My Current Relationship With Media- Angelina Li

image courtesy of iheartthestreetart

      Having been immersed in media for most of my life, I am almost positive that I have been exposed to all types of it.  Whether it be television, literature, social media, or even music, there is no doubt that media has shaped who I am as a person.  My current relationship with media has changed over the last few years. I wasn't truly aware of it until I reached the sixth grade, which marked the creation of my first Instagram account, the beginning of endless disappointment and videos that are taken from twitter. Being exposed to social media at a young age, without any guidance from adults whatsoever, made me realize that there was a whole world of communication outside of emailing, phone calls, and texting.  My parents did not plan on allowing me to get a phone until after I leave for college, which is rather smart now that I think about it on their part.  However, I ended up getting a phone at the beginning of the school year this year. I used to carry around an iPad mini with cellular data on it before I had a phone and I didn't use it as often because of how hard it was to carry out and it was very inconvenient.  However, when I got my phone, which is literally pocket sized, I was able to take out my phone whenever I wanted to, because it was just that much easier.  From that point on, I wasn’t just immersed in media, I was drowning in it.
     Media in general has hindered me more than it has helped me.  There are one too many times where I have jeopardized the quality of my school work for the sake of scrolling through instagram, because for one, going into the VIDEOS YOU MIGHT LIKE section of your explore page is inescapable, and two, it is interesting enough to make me abandon my responsibilities.  This also goes for Netflix, Spotify, Snapchat, Sound Cloud, YouTube,  and all of the media platforms that I have on my phone.  Social media makes it difficult for many people to quit due to the fact that if you do, you lose something.  Wanting to delete Snapchat comes with the consequence that you might lose your streak of 418 with your best friend.  Wanting to delete Instagram may cause a loss of followers or likes.  I am generalizing and using the term "you" but really, I am talking about myself because these are the things that are holding me back from expunging these apps that cause an endless cycle of stress and anxiety in my life.  I can say that my procrastination habits have increased by ten-fold, forming new species of habits, hybrids even.  I developed a habit this year of procrastinating on social media and going to sleep, so that I could do the rest of my homework in the morning.  I can tell you that it hasn't served me well.   

 I recently watched a movie called "Crazy Rich Asians" which was based off of the best selling novel with the same name by Kevin Kwan.  The movie made headlines for its all Asian cast, and it made me realize how little Asians are represented in the media.  Movies like "Searching", "To All the Boys I've Loved Before", and "Crazy Rich Asians", have recently emerged as movies that have shown Asian representation.  There were people however who focused on the rich part of the movie.  A video that was made by Harper's Bazaar called These Are The Real 'Crazy Rich Asians'  explored the lives of "imperial splendor" that these Asian women lead.  The wardrobe of the cast and the jewelry that they wore influenced people to splurge on more luxury items.  A replica of the stunning emerald ring that Michelle Yeoh wore in the movie is being sold on Etsy for $2,500.  Seeing people who are like you in some way on screen and in media, for me, makes me feel like there is a possibility of it happening.  I am spending Thanksgiving Break in San Diego and I went black Friday shopping for the first time.  The department stores in San Diego are like no other.  The first store that my family and I happened to go into was full of luxury brands.  I was instantly reminded of the film Crazy Rich Asians.  There wasn't anything about the products that I essentially liked, but it was the name that mattered.  There are brands that rely solely on their name for product sales.  

    
        The media has put these brands on a high pedestal that people usually buy them for "clout" and not for the appreciation of craftsman ship.  The brands cause discussion and discussion cause sales.  The more a brand is being discussed, the more popular they become.  I accompanied my brother going into a Guess store and I saw a bracelet that I was interested in.  He said, "Does the bracelet have the name on it?  If it does, you better cop."  For those who don't speak teen slang,     he was implying that I should get the bracelet if the bracelet had the Guess logo on it.  Like it or not, the media has an influence on my purchasing habits.  I once bought a book because a show that I liked featured it.  I don't really know how to read it because it is in a different language, but the fact that I purchased something just to have some sort of connection to the show, says a lot about the influence of media on myself. I ended up buying the Guess bracelet. 
    My involvement in media is inevitable. Although most of it is toxic and highly addictive, I am working towards changing that relationship. However, I want to make this clear, not all media in my life is negative. There have been positive outcomes from media in my life. I have become aware of most of the world since communication through media has made news and current events much more accessible to the individual. Things gain momentum more quickly and have a greater impact on people.  Media is something that enables mass communication. It is an outlet that provides a personalized experience of entertainment and information. I hope it stays that way and remains educational and doesn’t stray from its initial purpose of connection.