Media has always played a large role in my life, though I suppose in today’s world of social media, targeted advertising, and influencers, that is no longer much of a unique characteristic. Still, when I was invited to join the College Park Scholars program, Media, Self, and Society immediately leapt out at me from the list of programs. I have always been aware of the role media plays in our society, and Media, Self, and Society (MSS) only heightened that awareness. Since humans could communicate, we have created media in many forms; cave paintings and oral histories are the solid basis that things like Instagram and the movie industry have built upon. In my life, my personality is almost wholly based on the media that I consume. I read comic books, I play video games, I watch YouTube videos, and those things inevitably influence my life. Media, Self, and Society has given me the tools to critically observe and change how my life is changed by the media I consume.

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During the summer of 2020, I was quarantining in my parents’ house due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At this time, protests erupted in cities across the world due to an overflowing of racial tensions following an unacceptable amount of murders carried out by police officers on members of various minorities in America. My parents and I engaged in an unorthodox manner of discussing the events; they would watch the evening news, and I would read street level accounts of events on social media. Afterwards, we would come together and compare our understandings. I pointed out the stories that were being suppressed by the mainstream news platforms, and they pointed out the larger picture that I was missing or how public figures were reacting to the protests. The discussions that were carried out in MSS classes prepared me to talk confidently about why news platforms would only cover certain angles of the protests with my parents. I believe that our methods allowed us to gain as close as we could to a full understanding of the explosive events occurring in American cities.

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Another topic covered in MSS classes was the messages that are contained in advertising, both those that are obvious and those that are not. Once I acquired the tools to critically analyze ads, I began to recognize many harmful messages in them. The most well-known example is the miasma of shame and coercion present in beauty product advertising. These ads are built to destroy your self-image and build it back up with a reliance on their products. Another set of ads that caught my ire were those of the automotive industry, especially during the pandemic. In a time where no one should be traveling and many have lost income, it seemed incredibly harmful to me to have advertising trying to convince people to buy a new car. However, not all advertising is negative. In another MSS class, we covered ads from during the quarantine that focus on perseverance and positivity. Ads like these that respect the target audience and acknowledge that their business is a two-way street give me hope for the advertisement industry.

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To me, being a critical consumer means taking an active role in one’s media consumption. A critical consumer not only takes in media but analyzes the media they take in, as well as how they are affected by that media. I view myself as both a critical consumer and a critical producer. The podcast that I host and produce is wholly based on consuming and analyzing comic books, my favorite form of media.  On the show, I read the comics we cover with a critical view then share my analysis, praises, and criticism with my audience. I believe that puts me firmly in the critical consumer and producer of media role.

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Prior to joining MSS, I viewed my media-heavy interests as a point of shame. I believed there was nothing of worth in spending my free time reading comics and watching internet videos. After spending time in classes that focused on the positive aspects of media consumption, I began reconsidering the value of my interests. The obvious long-term result of this challenge to my belief is that I now express my love of comics via my podcast. I never would have considered sharing my interests in such a way without MSS changing my self-image.

Participating in a living-learning community was a positive experience. However, through no fault of the program, I was paired with a subpar roommate, so the experience was soured somewhat because of that. However, the rest of the experience was positive. It was helpful to live on the same floor as people that all had shared interests, as well as a shared class. It was beneficial to live nearby to others completing the same assignments as me. Additionally, I got a lot of enjoyment out of the Scholars-based events, such as the trip to the Newseum. Overall, I believe the positives of the program outshined the negatives.

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I think that I have had opportunities to contribute to the Media program. There was a class in which we discussed the problems with the gaming community. As both an avid “gamer” and a critical consumer, I had a lot to say on the topic and I believe that I contributed greatly to the quality and usefulness of the discussion. If I were to recommend a change, I would say that it could be easier to volunteer to contribute, whether that be through larger recruitment drives or more focus placed on word of mouth encouragement.

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My Scholars experience will form a solid basis for my future studies, and my personal media consumption. The methodology I learned concerning critically consuming multiple forms of media will stay with me for much of my future. The trip that we took to the Newseum has fundamentally changed how I view news media. I would absolutely recommend the College Park Scholars program, especially Media, Self, and Society, to anyone that is invited to participate.