Why so anxious?

Why should anyone be concerned by the media in this day and age? When television is so educational, and informative, and youth spend nine hours a day using media platforms, what is there to actually worry about?

We have all encountered the parental cliché “mobile phones will give you cancer”, to which we all respond with an eye-roll and frustrated ignorance, but have any of us ever considered the truth behind it? There is no compelling evidence to suggest that the use of mobile phones is associated with an increased risk of brain cancer, however, there are several other diseases and health risks related to media-use. Obesity, diabetes, chronic fatigue, depression, and eating disorders (to name a few) can all be linked back to the increased use of internet, television, and social media networks. But why has this happened?

Similarly to the prominent anxieties in the 19^th century about ‘mass media’ related to the growth in literacy, and upcoming technologies, today we also have vast growth in networking platforms, and also growth in the method by which people consume the media. As of 2017, there are over 40,000 media companies, and so it is easy to see how accessible media truly is. It is no surprise that there are international obesity problems, and it is not far-fetched to apprehend a dystopic future like the one presented to us in Wall-E.

I admit I am guilty of constituting the 82% of youth using media, but hey, when your university assignment requires you to tweet and write blogs, you can’t be blamed.

Another significant concern relating to the media is the portrayal of truth, and the validity of what we see and hear. I mean, who knows if Obama really bugged Trump towers during the election, and does Pauline Hanson truly hate all Muslims? The media is able to manipulate everything ranging from articles to interviews, and it becomes extremely difficult for an audience to determine the reality of a situation. With so much falsity, what are we ever meant to believe? There is no longer any credibility for the media.

Furthermore, every status update or tweet is being monitored by federal law enforcement officials. They don’t need consent from individuals to scan their online activities from crime, and resultantly, all of our privacy goes out the window. This is one of the most controversial issues amongst society, and yet people are ignorant to its occurrence. I believe this is because we are in fact ‘passive’ media users, unquestioning of reality, and gullible in believing we are protected by the safety of our screens.

My rant for today is over, but don’t worry, Big Brother is still watching you.