Final Blog Post

Today, society is obsessed with having the newest and best form of technology. People put such a value on cell phones that when a new iPhone is released, people will wait in lines for hours. There is such a high demand for cell phones that people are willing to spend upwards of a thousand dollars just to have the newest form of technology. Everyone everywhere is constantly using their phones. Whether they are texting, calling, listening to music, or on social media, the world revolves around the use of technology. 

While I am aware of how addictive phones can be I will admit that I, too, rely on my phone for my everyday life. To expand, I do like having my phone because of how convenient and entertaining it is but I am not someone who is completely reliant on my phone. To me, having a phone is like a crutch. I prefer doing stuff like going out and hanging out with my friends in person rather than spending a night in on my phone. I prefer in-person interactions, but sometimes if it is not possible, I do rely on texting and calling people. One thing I would like to improve on is my social media usage. I am not a big poster, but I do like to look at what other people are posting.  I consume social media on Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube, but my favorite social media platform is TikTok. I like TikTok the best because it is quick and straight to the point. Although TikTok is fast, it is scary how sucked in you get. Even though the videos are only thirty seconds long, I can sit and watch TikTok videos for hours. I would like to try to use TikTok less just because it does take up a lot of my time. Especially at night, I will continue scrolling for hours. Instead of watching TikTok, I have been trying to watch television before going to bed because instead of constantly scrolling, I can close my eyes and listen to the television in the background. My biggest social media pet peeve is when people are so consumed in producing content that they will not be present in the moment. 

I do think that social media affects the way I think. I am easily influenced by social media. For example, if I see an influencer I like posting about something they like, I am more inclined to also buy it. An influencer I like is Lauren Tiby. I have bought multiple things she has recommended and have also liked them, and because I trust her recommendation, I continue to buy the products she recommends. I also tend to buy makeup products I see influencers post about. Because I interact with these types of posts, I continue to get more content and advertisements. When I see other people posting about something they like, I am more prone to try it.    

In terms of my social media footprint, since I am not a frequent poster, the majority of the stuff that is online about me has to do with my family. When I google "Ava Szentkereszty de Zagon" the first things that come up are my academic achievements, for instance, the Dean's List. Additionally, there are many things that are posted about my family. It is interesting that the majority of the articles and books written about me are in different languages. What I find the most scary is the fact that my entire family tree is posted. People can go back and trace my lineage back to the 1700s. 

Blog #9

For this presentation, I researched mainstream media. In the field of journalism, mainstream media is a term used to describe large mass news media. Mass news media impacts the way society thinks and acts towards specific topics. Mass news media is the complete opposite of alternate media because it focuses on major news organizations. Today, the major news corporations include The New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN, Fox News, and ABC News. These news outlets control the majority of the content that is produced. These news organizations have grown into major corporations employing thousands of people. These news organizations are viewed by people all over the world. It is interesting to note that the majority of these news organizations are located in New York City. For instance, from personal experience,  my mom lives in Florida, but she still regularly reads the New York Times. She was even photographed for a piece based in Florida at a polo match she attended. Even though the New York Times is based in New York, it still reports on current news stories worldwide. This is because these major news corporations have employees working from all around the world. More and more people rely on major news corporations rather than local news stations. 

One way mainstream media is beneficial is the fact that it can be an effective way to spread information. Other news stations tend to copy what these big news corporations are producing, so it can be vital to spread important information. For example, when things such as tragedies occur, it is important to spread awareness about them. For instance, if a worldwide tragedy is happening, such as 9/11, it is essential for people's safety that information is spread quickly. 

However, this can also lead to a mass spread of misinformation. If a company like the Washington Post publishes a false story, that false information will spread rapidly. People tend to believe whatever these big news corporations post immediately, and that can be detrimental. An instance in which false information was spread was during the COVID-19 epidemic. These news corporations reported news stories that were not always accurate, but society blindly believed it, and misinformation quickly spread. As previously mentioned, mainstream media and mass news media affect the way society thinks. This is because people believe that all of the content these big-name publications produce are the most reliable sources. However, this can be problematic because society is not questioning if what they are reading is true or not. 

Building off of this, because these corporations are so popular, they control what is trending.  According to Jim Morris, "Whoever controls the media controls the mind.” This is extremely problematic because if only one perspective is being shared, then other viewpoints are not being represented. This leads to a lack of opinions and diversity. Additionally, this leads to group polarization. Due to the lack of other viewpoints it can cause consumers to have naive and more extreme mindsets. Using media, these big news corporations are able to shape our beliefs and how we see the world.