I have noticed that my own media tendencies are not the same as those around me. There are areas where my consumption tends to follow general trends, but there are also areas where my personal preference differs quite a bit. Although with the availability of media these days in this country, it’s very unlikely that two individuals in my age and social group could be considered to have identical media tendencies as anyone else.
I tend to choose the internet over other media sources because of its versatility. It fulfills a variety of my needs and wants, including social, entertainment, and educational. It’s a good way to relax at the end of the day, and it’s impossible to run out of things to do online. A lot of people my age in this country are very drawn to the internet, for what I assume are the similar reasons to my own – it’s versatility and ability to fulfill many uses. Though the US doesn’t have the highest number of internet users, it does have the greatest level of internet penetration, according to the World Internet Usage Statistics website.
Obviously the internet has such a wide range of material that the needs and wants I fulfill could be vastly different than another individual. For example, I currently have an internet blog, yet I have a lot of friends and family members who don’t have one, or who dislike the idea of an online journal. The idea probably appeals to me because I like writing and playing with words. I also tend to keep most of my thoughts to myself and don’t really get very many chances to share them in social situations. A blog allows me to write them down and put them out on the web with the chance that someone will read it and know what I’m talking about.
I do have friends who have blogs, but I tend to use mine for very different reasons that other people I know do. Some friends write about the course of their day, or short personal thoughts on issues. I tend not to use my blog as a list of daily events, or free-for-all of my deepest thoughts. Instead I try to present well written thoughts on issues, reviews of films I have watched or games I have played, and when I do portray personal thoughts I try to present it in a complete and well written format, discussing both sides of an issue and coming to some sort of conclusion at the end. Perhaps part of this is due to my tendency to want to appear polished and well presented most of the time. I have observed a great deal of people who seem to lose several levels of intelligence when they go online because of their anonymity. I try to separate myself form these people by at least partially identifying myself depending on the situation, and attempting to portray a sense of thoughtfulness in my comments. Also, because I tend not to share things that are very personal in social settings, it makes sense for this to carry over into the internet world as well.
Another media activity I really enjoy is video games. Most of my friends are also video game players, so it generally surprises me when I hear people say they don’t play them, or have never been very interested in them. I also get occasional reminders that while I’m far from the only female who plays video games, I do seem to be in the minority among women in general. According to the ESA (Entertainment Software Association), 38% of gamers are female, and only 30% are females over 18.
I’ve wondered before why this medium appeals to me. In the past I’ve assumed it appealed to almost everyone, but this isn’t really the case, especially when taking my gender into account. I do have some tomboyish and feminist tendencies, and am generally against the idea of female characters being portrayed as nothing more than a damsel to be rescued or the sex object in media. Perhaps because video games put the controls in my own hand is one reason I’m drawn to this medium. The fact that I’m usually drawn to the small number of games with respectable female protagonists and strong female characters would also correlate with this explanation.
Another reason might be my love for interactive media in general. I would much rather feel like an active participant during media consumption than a passive audience. This would explain why in general I enjoy video games more than film and television, and would also explain another reason the internet is such a large part of my media consumption. Both internet and video games give me the power to control what I spend time on, when I engage in certain events, and how much time or effort I put into a particular activity.
I’ve grown up in an age of unparalleled media consumption, but I’ve also taken a lot of time for personal contemplation and meditation. I definitely feel like I’m able to separate my personal knowledge and preferences with those I’ve viewed in the media, but at the same time I know that in certain areas the media has a large impact on my worldview and even my view of myself. Because of this, I tend to subscribe to limited but powerful media effects. I feel that the majority of the time, I’m more in control of the media I use than it is in control of me. I’m very drawn to the uses and gratifications theory, because I believe that I choose the media I do for reasons. I have the power to pick what I consume, and I also have the power to choose which messages I will accept or reject. I personally try to remain an active participant in most of my consumption to limit the effects media has on me. I don’t believe it has the power to change me against my will. Part of me would like to believe that media has little to no effect on the individual, but I realize this isn’t true. I do believe that in certain situations the media can have a profound impact, and there are certain areas of my life where my personal experience is limited and I must rely on the media for most of my information. But as a whole, I believe that in most cases the individual is able to control their media consumption and use it to their benefit to grow and change as a person. I don’t believe that the media can significantly shape our growth and change without our own intention to do so.
Sources
Internet Penetration by World Region. World Internet usage Statistics News and Population Stats. 2007.
http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm
Game Player Data. Entertainment Software Association. 2002-2004.
http://www.theesa.com/facts/gamer_data.php
