Leah Brynn

[leahbrynn]

My Media Use in a Day

My phone is in my hands the moment I wake up. At the very least to turn off my many, many alarms. I immediately open any notifications or messages, mostly Snapchat. I answer my friends, or sometimes I message them first, asking if they want to go get food together before or after our first class. Unless I have less than five minutes until I have to be in class, I play a video from YouTube, play music, or I read fanfiction I already have pulled up online while I get ready. After I’m ready, or once it’s time to go to class, I put in my AirPods and listen to music.  As I walk and listen I normally play my phone games doing a few things until I run out of energy or things I can do at the time.  I normally open Snapchat or Instagram after that. If I don’t have any messages, I will go through some of my friends' Snapchat stories, or mindlessly scroll through my Instagram feed. 

That is just maybe the first 30 minutes of my day. I typically do not spend more than five minutes on Snapchat at a time. For YouTube I will throw on maybe a ten minute video of a compilation of scenes from a TV show I know and have already watched. Both normally put me into a good mood, or make me laugh a bit. If I play music right away, it tends to be calming soft music, or very depressing music if I wake up feeling depressed. The fanfiction is mostly me using escapism to forget that I am a physical human being with my own consciousness, so it does not matter how it makes me feel, as long as I am feeling in the story and not feeling emotions at anything in my real life.

After finishing most of my classes for the day, I get dinner or lunch with a few friends. Sometimes if we are not feeling up to talking to each other, I will continue reading on my phone, or scroll through Instagram. That app is the one that I never know how I’m going to feel using it. I use it to catch up on news, or friends who I do not talk to on a regular basis. Most of the time the news will make me sad, or I will see something talking about the injustices in the world, which will also make me sad. But there are also a lot of cute animals and people doing stupid things that make me laugh in between all the depressing topics. 

I will play games or read (while listening to music) during any short period of time between classes, or waiting for a friend to arrive. Typically it doesn’t make me feel anything in particular, unless I am reading a depressing story. Though I do also text friends during this time and it brings me comfort being in constant contact with people who I love and care for, even if it is just sending stupid pictures of our faces to each other. Sometimes it will make me feel validated if I am complaining about something, or outraged at something my friends are experiencing.  

(An example of a stupid photo we have sent)

Later in the day once I am back in my dorm, I tend to throw on a longer YouTube video. On average I would say these videos are someone I am subscribed to playing a game, or reacting to other things on the internet. I love this part of the day because I use it as time to decompress from interacting with other people through the day. Most of the time the videos make me laugh obnoxiously loud, even if I have already seen the video before. If I don’t throw on a video, I put on a TV show. I like to put the shows on as another way to decompress and as a form of escapism, whether it be positive or negative emotions, all depending on what I put on. Sometimes when I put on the shows it is to put me into a certain headspace for writing. I have put on romance shows, or historical shows if I was writing a love story, or something that takes place during a different era. 

Towards the end of my day I either go to a friend's dorm, or they come to mine, and we do homework together, or watch a movie if we don’t have anything to work on. I watch the movies because they tend to make me laugh, and it is something my friend wants to show/share with me, or vice versa. Once the movie is over, or one of us is too tired to keep working we go back to our own rooms. Now if I am tired, I will get ready for bed, using the same media I do getting ready in the morning. If I am still awake I will put on more YouTube videos, and typically play games on my phone while I semi listen to the video. 

Overall the common theme of why I use that media is to feel emotions instinctually, like joy from funny videos, or a sense of calm from pretty music. I play the games mostly out of habit, but also because I find a mindless sort of joy in them. The only time I don’t consistently feel good about what media I’m using is when I am choosing to do so with what I am reading or watching. That could be to further educate myself with what is happening in the world or to immerse myself in a story. Basically, I use it for escapism and talking to my friends.

[leahbrynn]

Provocative Music

Recently a friend of mine has been introducing me to new music. Some of the songs she shared tie in really well with what we have discussed in class. More specifically, Dee Snider in Twisted Sister testifying to congress on censorship of music. The Band Anthrax released a song called, “Startin Up a Posse,” where the lyrics talk about a ban on seven words, and the chorus is mostly repetition of said aforementioned words. Alongside some commentary regarding freedom of speech, and the choice people should be allowed to make for themselves. It was meant as a slap to the face toward the Parents Music Resource Center. In fact, the album the song was on had two different versions sold, an uncensored version, and a censored version, which replaced the banned words with a buzzing noise. The entire song “Startin Up a Posse,” was cut from the censored version due to the amount of profanity, and other ‘explicit’ words. 

The second song I thought pertained to our discussions was “Sleep Now in the Fire,” while the song itself did not cause as much discussion, the music video did. For their music video Rage Against the Machine performed on the steps of Federal Hall in lower Manhattan, and proceeded to shut down Wall Street, and therefore the New York stock exchange. The band and the music director obtained a video permit, but nothing allowing them to actually have a performance. The song is calling out corporate greed and capitalism, which makes the video so much more enjoyable. They used their music to make a political statement with their activism, and stood up for things they believed in. 

The combination of the forced censorship and political motivation both feel reminiscent of the reaction to Twisted Sister's music, and the lasting outrage it caused. The parental advisory explicit content is still shown on songs or albums in more modern ways of listening to music. The label remains on physical albums, is depicted on the album covers online, and Spotify shows an “E” for explicit. Two of my sisters even have a shirt with the same label in a mockery of the warning.

[leahbrynn]

Media Censorship

For as long as media has existed there has been censorship. When films were first being developed, there was no system to determine appropriate audiences, so all were held to the same standard of what was permitted. These were known as the Hays Laws, which eventually was dismantled with the rating system set to take over. Personally, I think the rating system was a good idea, it allowed all kinds of films to be produced while giving its audiences fair warnings as to its content, without blocking any content (for most) people.

However a system I do not admire is the censorship of books. While the reasons for banning books have a wide range, there are common themes. Some being racial issues, inappropriate lifestyles, sex, violence, or even just negativity. I can understand not allowing kids of a young age to read certain books, especially while they are in their formative years, you may not want to expose them to the less kid friendly topics. Books are often banned in high schools though. A place I would say most people should not have limited access to certain books. I would even extend that to most middle schoolers. 

Some banned books that I take a special disagreement with would be To Kill a Mockingbird, and Thirteen Reasons Why. Both of these books cover heavy topics, racism, suicide, and assault. Places have banned To Kill a Mockingbird for its use of the N word, while ignoring the entire premise of the book and all the good messaging in it. Banning something just because some are not comfortable with it makes no logical sense. Especially books that cover heavier topics. Thirteen Reasons Why is another commonly banned book. It was claimed to be unsuited for its age group. Even though the concepts apply to many ages. I think I would have benefited from reading the book at a younger age. (Trigger warning: Self-harm, suicide, sexual assault) If I had read the book at a younger age, I think I could have saved myself and others alot of pain, in regards to my own self-harm and suicide attempts. As well as having had a better way of coping after one of my assaults, instead of compiling a list of reasons why I no longer want to live.

This book was classified as unsuitified for its age-group, but so many of even younger ages have faced these topics. The story is full of high schoolers, and in all honesty, the majority of my friends had these same problems, and censorship will not make these problems go away. 

[leahbrynn]

Control in Audience vs Media vs Society

What controls what in our world of mass media? The three main contenders in this system of control would be the audience, society/culture, and the media itself. I think a lot of people think the audience dictates the media, considering how much content is catered to certain types of people. But if that’s the case why are there so many stigmas against what are probably just everyday occurrences for most people (cursing, ‘revealing’ skin)? 

One of the primary examples that comes to mind is the scandal Youtube has currently found itself in with age restrictions and demonetization. Sean Mcloughlin (Jacksepticeye), a popular youtuber, recently made two videos in response to another creator calling the corporation out on its inconsistencies and lack of communication when it comes to age restrictions and demonetization 

The audience appears to want the content being put out, but Youtube itself, the media, is dictating what it deems appropriate to show and promote to the consumers. Is Youtube doing this because it’s what culture deems appropriate? Videos with scantily dressed women are certainly less likely to be flagged than a scantily dressed man. And that extends beyond just Youtube. 

Instagram and Twitter have the same type of issue. I recently saw a comic from an artist I follow, depicting both of these images. And, as expected, Twitter wanted a content warning to be placed on the comic. In fact, Twitter repeatedly flagged the post for nudity, even after the pictures were too small to truly make out any details. 

None of the viewers, or at least most of them seemed to take issue with the skin on display, but the media sure did.

As much as I think all participants in media have some kind of a say in what goes on, I think culture has the strongest influence and power over both the audience and the media. Culture hasn’t changed much in America when it comes to what curse words are considers more or less bad than one another, or in regards to what is okay to show of a person's body, and while the media may help slowly change that by pushing the boundaries, as well as the audiences wants and needs in content, but culture still holds an iron grip on the two. Audience can influence culture, but it appears to be a give and take. The audience can influence the media, but the media has more of a final say.