Question: Take the following questions as prompts for conducting research, and create one post (150 words) on your research blog.

  • Discuss one way in which media (photography, video, etc.) has brought positive  improvement to our lives and society, civilization …
  • Discuss critical aspects within this issue.

 

In my eyes, media has played a huge role in improving empathy and understanding globally. Through videos, photographs, articles, websites, music, etc. people are not only exposed to different events that are going on around he world, but they are also able to learn more about cultures and living situations. Growing up in New York, I was fortunate enough to be exposed to people of various different ethnic backgrounds, all with unique stories to tell. I think this experience plays a big role in my acceptance of people who look and think differently than me. This is not the case for most people. When they are exposed to something unfamiliar and foreign, many people’s first instinct is to reject it out of fear. Media eases people into ways of thinking and living that are unlike their own.

 

An example that I recently came across is the growth of feminism in Eastern Asian countries––partially due to their exposure to western culture. In America, and other more liberal countries, the concept of, “everyone is beautiful,” and, “equality for all,” is promoted extensively in popular culture. With music, news, social media, and hashtags, it’s easy for those in Asia to find out more about this mindset. In South Korea in particular, an impossible standard of beauty is expected. Girls in high school are promised plastic surgery as graduation gifts, more ‘beautiful’ people are more likely to get jobs, and women are expected to fit a ‘feminine’ image, all the while looking as ‘naturally beautiful’ as possible. It’s nice to see that media has helped open people’s minds to numerous possibilities.  From an outsiders’ point of view, it would be easy to judge South Korea’s harsh beauty climate. However, media also allows people see the local perspective, the established history and culture, and the steps being taken to change things.

 

A main component of why I appreciate media so much is its promotion of cultural diversity. Whether it is beauty culture, music, food, traditional dances, or anything else, people can be exposed to it through media––one step towards global acceptance. And in a world with so much conflict and misfortune already, who doesn’t need that? Of course, we still have a long way to go, but at least we’re headed in the right direction.