The Media and Me

Media is one of those words that has strong connotation but not necessarily an equally well-known denotation. So, let's start off with a condensed definition.

           

            Media- mediums of mass communication, such as television, radio, newspapers, the internet, etc., regarded collectively

     Thanks, Google. Now that I have established a baseline of understanding of media, I can fully answer this question: What is my relationship with media, and what types of media do I consume?

     My number one form of media would have to be the internet. That's where I read all my webcomics, listen to the majority of my music, and watch Netflix. I can also indulge in reading, online games, and Youtube.

     I consume an almost outrageous amount of webcomics. I currently follow about 26 individual comics, most of which are updated by different authors. In total, I have consumed approximately 40+ webcomics, many of which I continue to consume. For a time, I even had a complex mental update schedule, which I would consult each day to read the comics with new content. For example, Wednesday morning meant that Love Not Found, by Gina Biggs, had updated for the second time that week. Tuesdays and Fridays were update days for This is NOT Fiction, by Nicole Mannino. I worked off of this schedule until it became too much for me to remember. But this is only an example of my intense interest in certain types of media.

Love Not Found, by Gina Biggs, is a super fun read set on another planet, after the concept of touch has become taboo.

This is NOT Fiction is a hilarious comic that I can't even really summarize except for exclamations like "TRIANGLE PRINCE" and "lil circle baby". I guess you could say it's a romance?? (P.S: this is the latest chapter; it started just a few days ago)

     I consume a lot of music, mainly through the platforms of Pandora and Youtube. Youtube was how I became introduced to a lot of my favorite artists of today, like Panic! at the Disco, The 1975, Oceanlab, and Vocaloids. Pandora has been a great source of inspiration to me as well, giving me lots of different influences that I may never have sought out myself. I think it's a testament to my appreciation of this type of media that I'm actually listening to it right now.

Brendon Urie, the face of Panic! at the Disco, otherwise known as a super cool band with sick tunes. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8l9N7aRYew 

This link leads to a song by Vocaloid Luka Megurine, called "Just Be Friends".  The original music video has been taken down, so I apologize for the quality of the video. The song, however, is still top notch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vZrRuyqQK4 

This link leads to a different song by Luka, named "Double Lariat". The accompanying animation is cute and interesting, and adds to the meaning of the song.

     Despite not having a lot of time for Netflix and other online streaming television providers, I consider this one of my favorite types of media. If I have time to relax, I'll probably start up a movie or the next episode of one of my favorite television shows, like Criminal Minds. I'm not really a season a day type of person, but I can watch about 10-12 episodes in a single sitting if I really put my nose to the grindstone.

Aaron Hotchner, from Criminal Minds. He may look disturbingly similar to Sam the Eagle from the Muppets, but don't let that put you off. #eyebrowsonfleek

"Stay in your lane dave" is literally every interaction David Rossi has in the show. I'm not kidding. This guy needs to take a class in staying in his lane.

     The internet has so many things to read: editorials, articles, novels, short stories, poetry, manga, fanfictions. I could spend hours just diving into the wide world of literature on the web. Of course, a substantial amount of it is poorly written, and many online authors neglect to update or continue their works, but still, there is a clear abundance of content to dive into and enjoy (which I frequently do).

     Online games are the bee's knees. Of course, I am not as engrossed in these as a few of my friends are (I'll go on Steam at 5 something in the morning and one of my friends will be playing an MMORPG), but I can still get behind a good online session or mini-game on Facebook. My favorite online game would have to be Team Fortress 2, but I don't have as much time to play it as I'd like.

This is Scout, a playable character in Team Fortress 2. This screencap is from a video called "Meet the Scout" by Valve.

     Sometimes, after a long day, all I want to do is relax and laugh at something. The more I get into my intense classes, the more I appreciate silly Youtube videos from groups like CollegeHumor, Buzzfeed, the Yogscast, and Game Grumps. My favorite things to watch/listen to are tabletop games, because they tend to be creative and engaging, and they give me inspiration and ideas for games to play myself.

 Barry is best Game Grump.

My boi Dan Avidan, also a Game Grump (but not so Grump).

     I also listen to the radio on occasion, but my father usually has it on spa music. On occasion, my mom will set the station to more hip music (wow I'm so in with the kids), but mostly my parents leave it off.

     I don't partake much in other media, like newspapers or magazines or social media like Instagram. I use Snapchat sometimes, and Facebook even less. Up until age 7 I lived in a pop culture vacuum; my parents frequently joked that my sister and I lived in a cave because of how little we knew about icons like Lady Gaga or Michael Jackson, or movies existing outside of the Disney realm or action flicks my father would watch. I'd say that my relationship with media, while deep, is not one of dependence. I appreciate the flow of thoughts and ideas that media contains. This blog is sort of a way of giving back to the media. Here, have some content, some inspiration, some ideas; it's almost a recompense for the media I've consumed.

     With this blog, I hope to explore my relationship with media, and establish new dimensions to that relationship. Thus begins my media journal, chronicling stories of the media and me.