Sandy's Media Use!

Me as a Media User

I used to read the newspaper simply for the comics; now I don’t read it at all. In recent years, and even more since I arrived here at MIT, I’ve gotten all of my news off of the internet. The internet is so available, convenient and constantly updated it can and has completely taken over the role of the conventional media. The internet connects me to the world around me. It’s my main source of news and multimedia and also doubles as a convenient educational tool.

The New York Times headlines are the centerpiece of my personalized Google homepage. The online version of this print media is easy to access, free, and, unlike the publication, updated throughout the course of the day. With my 24/7 accessibility to the internet, it is my best source of news and information. Stocks can be updated to the minute and headlines can be up less than thirty minutes after news is made. Otherwise, my day to day contact with mass media is incredibly limited. I don’t listen to the radio or watch television news. Instead I use distributable media.

Like most college students, my computer is filled with endless gigabytes of music and video files. My media is digital. However much I appreciate analog’s aura of popping records and static filled tape, the convenience and practicality of completely digital media for storing and transporting files can’t be ignored. The media I keep on my computer matters to me. I listen and watch it for my own enjoyment. Music I love; TV show’s that I’m crazy about…but I watch and listen to it on my own schedule. I don’t need the shows fed to me in weekly doses by corporate media giants; I don’t need to hear a new song on the radio because the record company is pushing an agenda. I download and listen to what I want; the internet has made this share of media possible. Instead of getting our songs and TV through traditional sources, people now can watch their favorite shows or hear their favorite songs online. Programs like iTunes, with songs, TV shows, and movies available for online distribution allow people to have control over their exposure to media of their choice, and not the other way around.

I’ve taken full advantage of such advancements, completely buying into the new distribution methods. However, there are some things for which I’m forced to revert to old print media, such as my education. Although PowerPoint presentations are now a classroom staple, most of my classes are still grounded in old fashioned media. I learn from books and lectures. I’ll research topics on the internet for my own enjoyment, but my actual institutionalized learning is on print media.

The internet defines my experience with media. It’s the source of every type of media that I seek out. It’s a hub of knowledge and entertainment; it’s my hub of knowledge and entertainment.