Media. Helpful or Disastrous?

Media, is it helping or causing all our world problems? Social media is the basis for countless of the world’s problems and solutions. It can be used to increase awareness for important causes but can also be used to develop hate, especially with teenagers. The media is in charge of many teens’ lifes. But is that how it should be? Media also changes our aspects of everyday life. For example what we should be wearing what we look should like to be able to feel accepted in today’s society.

Firstly media encourages false images of how a perfect world should look like impacts like this causes insecurities to a lot of girls and boys. We see Miley Cyrus singing in lingerie’s, we hear about celebrities getting arrested for doing drugs and we watch fake violent shows. Seeing people we idolise fall and hit rock bottom, we see celebrities in photos with no fat, perfect skin and we are told that, that is beauty. The photos we are seeing in magazines and on television are almost all photo-shopped. But our brains are telling us we need to look like them. These misleading pictures of how bodies, relationships, houses etc. leads to very low self-esteem and can lead to depression. We need to lose weight no matter what; we need to have the perfect toned skin. Headlines in magazines about anorexia and bulimic gives teenager’s ideas. Is this what the media leads to?

Second social networking like Facebook allows you to connect with anyone, a neighbour, co-worker, or the girl you met last Tuesday. Using these sites can make you feel better and feel connected. But with having that power to search up anyone can have its downsides. No one is really safe using social networking, you give out your details and personal information about yourself where any random can find, there putting yourself in danger. Cyber-bullying had a massive effect on media. The immediacy of social media is available to not only your friends and family but to predators as well. Once you upload your details to a network it is there for anyone to come across putting yourself in harm’s way.

The media is everywhere, from music to sports and the internet and beyond it clearly shows that media plays an important role in our lives. We are not aware of how much interaction we have with the media. Therefore media has impacted us to feel and think that way do. With the hassles of keeping up with everyone else, competing with the world.  

Caitlin Woolley