The Influence Of The Media

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The media can be defined as various types of outlets that influence and communicate information, current events, and entertainment. According to a Report on American Consumers, “By 2015, it is estimated that Americans will consume both traditional and digital media for over 1.7 trillion hours, an average of approximately 15 and a half hours per person per day.” Let’s assume that the average person is getting a recommended eight hours of sleep per night; that means Americans consume media 15.5 hours out of the 16 hours they are awake. If a person is consuming media for almost an entire day, it is necessary to reflect on what type of media a person is consuming.
There are two main types of media, traditional and digital. An example of traditional …show more content…

They taught me to look at information and situations through different perspectives in order to form my own opinion. When it came to the media my parents were always monitoring what I was consuming and taught me to question information and their sources. What they were teaching me was how to be media literate.
Media literacy is the ability to analyze, question, and evaluate the media a person consumes. According to professor Anne Orr, there are five questions that people should ask themselves when consuming media. These questions are:
“Who created the message that is being sent? What techniques were used to attract my attention? How might other people understand or interpret this message differently from me? Are there any lifestyles, values or points of view that are not represented or are omitted from this message? Why was this message sent?”
The ability to question the media empowers people to form their own opinions on matters without being manipulated. I stand with author of The Influencing Machine, Brooke Gladstone, who believes that consumers should take responsibility for what they choose to engage in as an outlet of media. She believes it is up to the consumer to become aware of biases and choose what they wish to believe in order to reflect their personal views and

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