Why are we looking at media in English class??
We are surrounded by media in our everyday lives! Music, internet, television, video games, and advertising are all around us. It is important to understand and think about what messages we are being sent, and how these messages are created. It can impact how we see other people and ourselves!
Media is becoming a huge part of our lives with the increase in mobile technology. Media can shape how we see ourselves and the world around us. We need to think about what we see. It all comes down to thinking…
How do we make meaning from media?
We have discussed the difference between seeing and viewing: viewing is observing what we see and making meaning from it – understanding what we see. It’s like the difference between hearing and listening.
When thinking about the message in media, we have to understand that the creators of media make choices to get their message out to their audience:
What kinds of choices are we talking? Well, for starters, design elements are important! They give us a message whether it be a direct message, or something a bit more subtle. Take the Ad here…
First, I need to understand that this is an advertisement, and the purpose is to persuade me to buy this product. Second, I want to think about the choices that have been made. I see several design elements at work.
- Colour
- Contrast
- Proportion
- Emphasis
The first, and most obvious design element is colour. The entire ad is in black and white except for the brightly coloured athletic clothing. This gives emphasis to the actual product the company is selling. Next, I notice the contrast. The white letting stands out and is easy to read. Then, I see that the woman wearing the athletic gear is larger in proportion – this to me says that this woman is more important than those smaller women in the background. So, what is this ad really saying? When I look at the overall result and keeping in mind the design elements, I see that this ad is telling women that training is more important than being stylish – yet their athletic clothing is a style itself. I think it is trying to send a message to women that being strong and fit is important. The exercise gear can help me get fit – I will want to train. I notice that they use thin, blond women – is this supposed to be the ideal body type? I think this ad is sending a subtle message about what a woman should be (fit, pretty etc.) that is not necessarily just about the product… What do you think?
But, don’t take my word for it. We may view media in different ways based on what we know or who we are:
What do you think? Is understanding media important to you?
Have you ever experienced a different reaction to a media work than someone else?
Post your response in the comment section.
April 27, 2015 at 5:26 pm
Your point about how we all see media in different ways is well made. First, it recognizes that the issue is complicated because we come from different backgrounds. I think that we all see media differently because we all grew up differently and got different methods. I would add agreeing to this conversation because we all see it differently than others who may think it is a wrong message or a right message to certain people. This conversation would make me think about it more on how I see media.
April 27, 2015 at 7:57 pm
Hi Kyle,
I agree with you that our backgrounds may impact how we see media. My question for you is how do our previous experiences affect the way we view media? What example could fit here?
April 27, 2015 at 5:34 pm
Your point about how we could understand media and how everyone sees media differently is well made. First, it recognizes that the issue is complicated because everyone sees media differently and could understand differently as well. I think that understanding media and different reactions is an important point because what would you do if you didn’t understand media or thought everyone saw the same thing. I would add a video of people reacting to advertisements to this conversation because it would show people not everyone sees the same thing, it’s different for everyone and could be a different understanding to everyone. This conversation has given me lots to think about.
April 27, 2015 at 8:01 pm
Hi Deyanehra,
Your post made me remember a “controversial” Cheerios commercial. Some members of the public in the United States reacted in a very different way than kids. Perhaps this might be a good thing to look at in class. Do you have an example of media that may be viewed differently by different people?
On a side note, I noticed that you used the framework for commenting on blogs well. Maybe next time you can find an example to add too.
April 27, 2015 at 5:36 pm
“Your point about how we are surrounded by media is well made. First, it recognizes that the issue is complicated because everyone views media differently for example the age of who sees it, or what kind ad it is . I think that media is becoming a huge part of our lives is an important point because the whole world sees media everywhere . I would add that I do like the videos you put into your blog and picture of the girl running to this conversation because you’re showing exactly what need to be shown and gives the good strong message .
This conversation has given me lots to think about.
April 27, 2015 at 8:04 pm
Hi Mary,
I am glad you liked my example. Sometimes it is helpful to “see” how others interpret media. It gives you an idea of my thought process.
I am curious if you have any examples of how people view media differently based on age or the type of media?
April 27, 2015 at 5:36 pm
“Your point about how we view media is well put. First, it recognizes that the issue is complicated because a lot of people take media for a joke, and often just forget about the media, instead of recognizing the actual message that is being put out there. I think that understanding what we see is an important point because most times what poeple see and often talk about is not always the truth. Even in the media when we see, hear or even actually listen we can sometimes get the message wrong because of the colours and words put on the post. I would add that media is a lot like the news to this conversation because, on the news they’re showing the world, or just locally what is going on, even just showing what is new out there, including inventions or buildings.
This conversation has given me lots to think about.
April 27, 2015 at 8:15 pm
Hi Mark,
I agree with you that sometimes media can be misleading. I agree that it is important to really think about the message being sent.
I noticed that you connected the news to media. Are you saying that the news is a type of media? Do you think that the idea that specific choices are made in what stories are being told and how they are being told?
April 27, 2015 at 5:37 pm
I think it is very important for us to understand media. First of all, we are surrounded by media in this modern day. Everyone has a device and everyone is reading ads all day every day. But, it is true that all of us think differently and have different perspectives on what media is and how we each view it. For example, companies do market research for their advertising activity to find who their customers are, and what is trending in the market. They use design elements such as colour, stylish text, scenarios, and seasons etc. For the consumer to identify that product and vision themselves with that same look. But as for your idea of the Oakley ad, to me I feel it is aimed between the two trendy lifestyle of urban areas such as New York, which is workout trends and fashion trends. As the ad does show women during a time which appears to be a day of hot sun. The women running rather be exercising than buying clothing for show like the other women. I might add, that the workout gear may be less expensive than the fashion trendy gear. But again, we are all different and we things differently. In conclusion, media is very important to understand because we are the market, we are the consumers. Understanding how we buy and what we buy may be beneficial to our wallets. But that’s another topic.
April 27, 2015 at 8:24 pm
Hi Elliot,
I see you have connected the ideas from this blog to you knowledge of business. I also agree that knowing about advertising specifically can help us make better choices about what we buy.
I know we have looked at advertising in class as part of media, but we have also looked at media that is not geared towards persuading us to buy. The question I have for you is: why is it important to understand other types of media?