The Influence Of Digital Culture

Media is universal. Whether we realize it or not, we do not go through one day without coming in contact with some form of media. Whether that be with our almost-too-smart smartphones, tablets, laptops, or televisions, we are more influenced by the media than we know. Everything from the latest fashion trends, to what we like to watch, read, and do is influenced by the media. Moreover, we are greatly influenced by media icons. We see these perfect, toned, beautiful people with Colgate smiles and chiseled features, and almost unconsciously; we want to be these people. We watch closely to see how these people carry themselves, the cars they drive, their swagger, their appearances, sharp and not a hair in place, and suddenly, we feel average.

In the essay, The Faces in The Mirror by Ty Burr, he expresses how digital culture has influenced our opinions on fame. He states, “There is not a public space that doesn’t have a screen to distract us from our lives, nor is there a corner of our private existence that doesn’t offer an interface, wireless or not, with the Omniverse, that roiling sea of infotainment we jack into from multiple access points a hundred times a day” (p. 32).” The point Burr is trying to make is that today, in modern culture, we are constantly bombarded with the messages the media sends. Burr is trying to prove that no matter where we go, there is some form of digital technology to distract us. He also brings up the point that as digital culture continues to expand, we lose our sense of privacy more and more. We check-in to places on Facebook, and tag our locations on Instagram, letting our friends and followers know our exact whereabouts, every second of everyday. Also, because digital media is so popular, and so easy to access, we can also see what celebrities are doing. Easily, we can find out what all the stars are up to. We can see what they’re wearing, eating, and doing with just a few taps onto a screen. Almost without giving it as much as a second thought, we want to trade places with these people. We long to live the perfect lives these people live, and it

How is it that someone so young can have the idea that a life of fame is the ideal life to live? In his essay, Burr is explaining that the internet has had a major effect on the way we see celebrities. Through social networks, we are able to follow the picture-perfect lives of the stars. Also, through the web, we are able to find out all the juicy secrets of the star’s lives. Burr brings up an interesting point when he says, “…the mystery that has surrounded movie stars for the better part of the century is now highly suspect. Indeed, many pop consumers consider it their duty to pull down the idols and pass their dirty secrets around the web…We now have as much control over the idea of celebrity as the studio publicity departments once did…Is this something like revenge? Or is it just the evolution of a species gradually conditioned to narcissism? (p.36)”. The web has definitely had an influence on the way we see celebrities. When we read celebrity scandals online, the tabloids, and gossip blogs, suddenly, we begin to degrade the people we have had high up on a pedestal in our minds, the people we wanted to become. Are we envious of their fame? Do we want their lives so much that we wait for any opportunity to tear them down over the