Feedback

One of the effects of media that really struck me came from the video documentary that we watched. It's an issue of media but at the same time it is an issue with regard to our understanding of ourselves. In the documentary, they called it "feedback" (if I remember correctly). I would say this is some sort of an epidemic as it is rampant in our societies today. It distorts the line between media and reality. In "feedback" media takes an aspect in our society and focuses on it. Let's use parties and clubbing as examples to make a more vivid illustration. As we all know, our lives aren't solely based on partying and drinking and dancing etc. During our regular days, we focus on school, friends, family etc. However, media takes the aspect in our lives that we all long for; and we use my example of partying to prove this. When media portrays the party scene, it tries to capture what happens in parties... with a little twist and some exaggerations. However, when these little twists and exaggerations are shown on tv, it actually becomes a good idea and people party the same way as they saw on tv. Partying like how they see it on tv now becomes the reality and media comes in to try to capture it; and again, try to put a little twist and some exaggerations. This is a vicious cycle that we must be aware of.