21-Day Media Record [Media Journal 2]

Being challenged as an assignment for my Mass Communications class, I kept a record of my media consumption for 3 weeks. After recording 21 days of my media consumption it became incredibly clear to me that I am almost completely reliant on my media. Throughout my 21 recording, I made several attempts at having media-less days to no avail. Being born into a world where media has  always readily available and suddenly taking that away really made me appreciate the frequently defamed resource as the commodity I’m privileged to have. I don’t communicate much with my family using media except for the occasional text to my grandmother informing her when I’m returning home. The traditional family values they hold mean that most of the communication we have is face to face. My friends who don’t live on campus, which is most of them, only communicate with me via social media aside from one in particular. Being an unemploying college student, most of my media usage can be attributed to school whether is be studying, essay writing, or club/organization activities. Whenever I’m not using media nine times out of ten it’s because I’m playing music. Music is my one window out of the clutches complete media takeover while I play, however, music does the complete opposite when I listen. Overall, I felt as though this experience has changed how a view myself, despite this I don’t see myself changing habits or altering them.

Censorship of Writing by Parents

Books are important and necessary for a child to begin shaping ideas and interpreting the world around them. Books given to youth typically can’t be too controversial, however, some controversy and varied ideas are needed for a child to form a heathy world view. Allowing parents to eliminate an idea from school libraries that they don’t personally agree with compromises the learning of students for the beliefs of the parents. Varying ideas and belief help children see the world as more than a fight of “right vs wrong”and instead promotes the idea that different doesn’t always mean bad.