Reflections on Mass Media

The act of absorbing information and the media at which it travels is quite an interesting thing. We send and receive information everyday both consciously and unconsciously. Information helps us communicate to one another or to many to express needs, wants, demands, findings, expression of feelings, thought etc. The transfer of information occurs through our bodies senses: touch, smell, sight, hearing, as well as taste.

We had some disagreements in our last class regarding the current state of how much our information is mediated via the Internet. Obviously since the advent of the Internet, the amount of information and the ability to share and access from all over the world has taken leaps and bounds undefinable. Although we have such means to create and consume information across the entire world, the question I pose is this; Why does this matter? What are you going to do with this information once you've absorbed it? Can you ever know enough to know that you have correct information?

In principle, I think the attempt to find the most accurate and honest information is imperative. But in retrospect, knowing the most accurate, honest, unmediated information doesn't always matter. Maybe it mattered to me at the time, but because there are so many sources of information on the internet, it is easy for one to become mislead or confused. This leads me to feel that in our current state of information sharing, we have too much information which can often lessen our ability to gain control over our lives.

And isn't this the main reason why we want so much information. To have control over our lives. To have the answers to the "whys" so we know our purpose is not trivial. For me, it's hard to say if we have control as a World, country, culture, let alone myself. Although I attempt to keep my life in order, I find many of my experiences are due to circumstances. We can choose to be somewhere at a certain time with a specific purpose but others are making choices and sometimes those choices affect our lives unexpectedly. These circumstantial events can influence our lives both in a positive or negative way.

I enjoy having the ability to access worlds of information over the internet but I feel like we as a country, are becoming less in control over our government, our communities and our lives.

Sorry for the run ons but I just wanted to get it all out. :)