media: an introduction to media studies

First of all, it's important to understand what "Media Literacy" means. Robin Reiske explains the term as meaning how we learn to critically look at whatever media we happen to be dealing with, and as well as accessing and creating the media. What the video addresses next is how our society is completely immersed and even submerged in the media, whether that's for the good or for the bad. Rob Williams says that media is progressing in two trends, one towards "corporatism, consolidation, centralization" and the other towards "diversity, localism, independence, and embracing new media technologies to create new stories that challenge the dominant status quo." Williams then says that it is the public's job to challenge the first trend while encouraging the second, and asks the question "...how do we maximize the good in our media culture... and how do we minimize, mitigate the impact of this corporate commercial onslaught.



The second video deals with 5 main questions of media literacy.

1. Who sent this message?

2. What techniques are used to attract my attention?

3. How might other people understand this message differently?

4. What values are represented or omitted from this message?

5. Why was this message sent?

Each of these questions are paramount to successfully understanding and analyzing the media.

The video then deals with how teachers can help upset the current cluelessness that pop culture media today has about it's lack of values and abundance of offensive qualities (racism, sexism, etcetera). Teachers must instill in students "respect of differences" if the students, who are the media manufacturers of the future are going to change these negative qualities one day. The video then discusses how pop culture media is instilling different, negative values such as materialism and poor habits that lend themselves to profit for companies, but less positive effects for the people consuming the products and services, and how this begins very, very early on in life, as young as elementary school age.

Specifically, what I would like to look at in Media Studies this semester is the materialism that was discussed in the second video and just how pervasive it is in our society nowadays. Also, I would like to explore is how the internet is becoming a massive part of the media, and furthermore the massive difference in culture between the real world and the internet, specifically humor, common courtesy and human interaction.