Michelle George | Week 11: Shaping Minds Through Media
Photo Credit: Romalewski, Kate. "I Was on Track to Spend 17 Years of My Life on Screens." Chalkbeat, 2 Nov. 2023, www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2023/11/2/23942334/smartphone-addiction-instagram-tiktok-snapchat-screentime-scrolling/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.
Media is one of the most powerful forces in society now and has been for the past couple decades. From receiving political updates from the news to the newest Met Gala outfits that celebrities are wearing, media plays a vital role in how the public perceives these issues and pop culture as well.
Social media has an immense impact on our lives nowadays since platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok permit viewers to raise awareness about issues that may not be highlighted in society. For instance, the social media hashtags surrounding the Black Lives Matter movements and the Me Too movement brought more attention to the issue, gathering support from activists all around the world who firmly believed in racial equality and against sexual assault and harassment. Because the movements were gaining traction from the public, more survivors of police brutality and victims of sexual assault felt more comfortable to raise their voices and talk about their traumatic experiences to spark a global conversation and a call to action for ways to prevent these acts from occurring again. Social media became a medium for numerous women who were originally silenced and felt as if there was no escape from these taunting experiences, and it also offered insight to the public about why these issues are important to stand for and contribute to the fight against these matters.
Beyond the realm of socio-political movements, the media has been able to capture new trends and set standards for beauty and success. With new trends arising with new aesthetics, such as the "glass skin" look, and redefined mindsets, such as body positivity, it has persuaded several viewers' minds to love themselves more and create new mantras around the idea of not being too hard on yourself. With the help of social media, the idea of beauty now is very subjective with people learning how to accept people with different body types, skin colors, and skin types: acne-prone, dry skin, etc. Social media has influencers on these apps discussing these issues in order to show viewers how everyone is not perfect, shaping their mindsets to know the difference between reality and what seems to be perfect online. These content creators and the numerous comments as well as likes on their videos prove how social media can alter people's mindsets for the better, illustrating social media's immense yet overlooked power.
Hello Michelle! The internet and social media is likely one of the most talked about products in the modern world, and its influence on our lives is immense. I liked reading your point on how social media apps allow people to raise awareness on issues that would otherwise have a harder time spreading. Indeed, social media has been a major political force in recent years, although this also has the unmentioned potential of having major negative effects as well, such as increased spread of propaganda and misinformation in recent years. Perhaps the biggest effect of social media though, is as you mentioned the ability for people to set new “trends,” no matter if it's for fashion as the example you gave or for effectively anything else. The digital age is far faster than before, and social media has allowed for information and trends to spread across the world in groundbreaking times. So no matter its positive or negative effects, social media in the modern world is certainly very powerful. Thank you for this interesting reading!
ReplyDeleteHey Michelle! I found your blog on the power of media to be extremely interesting. I really enjoyed how you tactfully handled everything from activism to insecurities and how social media can help all of these causes. I thought the topic and ultimate conclusion of your blog were extremely relevant and valid.
ReplyDeleteIn my own life, I have witnessed the immense power of social media to transform lives and start movements. I was on TikTok in 2020 during the height of the BLM movement, and it was truly powerful to see how people spread the message of activism and protest across the country, inspiring protests and legislative action. Your point about skin acceptance was also very true. At the period in my life when my skin was the worst, I turned to social media for helpful reassurance and tips to help it.
Overall, I really enjoyed your blog and I loved the perspective you shared on social media’s power for good.
Hi Michelle! Your blog is really relevant, since for most of us, our phones are the first thing we see when we wake up and the last thing we see before we fall asleep. Reading your blog reminded me how much social media affects us and how we think. Because of how much we see them, the ideas that are pushed on social media become a part of our belief system. I remember seeing BLM and the MeToo movement online, and the amount of change they have caused is fascinating. Just through social media, these movements were able to rally thousands of people and cause real cultural changes.
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