To say media as a whole is relevant to modern society is quite an understatement: According to my personal theory, media is law. On every front, exposure to media has an innumerable influence on humanity’s collective, and, more specifically, individual perspectives on the world as well as the decisions made within this world. An aspect I have almost entirely extracted from my paradigm, and would prefer not to speak of, yet can’t ignore, is social networking. The introduction of Facebook, and Twitter poses, in my oh so humble opinion, a noteworthy problem in the majority of the world’s perception of self: Rather than going out and talking to strangers (carefully, of course) and basing one’s REAL ‘personal profile’ upon said experiences, they feel compelled to make it ‘FB official’ or tweet about it by following, ‘friending’ and essentially materializing interpersonal relationships and communication: “How many friends/likes/followers do you have?”… These services provide the typical human with a reservoir of interaction, and moreover, a mirror in which one reflects upon themselves in a more blunt, and vain comparison to others; in this mirror lie your face… along with every other face you have subjected yourself to a connection with. Like any other social medium, one can communicate, share and express their views and perspectives on any relevant matter and because it automatically alerts the whole fucking world that you “went to starbucks”, one may feel that their opinion and nonsensical activities actually hold weight in the continuum of spacetime. I apologize for the harshness and insensitivity of my ‘theory’, that, and it seems I may have digressed..
Media is the summation of interpersonal mediums of communication and coexistence and almost unanimously include a tight embroidery of culture(s). These mediums link everyone, while at the very same time excluding at least one person from every form of media, or branch of media. I adore Pink Floyd, and through that very medium am I apart of something bigger: something millions of people can empathize with and appreciate, while simultaneously giving all those who despise Pink Floyd a reason to remove me from their paradigm. While one may call this close-mindedness, and I would agree, I can also admit the hypocrisy of my guiltiness of media related associations and my occasional inability to overlook said associations. For example, I belong to no political party, but I have a general distaste for most doctrines of republicanism. While most republicans are generally put off by homosexuality and the coexistence of that cultural sect, not ALL republicans are. I am not homosexual, nor is anyone I associate with on a daily basis, yet this is not to say that I cannot embrace one’s ability to find love in an, if I may, environment foreign to myself. It is in this truth that I support my thesis that media can unite and separate humans from one another. These are simplified instances in which my theory comes into fruition. Ultimately, the ability for humans to communicate on such a HIGHLY specific level, only naturally births factions through which people can identify beyond the confines of their name, origin, and gender. It is in this that the understanding and convention of media holds beauty, as well as its unfortunate but inevitable retention of cruelty and seclusion.
I hope this adequately answers what was asked of me, for this is the fullest truth of my perspective… rather, ‘theory’ on the relevance, and nature of media in human society today.