In a world where we consume various forms of media every day, it’s hard to deny the impact of it in our daily lives. From shows, movies, to even social media platforms such as Instagram; there really is no escaping the influence of media in our lives. While the fact that it impacts us is obvious, some people believe that the influence is negative, while others believe it to be positive.
Positives
Some people can use these forms of media to better themselves. For instance, if someone sees an influencer post about their healthy habits, they can find ways to better themselves. By seeing other people at their best, many often want to imitate the behavior, and can be motivated to doing their best as well.
This can also be seen in movies and shows as well, with many people romanticizing movie protagonists such as Rory Gilmore or Hermione Granger to help them get through certain things. It is often easier to accomplish certain things by incorporating the mindset of, “What would this person do in my shoes?”
Using these types of media can also bring awareness to certain topics. For instance, showing that bullying is bad to children early on from an outside perspective helps them recognize what is right and what is wrong. Same goes for people other than children too! By having a popular figure state their opinion, people are often more likely to hop on the bandwagon and listen to certain opinions they’d brush off otherwise.
Negatives
While there are various positives to being impacted by the media we consume, there are also various negatives. These negatives include putting harsher expectations on themselves, but also on the people around them. This can impact relationships negatively and cause certain rifts, since people’s expectations of the norm may be heightened by the media they consume. For instance, those who indulge in romance movies may expect more from their partners, and set unrealistic expectations for them.
Not only that, but constantly being shown the best parts of people may cause them to feel negatively about themselves. Thoughts of self-doubt can often arise when people feel they haven’t been doing well, which would be reinforced through seeing others succeed.
Final Thoughts
It is obvious that there are good and bad impacts of consuming media. Being shown things on the screen isn’t inherently good or bad, but how much we consume of it can be. By recognizing how much is too much, we can indulge in things in a healthy amount, and let them influence us more positively than negatively.
