What is Scholars?

    When choosing to become a part of the College Park Scholars Media, Self, and Society program I had my own idea of what the program would be like and what I might learn about media. However, my experience has brought many more experiences and opportunities than I could have expected. I now have a much broader and stronger idea of what media, self, and society really means and how media can truly impact the world. Media’s role in my life has grown from an outlet I used for fun and escape when I was young, like watching silly Youtube videos, to a resource that connects me to the rest of the world while providing me with my own perspective and voice. I no longer simply watch media for fun, I analyze media and reflect on its impact on the world around me. Maturing and growing as an individual has made me better understand my own use of media and develop a critical analysis of what is going on in my society. My experience in the past three semesters of Media scholars has developed those analysis skills and given me the vocabulary as well as perspective to be able to express the relationship between media and society. Before the program I was less aware of how wide media's impact spreads and the ways it is prevalent in everyday life even when we do not realize it. I now have a broader perspective on the media and its role in my life and our society. I not only understand my own media usage better, but I am also more critical of sources and reflective on the impacts of each factor in media.

    My time in Scholars has changed the way I look at media and I now feel much more confident in my ability to analyze media and be fully aware of where what I consume is coming from. One of the ways I have employed critical analysis of media is through my analysis of news sources and the way their biases can affect the image of society they are portraying to their audience. Throughout my semester of Media Scholars we have discussed a lot about news; my experiences through discussions and assignments have helped me see the underlying effects of news on society. Networks like CNN and FOX News are each known for having certain biases and political views which affects the way they report on these issues because their biases affect what and how they show a story. This causes those who view CNN to be seeing society in one way, while FOX News viewers might see it in another because of what information their news sources are exposing them to versus not showing them. The various assignments and critical discussions we have had in Media Scholars allowed me to become more educated about what goes on in the news. Assignments where we specifically researched or discussed bias in the news and its portrayal of society are what most helped me to engage in this critical thinking.

    Throughout the semesters we have reviewed all the sides there are to the media including the positive and negative influences it can have. During this time one of the ways I have observed how media can possibly be harmful to society is through the way it can often portray an idealistic or successful image that can cause people to doubt themselves and feel as though other people are better off than them. However, this is most prevalent with social media use and it is due to how social media content is only what the person wants you to see so reality and the struggles many people may be going through are not portrayed. Personally, I have felt intimidated or insecure using social media because it is often natural that you would want to be liked and show people the best parts of your life. Although social media can have these unhealthy characteristics, media also has the ability to affect society in positive ways. A major recent example is the way social media was used in the Black Lives Matter Movement after outrage was sparked by the death of George Floyd. Media, especially social media, gives people the opportunity to connect with one another and share important issues. Social media played a large role in the BLM Movement creating more traction and allowing people to show their voice when it was especially difficult with the pandemic. The connectivity of media is one of its greatest strengths as it can be used to bring people together, give people a voice, and allow important information to be widespread.

     I have also learned the differences between a critical and passive consumer or producer and how I could fit into those roles. Being a critical consumer of media to me means that you are active and effective at understanding the media in your own life. For example before learning how to better analyze media I might have seen a commercial for a product and not thought much of it, however, now I might think more into who the seller is and what effect that might have on the product as well as the possible underlying message of the commercial or how it might affect those who see it. I also think being a critical consumer means not always believing what you see and knowing how to critique your media sources and find reliable information. After my experience in Scholars I definitely see myself in this role because I use media in my everyday life which means I am constantly being a critical consumer and using the skills I have learned to understand the media around me.

     Scholars created a comfortable environment for thoughtful and critical conversation between my peers and myself. Although there may not have been any frequent direct clashing of ideas, Scholars discussions brought together people with varying perspectives. Hearing about where other people come from and the experiences in their lives that have led them to develop their own viewpoints was a very rewarding experience because it made me consider factors about issues that I would not have thought about on my own. For example when discussing an issue that might not directly affect me, hearing the perspectives of those who are affected gives a better understanding of the issue. These types of discussions on issues like BLM, the election, and the pandemic made me reflect on my own opinions and influenced me to take other people's perspectives into account when forming my own opinions.

     My learning experience in scholars was improved by the opportunities to interact with my peers inside and out of class. Having thoughtful conversations is beneficial on its own, but being able to have critical conversations with peers and students more similar to yourself creates an environment where people can relate to one another and understand our generation’s experiences. One of the ways the scholars living learning community improved my learning experience was through collaboration on group projects. Being in close proximity to peers through residence halls made it very convenient and easy to communicate with them on group work or anything to do with scholars. The living learning environment also created a nice community of people who you knew automatically had something in common with you because of the media, self, and society or scholars in general.

Throughout Scholars I have had multiple opportunities to participate in activities and contribute to the media program. One of my favorite Media Scholars experiences was visiting the Newseum before it closed in Washington D.C. This was a very interesting and fun trip because we not only got to explore the Newseum and learn about the history of news, but it was also a fun group activity in general. Although the pandemic has made trips like these and in person gatherings difficult I still think I have had opportunities to contribute to the program through virtual mediums too. Group presentations, class discussions, and outside of class community activities have all been opportunities I have been able to utilize to feel involved in Media Scholars.

     The skills and knowledge I have taken away from Media Scholars are very valuable to me and will be incorporated into the way I consume and view media in the future. Media Scholars have shown me just how prevalent media is in our everyday lives, while also giving all the information and skills necessary to understand the impact of media. Although my professional career going into landscape architecture might not directly relate to the media, the knowledge I have gained from the scholars program is prevalent in multiple aspects of life. The skills I have gained to find reliable true resources, search for underlying meanings, and be an educated consumer are all relevant to any person's life and career. Finding valuable sources is an extremely important skill and Media scholars has made me much more confident in my ability to find credible resources and recognize the role media plays in our society today.