I'm not quite sure who first expressed this thought, but it is resonant of the primary assumptions of media studies and media effects. What we perceive is real to us and is usually uncontested. Sometimes no one can tell you anything. It is the way you see it. Undoubtedly, the mass media via images in magazines, representation (or exclusion) in film and television, the framing of news stories in news papers and 24hour cable news construct for us a reality that we do not usually challenge.
Media literacy requires that we understand the historical and economic factors that shape message content through various media channels. There exists a polygamous marriage between media outlets, Big Money, and government--none of which is consistently in the interest of the people. Taking these relationships into consideration, we ought to be careful that we ingest mediated content critically.
For me, the most painful effects of media's creation is its influence on social perception--the way we see others and more importantly, the way we see ourselves. This blog will be dedicated to discussing the role that the media play in constructing identities. Even more concerning is the commodification of some identities--those that are packaged and sold. While there are a number of other factors such as identification, personal beliefs, and environment that shape a person, the impact of media is more real than not. This blog is intended to illustrate this reality. . .and hopefully insert a little Truth. Welcome to Media and Identity.
Is Perception Reality?
ReplyDeleteI do not believe this question has a valid answer because of the different lives people live and the ideas they hold as truths. I believe my view of media is shaped more by my reality, rather then my reality being more shaped by media. I agree that media may make things more or less popular in reality, but the view of the media has to be shaped by you own personal view. As more and more teenagers became pregnant, MTV made “16 and pregnant” a popular TV show. The pregnancies existed first, then was followed by the media making it a popular show, not the other way around. Just like bad girls existed before the “Bad Girls Club”, hoarders existed before “Hoarders” and guitos existed before “Jersey Shore”. Shows like these are perfect examples of media capitalizing on reality, then making it worldwide, popular and more well known then it may have been already. In some cases media and reality are interconnected, which makes it hard to distinguish which came first. The way we see people may be shaped by media, but this would only be after you first formed your own ideal about them. I believe reality, beliefs and interests influence the media you watch, even if you do not participate in the activity or believe it is right. Reality must exist in order for you to make an assumption or create a view of a particular media source.
I agree that reality must first exist in order to come to conclusions about the way we feel about it. the ideas that we form through our experiences in OUR own personal reality with out a doubt influence the messages that mediums of media send to us, however, when those messages are developed and sent by the mass media they are often dramatized and over exaggerated. Yes, teen pregnancies, bad girls, hoarders, and Guidos all existed before their television shows, but not in the same sense. Guitos never before had the cameras in their faces, nor did bad girls. This is something to keep in mind when evaluating these messages. People will go out of their way to do the outrageous when a camera is in their face, and when they are living in a fake home with fifteen more people who are only considered to be like them because they all look the same, or are all perceived as sluts who like to party too much. Reality is only that which we can see and develop without the lens of television producers. As soon as the camera turns toward the fifteen bad girls living in a huge home, with unlimited alcohol, unlimited time, and no real aspects of every day life its portrayal of reality will begin to reinforce stereotypes which in turn may reflect the way people of similar backgrounds view their life and purpose in life. the only truth in the term reality, when talking about these shows, is that it is the reality for those fifteen people for that specific, isolated three month period they are together, yet the millions tuning in each night at home still allow themselves to develop ideas about what these people are actually like their real reality, where they have to work just like us, pay just as many bills, and deal with the same troubles of every day life.
ReplyDeleteIs Perception Reality?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Nellysgurl to an extent. I believe peoples reality is shaped by a mixture of things. Although media plays a roll in a persons reality, ones reality is shaped more so by personal experiences and events that have occured in your life. It is shaped by the people you know, the groups you belong to, and the enviornement around you. Like Nellygurl said, groups of people existed before media made them into a big deal. These people are products of their enviornment, their background, location, family life, ect. The media puts these people on their own shows and pays them tons of money to act crazy and create what they consider good entertianment, it isnt always actual reality.
Just because I see people on TV acting one way or wearing something doesnt mean that i precieve that as reality. I know what my reality is, I know my enviornment and upbringing is different than theirs and I understand that different people have different realities. Perception can become a reality for some people but for a lot of people what they percieve through media isn't reality for them, especially with media becoming more out there and extravagent.
I believe the media can change one's perception of a group give a person a certain perception.
ReplyDeleteTV has the power to make people think “this is the way I need to be” especially if they are constantly bombarded with images. Many college students come to the university with the idea that they should drink excessively, try marijuana and go to as many parties as possible. They don’t tell you this at orientation but movies like “Animal House” and “Old School” show these images in which people develop these perceptions and then live them out.
If we are talking about groups of people, historically, pictures and news about African Americans were the only way many Americans knew anything about the way they looked and acted. Its how many Middle Eastern Muslims got the stereotypes they have today. Before 9/11 they were just people from another country, then WHAM! Overnight they were flag-burning, America-hating terrorist.
Although many of us have the foresight to see a stereotype and realize it is not true, some people do not. Especially the young and those who have not quite been taught to question what they see on TV.
Perception is defined as the act of apprehending by means of the senses or the mind; cognition, understanding.
ReplyDeleteIsn't this what we do everyday. Yes, we have our realty which involves our life, our inner circle. We know through those experiences and education the differnces between realty and perception.
Perception gives us the possibilty of something whether it is good or bad. Because we can think about it and make our own opinions. For example, how many times do we make a perception of someone the instance they wall through a door, we determine in the first 30 seconds how they are, whether or not are they good person, good looking etc. Isn't this what the media is doing to us everyday
I am a big believer in media shaping our lives or making us believe that this is how our lives should be, whether we want it to or not. Everyday we see someone imitating something from a T.V. show, a movie, or a song. For example, If you walk into a bar and watch the people dance one of the biggest moves you will see someone do is the infamous "Fist Pump." I know we all know what this is and we have all made fun it, but in the end we all use it because we see the Jersey Shore cast having fun in bars and hooking up with people. This is when our subconscious comes into play, we think that this technique will work for us too. Even though shows like Jersey Shore or The Real World is not reality, a lot of us think it is or wish it would be. That is when people strive to be like the people they see on the T.V. This may not be the best goal in someone’s life, but I really think the morals of people are not as high of a standard as they use to be.
ReplyDeleteI believe that media can change our perception of what reality really is. I think that what we expect out of life is what we see in the media. We expect to get married because that is what is seen in media. We expect that when we get married we will get divorced because that is what the media shows us. Our perception is being changed now because the media is changing. The media changes the way they dress so therefore girls all over the country is changing the way they dress. Even though there are other influences in our life like friends, family, and school; I think that for me personally the media is a source for me of what should go on in life. I have goals because of the media. I want to go to law school because I loved law and order growing up. I want to get married one day because I see shows like "Say Yes to the Dress" and I want to go to that store and get my wedding dress one day. I try hard because of my idols in the media. The media has a great influence on us and because of that the media changes the perception.
ReplyDeleteMedia definitely influences our social perception. It alters what our reality is and almost puts us in this fantasy bubble of what we think we should be like. In most gossip magazines today there is a section on how to "dress like the stars" which automatically puts stars on a heirarchy in comparison to us who arent famous. How are we supposed to construct our own identities when there are 2000 girls running around trying to dress like lady gaga. The media also constructs the way we see others. It's easy to judge someone by there appearance because that is constantly taking place in the media. It's easier to "dress like the stars" than trying to be your independent person because whats in the media is already accepted by everyone. However beyond all that i truly believe through our own experiences and trials that we deal with have to first construct our reality. It order for that to be altered by the media we first have to designate how and why we percieve the things we do from the media. Not untill then can the media change our social perceptions.
ReplyDeleteIs perception reality?
ReplyDeleteI agree with leopardprincess that the media can change our perception of what reality is. While the media does base a majority of what they show on what is popular in the world at the time, it also creates popularity for some things. Shows like Teen Mom and Hoarders only exemplify the problems that some people have in their lives. Shows like Jersey Shore, The Real World, and Storage Wars are shows that create popularity to an extent. It is obvious that real guidos don’t act in the manner they are portrayed on Jersey Shore nor does The Real World portray the way that people act in “The Real World.” We pay attention to what people do in the media on a consistent basis. We watch what these people say, do, and wear on the shows. We are influenced by the styles that celebrities and athletes create. Without the media, dances like The Dougie, 2 Step, and Walk It Out would never exist. It is our decision to choose whether or not we follow the trends that the media is portraying to us. So basically what I am saying is that while the media can change our perception, it is still our decision on whether or not we choose to go down that path and give the media what they want: followers from the public.
I think that media influences us more than we like to think. People can come up with what they think is their own personal perception of somebody or something but that perception comes from somewhere deeper. We deal with media every day. Some people may not surf the internet or watch much television but every time you walk outside there is something there that is convincing you do something or think a certain way about an issue. For example you hear that someone has an addiction and today we automatically assume that it has to do with drugs. That’s all media has ever shown about addictions. Today however, there is a show out about strange addictions. The show gives light to all the other different types of addictions out there and none of them have to do with drugs. The media has conditioned us to think a certain way when we hear the word “addiction.” Today many of us would like to think that we are not judgmental or stereotypical but every time you look at someone you make a perception of them and we did not come up with these stereotypes on our own. We learned about them from television and magazines. We all also have our own idea of what reality is but whether we like to admit it or not there are parts of our reality that are not our own. Someone or something out their told us to feel a certain way about an issue and we chose to go along with or we chose not to. We each see reality differently but we chose what reality we want to see. I would definitely agree that the impact of media is more real than not.
ReplyDeleteI think that the media does play a role in how we view ourselves and others, more so with an impact on how we view ourselves. In my opinion, our upbringing and close family members beliefs' are more closely tied to how we view other people, at least while we are young and still coming into learning the ways of the world so to speak.
ReplyDeleteFor example, when there are children at hate rally's spewing racial slurs or other derogatory language towards a different race or gender, that type of behavior is generally learned from those around them. I once read that racists aren't born, they're made. On the other hand, if a child is put in an environment where their parent is either generally nice to people they come across regardless of race, status, or any other reason or they're taught to show respect to people, then the chances are that the child will grow up with those same beliefs or that outlook on life.
As far as how we view ourselves though, I'm referring to how people take on the trends of celebrities, whether they be physical, emotional or something as simple as clothing. Trends that always come up to the forefront of the arguments are the portrayals of women, as either being too skinny, doormats to society, or hyper-sexual individuals. Men are often portrayed as unintelligent, overweight or near Adonis levels (depending on the show), and overall crude individuals. Fashion is another thing, a lot of trends, for better or worse (like skinny jeans) are copied by the general public because of what we see on television or images from the internet, etc. I really feel that people look to some celebrities or other influential figures for fashion trends, because it seems like every couple of years, what's “hot” is drastically different from what was just the “hot” thing to wear or accessorize with.
I agree with the point that it is uncommon for the average human to challenge the information provided by the media. We take it for what it’s worth and go about our days. It seems media has begun to think for us instead of us thinking for ourselves. Majority of news stories are written with persuasion as their goal. Once we are persuaded, our opinion of that subject will usually not change until we experience it for ourselves. I feel we shouldn’t be afraid to “think outside the box” and take a deeper look at what is being shoved in our faces. We would create a lot more of our OWN opinions if viewers weren’t afraid to do a little bit of their own research.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, I agree the media has a bad habit of changing how we view the world and the people in it. Media can make us very judgmental and close minded. It can also give us unrealistic expectations for our own lives. Not everyone is living as charmed as lives as the women on The Real Housewives or Keeping Up With the Kardashians. When one way of thinking is being thrown at you 24/7 it can begin to brainwash you without your consent or knowledge. If we thought for ourselves and didn’t rely so much on media, I honestly believe the world would be a much kinder place.
The media has also unfortunately only given us a look into only a handful of different life styles. Common shows these days are usually covering topics such as celebrity lifestyles, addictions, and pregnancies. There are so many more lifestyles the media has yet to touch on and I’m sure one day they will. However, I feel the media will never be able to cover every possible lifestyle or perception of that lifestyle at least in my lifetime.
The dictionary defines to perceive as, to become aware of, know, or identify by means of the senses. The dictionary defines reality as, a real thing or fact. To believe that everything that is on and in media can be considered all “real”. So many different venues of media place people and groups in positions that are stereotypes that “they” want us to believe in. The media continues to build and reinforce them so hard, that we in turn, become believers. It’s a simple concept that media has mastered: “Beat it into them.” Without experiencing much in your own life, not being sheltered from the truth, not being naïve, will someone truly understand what is truth.
ReplyDeleteThough Media unfortunately has the ability to sway individuals to believe everything they put out, it does still have the ability to give some truth. We just have to be able to censor ourselves and only accept certain things. Things such as fashion, statistics, and research from professionals is the best way to mostly receive the real truth.
I myself like to believe that the media does not influence me because of “outside looking in view” but I know this not to be true because at times I realize I’ve been persuaded by the media. The point being that no matter who you are, the media has paid top money to figure out the best was to influence you. At a fundamental level what we perceive is real; we are giving into a product and receiving it. However if you dwell a little deeper this said product is nothing like they promised and in a sense an unreal concept.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the blogger saying that the most painful/harmful effect that media poses is on our social perceptions. When something is constantly thrown at you, eventually you’ll lose sight of “real” event is occurring. This is shown when a prisoner falls for their captor; their sense of perception of what is real and unreal has been altered.
I believe the one thing that the media tries to sell, intentionally or not is conformity. This sames people in more ways than most realize with brand names, designer clothes, and the fads that come and go. Your identity of your ugg boots and tights come from the media popularizing it, the flatbilled hats, acid washed jeans all came from the media. When you buy a certain item, you are trying to, whether you admit to it consciously or subconsciously, you are trying to present the image that you are copying.
My conclusion is that we are given a reality to perceive that is unreal, but then we try to make the unreal real
I do think that perception is reality because everyone perceives their own reality different and who is to say that their view is wrong? Yes we do have producers and writers telling us what realities to perceive and believe but ultimately they do not have control over what we do. I think that people rely mainly on their personal experiences to perceive their reality and while shows and movies can put something similar on the screen, we cannot judge that situation unless or until it has happened to us in real life. If the media was not influencing us on one thing or the other, then the people closest to us would.
ReplyDeleteThe question “Is Perception Reality”, I think is truly in the eye of the beholder. For one person their reality or at least what they perceive it to be could and usually is completely different then someone else. Sometimes these different realities can be within the same household/family. The reason for this I think has all to do with how these individual people perceive their own reality. A huge factor of this, in my opinion, is the media and how these people are allowing it to affect their lives. For example what I perceive reality to be is completely different from what my 9 year sister does. She is mostly affected by what she hears on TV by the shows that she watches and also shows that she hears others watch as well. Her perception of the world tends to be a very pure one where bad things do happen, but just not to her or others around her, they happen in the “outside” world. I used to think this very way, then as I go older the more I realized how very different the world really is from the world I thought it used to be. Now I think I am much more cenacle about the things that I hear and read. I do not usually take the word of just one source. If I read something, I tend to look for other sources that verify what I just read are in fact true. When I was younger I would have never thought about doing this. Also the amount of media that I am exposed to also shapes my reality. Just by the shear amount of media that is involved in my life daily, allows my world to be broader than it used to be. Now do I not only know what is going on in the area that I live in, but also the rest of the world as well, because of this it has allowed me to see other peoples realities in other parts of the world
ReplyDeleteToday, in another communication class that I take, we discussed how the world portrayed on television is vastly more violent than the real world that we live and breathe in. Professor Nancy Jennings, of U.C., conducted a study that counted the mention of violence in all network evening news broadcasts over the course of three years and found that the ratio of violent stories was not relative to national crime rates. This makes me angry because people become conditioned to be untrusting of one another for fear that the next stranger they meet will con them, cut them or kill them. The countless and horrible stories that the news puts forth creates a false perception of the world and prevents mankind from becoming unified and interdependent. People are afraid of each other. In a typical evening newscast the anchors generally wrap up the hour with a light-hearted story about heroism, charity, hope or something of a similar nature but the entire hour leading up to that is focused on rape, murder, misfortune, greed, dishonesty, etc. Generally.
ReplyDeleteIt is illegal to shout “Fire!” in a movie theater because it induces a panic that in turn causes chaos that can create an unsafe atmosphere for people. I say that the evening news induces panic far too often and gets away with it. Some people think that violence on TV is the cause of violence but I think it just causes a kind of chronic fear that keeps people’s spirit and faith in others impounded.
I believe the media definitely has an agenda when it comes to what they portray to their audience and how they choose to portray it. As mentioned above in the topic, business and money are amongst the biggest offenders when it comes to attempting to convey a false reality to viewers. Businesses and companies are interested at in their audience being aware of a true reality, but are completely focused on us believing in the reality that gives them the best chance of us spending our money on what they are trying to get us to buy. Commercials, advertisements, and infomercials all aim to alert us of what we DON’T have and why our lives are in NEED of the product or service they are providing. Nobody is able to live without things like Sham-Wow, Snuggies, Bump-Its, and other infamous advertised products that are pitched to their audiences as crucial life needs and necessities. It raises an interesting question about the integrity of business, specifically in the advertising component of sales. Does advertising that portrays the honest and actual reality exist, and if so what are some examples? Ultimately our reality is warped by various factors for different reasons, and business is just one example of what causes this problem. It is important for us to be aware and “learn everything for ourselves” as opposed to taking everything we hear and assuming it is all fact and in our best interests.
ReplyDeleteI agree that reality is co-constructed through our intake of media in combination with experiences. The co-construction of reality is a continual process because through new experiences our realities are given new meaning. The media, however, tends to maintain a certain image of reality in regards to certain social and cultural groups, and how they are portrayed to the world. The greatest concern is whether or not people will continue to rely on media as a credible source in constructing and deconstructing certain images about certain groups. It appears that the expansion and converging of media presents more options for more accurate constructions of reality rather than stereotypical depictions. It will be interesting to see when we the people will finally decide to control our own realities rather than letting the media's depictions of realities control us. We have already began creating our own media through the use of blogs, personalized social networks and viral video streaming on sites such as youtube. We are now creating more media, forcing the media to follow us, creating a new socially constructed reality. However, that does not disregard the constructed reality that media has already strategically designed for us. One must wonder whether or not we will ever completely align our ideas of society and its social groups with the media's constructed reality or if the media will be forced to comply with the realities constructed by society, thus answering the question as to whether or not the masses control the minority or does the minority control the masses?
ReplyDeleteIs perception reality?
ReplyDeleteIt is my belief that what we perceive and how we view society, people, and the world around us, run parallel. An individual's perception IS his or her reality. Does media have a large role in shaping an individual or a community? Of course, but that is the world in which we live. The norms of society are a co-creation of media influences, historical factors, and societal implementation. And what we perceive or what we see is a combination of all three.
What an individual perceives to be true or right or wrong, and how that person reacts to something or someone are all ways in which were taught to them; these are learned behaviors. We co-create our realities all the time, in fact, we're doing it right now with this blog! So going back to the question of is perception reality, my answer is yes. What we perceive to be a certain way is true within our circles. And that's another thing, I'm not saying that our perceptions are a universal reality, I'm just saying that they are the realities of our immediate environments.
The question, “Is perception reality?” resonates differently in different people. I believe that we see and judge media is based on our own life experiences and our education. What I mean by this is that everyone has had different life experiences which will cause them to see the same situations differently; this will cause them to put different values on them and to judge them differently. Also, I believe that our level of education plays a role in whether or not we judge a piece of media. If an education person is watching a news cast, they might have the insight to second guess what they are hearing or even seek out their own information concerning the topic. Where as an uneducated person, in my opinion, may be more likely to take the information for fact and to not question it.
ReplyDeleteIn the article, “Message Between the Lions” by Rockler, my idea that life experiences change our perception is obvious. For example, one of the students asked about the movie and the racial groups the different characters represent said that the lions would be the black (majority) population and the hyenas (minority) would be the white population. This is opposite thinking compared to what the article was saying (hyenas; black minority, lions; white majority) because she grew up in Africa but was a white female. Anyone who grew up differently around diverse populations would have their own opinion of who they thought the animals in The Lion King portrayed. The to some, perception is reality; but hopefully to most we take the opportunity to challenge the media and seek out our own truths.
As I read through everyone's comments and thoughts on this concept of reality and media and the perception of it I tried to keep in mind one thing, that no matter what on any subject matter we will all perceive things differently and the same to a certain extent. If you really think about it doesn't age play a factor in media and reality?? Do you think young teenage girls perception on media to their reality differs from a say a 40 year old woman?
ReplyDeleteMost the time you would say so, and that a young teenage girl may construct her reality and dreams and goals in life more towards media and what "media" says and does, where as a woman at 40 might be to busy working and caring for her children and family and doesn't necessarily even worry about media in a comparenson to her reality.
To answer the question I believe that our perceptions on media and our own reality vary, but I think their are common factors and demonators that help shape our perceptions into what they are. Even the factor of us having different realities in general, my reality is school and work full time living day by day desperately trying to make mends work and have money for rent where anothers could be school and sports full time or one who wasn't blessed enough to make it thus far in the educational world.
I believe that what we perceive is reality, in which the media can play an enormous factor in shaping our perception. The words and images that we see from the media are then projected on to other people, particularly African Americans. Projecting these learned images on other people, can be dangerous and can lead to stereotyping individuals. For example, African Americans makeup the majority of players in the National Football League (NFL) and Nation basketball Association (NBA), these repetitive images can lead to stereotypes such as every African American being an amazing athlete or that every African American is doing great financially. But in reality, a tiny fraction of African Americans make it as a professional athlete and many African American families are living in poverty. Another example would be watching the daily news, placing mug shots and descriptions of crimes can lead stereotyping and profiling. African Americans are overwhelming placed on the news every day. We pick up these images which can lead to stereotyping such as that every African American is a criminal or is dangerous. Another example would be in hip hop videos, where hip hop stars speak slang, wear their clothes a certain way, and use lyrics and images that are known to be degrading to women. These images are constantly repeated, and we pick these images up and project them .This can lead to more stereotyping towards African Americans such as we treat all women bad, speak bad English, wear baggy clothes, all African American women are promiscuous. But not all African Americans speak this or act like this. I strongly believe that the media is a very powerful tool in shaping how we see other people.
ReplyDeleteI believe that media does change our perception of reality. I believe that TV influences the way some people think. TV can be a powerful thing and can effect the way people live and what they believe in. People love drama and watching bad things happen to people. Such as greys or private practice. It shows bad things happening to people and those two shows have alot of people that watch it.
ReplyDeleteI also think that TV shows show alot of stereotypes that effect the way we see other people in the world. Such as like African Americans being the bad characters in tv shows and being gangster. The way tv shows portray people in society makes stereotypes in our world stronger.
I also think tv changes the way we see reality by all the reality shows that are out there because people want to live through other peoples lives. Watching reality shows give people an outlet of their own lives.
I believe that tv and media can be very powerful and change the way we see the world.
In my opinion, the phrase "perception is reality" is very much a cliche'. It is something that is thrown out in conversation when one is too closed-minded to possibly change his or her view. The simple fact of the matter is that reality should reflect objective Truth. At least, that is what we should strive for.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, our society is constantly being sold on various ideas and products that distort our view of reality. Therefore, it would appear that a question arises: is perception reality or does the media tell us that perception is reality? Given the fact that so much of what we think and feel is based on media influences, it is entirely possible that they have also fed us this notion to advance their own agenda. Thus, it is always important to strive for objective Truth and think critically about what the media tells us.
The topic of the media shaping individuals perception of the world is a very interesting topic. I believe that media can only shape one's perception if that person is ignorant(not knowing) of the subject that is presented, and doesn't research the validity of the subject. I had a discussion recently about Afghanistan with a couple of friends, and she would be the poster child for this blog. She believed that all the people in Afghanistan hated Americans, were all terrorists (even the children), and all Muslims are terrorists. Of course the group enlightened her, letting her know that none of these things were true. It was clear that she was unaware of the people of Afghanistan, or the Islamic religion. The young ladies perception of that world was molded by the media in America. I could see how she could get those views of the people in Afghanistan from watching the various news programs post 911. My conclusion was an always is read a book. Research a topic that you are unsure of because the "ASSUME" saying is in full effect.
ReplyDeleteThere is no doubt in my mind about the media's influence on the perception of people, however, I do see it as a co-exisiting relationship that thrives on one another. Yes, the media is constantly pushing out what we as viewers want, often times at nausea. But there is also a common thread that exists that says that the media is only doing its job and that is to keep giving the viewers what they because that is what is they are asking for. I agree especially with the point about shows just as "Jersey Shore" and "Teen Mom" that the show's premises on guidos and pregnant teens have always existed, but now the difference is that the perception of what it means to be a pregnant teen or guido has become extremely popularized. I feel that most people are able to decipher between what is reality and what is just a TV show, but that doesn't necessarily mean that we as viewers are not interested or even want that sort of lifestyle. Fame is sometimes an ugly monster. Of course we tune in but for many different reasons, some tune in for the drama (fights, arguments, etc.), some tune in for the comedic or satiric aspects of the shows. It all depends on who you are speaking to.
ReplyDeleteAs a white, women who supports capitalism I can't help but feel like these media constructs are both in my favor and ruining my future. Obviously big money has always been tied to government and when radio was created it flourished under government control in war times. Any crooked critical thinker knows the best way to keep a large work force is to keep the masses distracted and unintelligent. I believe that information hoarding has been going on for ages and if we allow the government to control the internet we will be taking a large step back from becoming enlightened. The more I learn about media and media studies the more jaded I become. I have stopped watching TV altogether and use NPR radio and selective internet sites for my media sources. I do not want to be a sheep. I have creative ideas and creativity is what makes us human. Marshall McLuhan, a media scholar, introduced the idea that primitive people led richer lives because they had more interpersonal relationships and focused on communicating, today we are living in a world of electronic isolation where our best friends are “friends”. I hope through this course my classmates become as enraged as I am and find a positive way to change the system.
ReplyDeleteIs Perception Reality?
ReplyDeleteYes, perception is a form of reality... a reality that has been interpreted by other person or persons... but its not that simple either. Rather, the best way to view the relationship is as a series of interconnected ideas that bounce off each other and affect each individual differently.
They are interconnected and neither is solely responsible. According to each person's unique way of life, the roles of perception and reality take on different strengths and therefore dictate how much each of these ideas affect their judgements and personal perceptions.
I completely agree with the idea that most perceptions begin as a reality. I think what is important to remember though is the fact that that these realities are never-the-less interpreted by a producer ( or whomever really) which gives those new interpreted perceptions a new reality ... a basis for labeling or identifying a person based on a lifestyle or look... which in the end is based on someone else's interpretation of reality. That sounds confusing, but the point is to illustrate how interconnected these two concepts are. Often we judge and assume to "know" others based on appearance. We all do it, it is inevitable and its human.
So thats the main point I want to leave. I think we need to recognize this interconnected relationship and realize what it does to how we view those around us.... and even ourselves. It inevitably affects our views and perceptions... but if we are recognizing this phenomenon, we can attempt to look past what we have ingrained into our minds and push all judgement aside, and learn to approach anyone with an open mind.
Is Perception Reality?
ReplyDeletePerception only become reality when we decide to accept what we perceieve to be true. They are two different componants that we are humans use to make judgements. Perception is easily bought by the mind when what we see already agrees what with we know to be true, or have learned through society to be proven as true (socialization). If the things that we percieve go against what we think we alreay know, then we have to choices to either accept or deny.
In many cases ignorance of perceptions fosters a false sense of reality that can form schemas and skew the socialization of people. The loss of socialization makes us socially retarded. And sets us up for self distruction.
In the past historically, when things were perceived to be wrong we rebelled. We did not always accept what ever America has thrown at us, but now as life becomes harder and we struggle more just to make it on a daily basis, we tend not to care as much about what effects our neighbors because we feel as though we must take care of home first. But now we are embittered and embattered by the daily hassles we must face with such a poor economy and myoptical attitudes of the nations citzens.
I like to think that I'm not influenced by the media. That images of tall, skinny, beautiful women don't make me want to be skinny and just as beautiful as they are. Unfortunately this is a lie, as they do make me want to be this way. Every single thing through the media influences us in one way or another whether we realize it or not. Although I may be telling myself that I don't give in to the media's pressure, I do, and I honestly don't even realize it. I don't think many of us do realize it, as it's truly a way of life. It's all around us and whether we want it to or not, it contributes to almost every choice we make, as well as majority of our actions. As society continues to evolve I think that the media consumes more and more of our lives and identity. I think it's important that we make sure we are aware of how effective the media is, so we can distinguish what's reality and what's not. We don't want to leave our identity up to the media to choose what it should be.
ReplyDeleteTo be honesty I'm not under the pressure of the media. To me it's all away for companies to make money. The media now focuses on beauty alot they have all types of skincare and surgeries out there advertise to really brian wash us as women to become something that we are not. The media has become a deadly weapon in our society I see it as a huge brain washing machining that tricks the human mind to do something that we really dont need. It's all a big game of captial gain. The media has turned into a blood sucking machine to our pockets.
ReplyDeletePerception can be reality, but only if you let it. Everyone has their own view of reality and media has made a big influence on how individuals perceive reality. Using the media to perceive reality can make it very hard for some because the perception of reality that one may have effects the actual reality that many face. I believe perception determines reality, but it depends on the effect the media and society has on someone's reality. Using the different types of media today can create a false reality and then we ask ourselves " Who am I?" Many think they may know who they are, but in reality society as well as the media perceive us to be someone we are not. Many people dress and look the way they choice to express themselves as an individual, but the way you perceive them may be your reality, not theirs. Of course the media influences the perception of reality, but who's reality is real?
ReplyDeleteIntroduction: Is Perception Reality?
ReplyDeleteIn short, to the question, “Is perception reality?” I subscribe to the belief it is not. Reality is a metaphysical, objective world unbiased by our perceptions existing outside the constraints of time and space. If reality were bias to our perceptions’ it would not be accurate to call it reality. However, this issue alone is one we could go back and forth on ad infinitum, for our purposes it would seem most fruitful to chalk this question up to semantics and instead focus on the aspect of perception as it pertains to this blog.
Luckily, perception holds a much more universally agreed upon meaning and consequently makes it an easier topic of discourse on the role of media’s social impact. Perception shapes one’s own unique experiences into what we call life. It is through the use of our physical, mental, and possibly spiritual senses we come to examine the world and create the meaning we ascribe to our lives. Just as it is known no two fingerprints are exactly alike, even if very similar, perception of any event will never be identical from one person to the next. As this leaves us with an infinite number of ways life can be perceived, so too can the impact of media have an infinite number of consequences on the consumer. Media itself is not innately bad and neither is persuasion. It has brought us the messages of Dr. King and of Malcolm X, men of peace and men of violence. Can it be the will of the consumer that ascribes the distinction between good and bad, and not an agenda set by various media itself? I agree with the Professor, how much influence media has depends on the level of critical analysis we apply to the messages we receive. I do not think media has had as strong an impact on my life as my personal experiences have, but no man is an island, so it would be foolish to assume it has not had any. Even if only the people I have met on various travels have been influenced by media, my perceptions of them could be said to have been effected through media.
As many of you have already said yes, the media does have influence on our social perception. However I'm not too sure it can creat our reality. To each person reality can mean something completely different as well as each person's social perception so to first be able to judge wheather or not the media affects reality we have to know what reality is and means. I have no doubt that to some their entire reality is constructed by the media and live their lives trying to reproduce the images they see of people on televison and how they live their life. While I understand that everyone does this to a certain extent, whether its with clothes, music, movies, different situtations, etc. I feel that the people who live their life day to day as a repoduction of what they have seen on t.v. aren't thinking about how they became that way. I'm sure to many people who live this way they feel that that's just who they are. However, I think they need to do what Dr. Banjo is suggesting we need to do and critically analyze the media and what is happening around us, so as a community, generation and nation we can grow as individuals and stop relying so much how others percieve us. However, for myself and others I know media doesn't have that great of an impact on my reality. My reality consists of my relationships with family and friends and other people in general and I'd have to say that the media doesn't play a huge role in it. When I was growing up it definitly did play a large role but as I grew up and realized it just wasn't worth it to not be who I really want it to be it really didn't matter much anymore.
ReplyDeleteI believe that media definitely plays some role in shaping people’s perceptions of reality, cultures, religion, ECT. Personally I do not feel that the media has a significant influence on my perception of reality. One thing I am influenced by is the portrayal of success by the media. When I watch the MTV show Cribs, I am highly motivated to obtain that lifestyle and believe that it is feasible. When in reality that lifestyle and amount of income would be difficult to achieve. For example a famous rapper or musician can make millions of dollars a year doing something that does not improve society, while on the other hand a doctor, who goes to school for eight years, makes significantly less money and contributes to society. This perception makes people look for the easy route in life instead of working hard to do something meaningful.
ReplyDeleteA recent burst in reality show staring Italian people also known as “Guido’s”. For example the popular MTV show Jersey Shore gives a perception that all Italians are obsessed with tanning, working out, drinking heavily, and hooking up. By putting this show on television it may give Italians an unwanted stereotype and it may also make young Italians believe that this is the way they are suppose to behave.
I think this question is great because it can raise a wide array of feedback. To me I feel like perception is reality. As you mentioned these perceptions can be distributed through different outlets; books, magazines, TV and so much more. I think they all have different mediums of effectiveness. As you stated
ReplyDelete“Media literacy requires that we understand the historical and economic factors that shape message content through various media channels”. When we see things on TV I feel like the perception of what is being presented seems the most appealing and factual. This also does not require us to research what we are listening or viewing. When someone goes on TV, the information is presented in a timely manner, there are photos, responses from others ; it is essentially the whole package. When it comes to literacy, things we may see in newspapers or books or any other print add, it is appealing but becomes more appealing when we hear about it on the news or someone mentioning it on a TV show. In this society I feel like our perceptions have become reality. We have all these “reality” shows on TV; though they might seem similar in many ways because they are all reality shows they have their differences. When they show different types of reality shows, it gives us the perception of realities outside of our own. We then see which one we relate to the most, or compare our lives to the most. Making our perceived thoughts A reality.
For me, I view reality as a relative and very broad term. Reality can be defined differently to every different person. I may think one thing about it and someone else can think something else.
ReplyDeleteIt would seem that perception defines your own reality. The way we see things can determine how we live and what actions we take. This is way different views exist - for example, Democratic and Republican views. These two different views can look at the same situation and interpret it in two different ways.
However I think reality can take on different meanings. We often use the phrase "The reality of the situation is.." which can often come to mean the truth which can not be ignored or fabricated. I subscribe to this term of reality often because for several groups of people reality could mean one thing. For example for a lot of middle class people, reality could mean waking up everyday, going to work and working hard to spend time with family and/or pay bills. This is in a certain definition "their reality".
Reality could also mean what is truthfully happening when stories, like Media and TV produce are framing the truth in one way or completing avoiding the truth. take for example tabloids claiming Kendra Wilkinson and Hank Baskett are breaking up. Kendra herself has said they are happier than ever and have recently been seen out on dates and happy on their TV show but tabloids are framing the story to look like they are unhappy. To some people, the reality might seem that they are breaking up or unhappy. However Kendra and Hank claim the reality is that they are happy and in love.
Reality is a multi-faceted term with several different definitions, which are all relevant to how we live. I personally believe media can definitely influence our perception of reality and can fabricate certain aspects of reality, but ultimately for me, reality is a definite truth of life for different people and we can perceive it in several different ways and this can decide our actions and beliefs.
I believe that my perception is my own reality. The media provides us with images that we can choose to accept or ignore. I personally choose to accept it as it comes. However, through experience, school, literature and other resources that I have, I am able to understand that there is quite a difference between reality and the media’s portrayal of reality, and this is something that I continuously keep in the back of my mind. It allows me to separate media from other influential factors in my life. That is not to say that it doesn’t influence my perception; it very much does. But I also rely on other factors to round out my whole picture of “reality”. Much of my day revolves around media; I watch sitcoms and reality shows for entertainment, and I watch the news for information. Everything I see could be a huge fabricated lie; but that is not what I choose to believe.
ReplyDeleteI also understand that media and big money go hand in hand; they have a balanced relationship that provides each other with what they want at our expense- a distorted social perception. I don’t look at media as an “under oath” type of source with the whole truth and nothing but the truth. But I find comfort in the media because it gives a shape to our everyday lives- a standard, whether accurate or not. So I do not think perception is everyone’s reality, but I choose to make it mine. Where would we be without the media?