Did your view of media literacy change over the course of the class? How will your consumption of media be affected?
As a result of taking this course, I think I have become a more critical consumer of the media. When I see a commercial, I am hyper-aware of how the product is being positioned in the market, and what types of narratives are being used to play upon the goals and aspirations of the target audience, such as being a 'good mom,' or 'hip and sexy' or even to live pain-free into one's old age. Although I was always aware of advertising, now I am better able to see how advertising works upon the psyche of the consumer. I also notice how certain ads are featured during certain kinds of television programs, or on certain Internet sites, to specifically reach a demographic.
I think I may also be slightly more 'paranoid,' because I have also begun to take note of the frequency with which brands are popping up in my life and the lives of other people. I used to like to think that I was immune to advertising, but we as a society are so affected by corporate culture, from not just the clothing and food we buy, but also in terms of the computers we use, the shows we watch, and the stores we shop, it is hard not to be affected by advertising and branding at least some of the time. Is an iPod really the best MP3 player? Why does my mother swear by Hellmann's mayonnaise and no other brand will do? After a certain point, some brands become so ubiquitous they become a synonym for the products themselves -- they even come to represent the consumer who uses them. Companies have picked up upon this identification of brands with the self, as evidenced in Apple's recent 'Macintosh user' versus 'PC user' ads which show a hip, 'with it' young person to personify the MC, versus a geeky PC user designed...
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now