It’s hard for me to think about the impacts of media on society without media ecology theory as the basic framework with which to describe these relationships. My proposed path of inquiry this semester will be a deep dive into media ecology as well as how our current media landscape triggers tangible changes in behavior, relationships, ideology, and our physical environment.
That is a quote from one of my previous posts, written in late January. I have since then completed my final paper on this topic, and my final blog post here will be one of reflection.
I decided to pursue this path of inquiry because it seemed like a natural progression for me, based on previous classes and other papers I had written. I’ve written about media ecology before, and I’ve written about social media. In my personal life, I think about consumerism and climate change a lot, and agonize about how to make the right choices in my personal life for the greater good. I was excited for an opportunity to combine these experiences and thoughts into a hypothesis I believe has a lot of potential for exploration.
To be completely honest, I did not come to SUNY ESC with a career path in mind. I think, as I went from term to term, one began to carve itself out, and I can just barely see the shape of it. In broad terms, I know I’m pursuing the right field of study for me. But if you were to ask, “what are your plans after college?”, you’d be met with a vague and somewhat frightened stare.
This course has been a wonderful experience for me. It’s improved my writing skills as well as my ability to examine media critically. I especially enjoyed studying the ethical considerations surrounding data, social media, and our online interactions.
I intend to continue learning, both in school and beyond, about the impacts of new media on our decisions, perspectives, and identities. It’s an important field of study because of how interwoven new media has become with our lives. More than just tools we use, they are practically an extension of our minds outside of our bodies. Regardless of what your career or industry is, an understanding of how digital media impacts you is crucial to your experience in life as a person.
History and Theory of New Media 