Media in my life

Prof. Wachanga asked the class to create a blog describing how media has shaped our views/lives. He posed the question "Does the media change the public's view, or does the public change the media's view?" It was a simple question. One of perception. But it was also a question with many different answers. Before I can definitively answer this question, I must examine my own upbringing and my experiences with the media. However, I will only be able to explain whether I have been shaped by the media, as my perception differs from that of everyone else.

My childhood was typical. I was born in Madison and grew up 15 minutes south in Oregon. I lived with both my parents and my two siblings. My parents both worked (and still do) very hard to provide for three growing boys. As we grew older, we were exposed to different kinds of children that my mother babysat. My mother always made sure we shared our toys and cleaned our plates. During the day, we (me, my brothers, and the kids being babysat) watched TV in the living room, which usually consisted of an hour or two of our favorite cartoons. Sometimes the other kids wanted to watch Power Rangers, but my mother disapproved, seeing it as too violent for young kids. When my dad came home from work and the kids left, my family would sit down together for dinner. As I grew up, I realized that this is not how all families function.

Fast forward to the age when I start to really remember things and identify my values.

I think September 11th, 2001 was the time when everybody in my classes (7th grade) started to grow up a little bit. The teachers tried to explain to us what happened and school was put on hiatus and kids started to identify themselves as Republicans or Democrats. I'm not gonna get into the political side of things too much, but it's important to the story. When the students walked from class to class, the TV set was on whatever news channel the teacher was more comfortable with (hence the students being Rep. or Dem.) The story was told the same way, but the reactions were different. Some kids wanted to bomb the f+%k out of Afghanistan while others (like myself) were looking for more solid evidence of who did it before any actions were carried out. In this way, I think my beliefs and morals were shaped by my parents because they've always been really well-grounded and always did research before doing anything (whether it meant choosing an insurance company or buying a car.)

Fast forward to the last few years.

My opinions as of late have been stronger and I've been able to stand by my beliefs while others live by theirs. I have built my own opinion on politics and ethical issues. I have decided my place on drugs and alcohol. I live my life the way I think is best based on what I have been exposed to and relate to.

Here's what I've gathered:

• I buy clothes based on comfort and style (not necessarily what's popular)
• I stay away from drugs and alcohol because I've seen their damaging effects (a best friend gone wrong)
• I identify more with Democrats than Republicans (I feel that the Gov't should do all it can to benefit all people EQUALLY)
• I watch TV shows based on my sense of entertainment

• All in all I'm my own person, but I give some credit to the media for what I have been exposed to

More stuff:

I think the media can be shaped by public opinion, but mainly it's the media affecting the public because without the media, people wouldn't act the way the do. Say a commercial came on advertising a new shoe that was inexpensive, really cool, very practical, and comfortable. People are going to buy that shoe. But if that commercial never aired, people wouldn't own that shoe. The way in which the media is shaped by the public is if a news station airs a clip about something somebody did. The station will take a position on the issue and the station would represent the position they take. Overall, this is a pretty complex issue to try and break down in a single blog, but I took a stab at it and I hope I get an "A."