Ah, the media. It's like a plague that we can't avoid no matter how far off the grid we are. Even when you try as much as possible to avoid it, it keeps coming back, following you like a shadow. Unfortunately, unlike Peter Pan's shadow, this isn't a shadow that we can just lose.
Media has been around forever. Although it wasn't like it is today, there were still newspapers and telegraphs that told everyone news about what was going on. Well, at least that was the initial purpose. Now, we see a million different types of media outlets: sports media, entertainment, social networks, You Tube etc. You better believe that a lot of the major news networks are biased, I'm not sure if there is even such thing as unbiased reporting nowadays. With this point aside, because of the huge impact the media has on society, it has definitely taught me a thing or two about the world and my place in it.
According to the media:
1. In order to be valued by men and other people, I must range from a size 0-10 in women's clothing.
This is a huge one. Thanks to the media, I now can compare my self-worth to my pant and bra size. I love feeling inadequate because of the lovely work of Photoshop!
2. Everyone else is out there enjoying life while I'm here waiting for the next season of "Orange is the New Black" to be released on Netflix.
Because of all of the posts I see on a daily basis, it's easy to fell disheartened reading about how much fun everyone else seems to be having. Most of my Facebook friends are off in another country doing something amazing, vacationing to someplace warmer than here, and I'm laying in bed waiting for the new season of "Orange is the New Black."
3. You can't trust anyone.
No matter how nice or happy someone seems in their profile picture, don't believe it. They may seem all sweet and considerate when they wish you "happy birthday" on your Facebook timeline, but after this post, they forget you even exist. Unless they create a Go Fund Me account and need some money they're incapable of getting themselves, then they're all over your timeline.
4. People only are interested in you if they need an extra life for Candy Crush.
Yes, I have about 15 requests asking about extra lives for Candy Crush, Jelly Splash, and Cookie Jam and I'm pretty sure these people don't care if they know me or not, they just want the life.
5. People can be mean.
For some reason, when people are behind a screen, they think they're cool or something. They get into petty arguments about why Trump should or shouldn't build a wall, and why they think they have the right to free stuff. When in reality, they're all just cowards because they're hiding behind a screen their parents may or may not have bought for them. DON'T WE HAVE BETTER THINGS TO DO PEOPLE!?
6. There's no such thing as fair, because, well why should there be?
It's hard to find objective reporting anywhere today. Although some outlets try to give different positions, it's obvious which agenda they're trying to push.
7. As a millennial, I have no idea how the real world works.
Although this is true for many millennials, it's not true for all. Not everyone wants to live in their parent's basement for the rest of their lives, and not everyone wants to live off of the government. Yeah, the real-world is scary, and yea, I'm probably not as well-versed in that topic as I should be, but I'm excited to see how it goes!
8. YES! Zac Efron actually does look like that.
No, those abs were not Photoshopped, much to many people's surprise, he worked his butt off for them, and they're finer than a brand-new fine tip Sharpie.
9. There is no such thing as original (Unless it's the Chick-Fil-A ORIGINAL chicken sandwich, that HAS to be original. It's in the name), everything comes from somewhere.
Most of the movies and television shows that come out today are all adaptations of books, live-action remakes, or sequels. Just looking at the Disney lineup for the next few years and only one was an original. All of the others were adaptations, sequels, or live-action versions of the originals. It's pretty upsetting to see that there will be nothing as revolutionary as Toy Story was when it first came out.
10. We can't get by without it
Although we hate everything about it, we can't escape it. We need the media in our lives so we can exist as a society. We need trashy celebrity tabloids to get along, and we need to know what everyone is doing all the time. The media exists for people like me, who can't help but wonder if Zac Efron's abs are real or not. You would think we should have something better to do, but we really don't.
Although it seems to be a nuisance more than anything else, media can be exciting. We learn about the world around us and we learn about the people we live with on this earth. So it's something we can't escape, it is what it is. But in the future it can be something we can reshape and redefine. We can make what we want out of it, and we can let it hurt us or help us.
