for the love of media

I enjoyed reading "Women Confronting and Creating Culture" because it sums up the media quite well. I specifically focused my attention on the television section as well as the magazine section.

For television,  the author explains that "television is one of the most influential forms of media." I completely understand where they are coming from because when I was in high school, I felt as if TV ruled my life and how I looked at myself. I would make sure to tune in to shows like Entertainment Tonight and Gossip Girl almost every night, and it really affected the image I had on my body. I wanted to look like the celebrities did, and I wanted to have the ideal celebrity body... which I never felt like I had. I focused closely on my diet and counted calories like crazy. I would also write out what I expected myself to eat each day, but would fail every time. Because I was focused on trying to eat very little, I would end up eating a lot since my thoughts during the day would be directed towards food.

Another form of media that affected me negatively were magazines. I had a subscription to Seventeen and would receive it monthly in the mail. I compared myself to the girls in the magazine and once again, wanted to look like them... even though most of photos are airbrushed. I spent a lot of money on magazines throughout middle school and high school.

Once I got to college, I finally realized that I had an addiction to media... and even having an addiction to media can affect someone negatively. I stopped buying magazines, and I rarely watch television. Since I have limited my access to magazines and TV, I have found that I am much happier with myself compared to when I was in high school. I also listen to music that is more positive, rather than music that focuses on sex, drinking, and materialism. The media is so powerful, and people easily get sucked into it. Don't get me wrong, it is fun to watch movies, TV, and read magazines... but if you start to notice that it's taking over your life, that's when you may need to take a step back.