Media and collective identity

1) Read the article and summarise each section in one sentence, starting with the section 'Who are you?'

Who are you: The media influences as to construct an image of who we would want to be.

I think, therefore I am:  Social position was, at one point, much more important than being an individual, and it was what our success was based on.

From Citizen to consumer: Edward Bernays said that people purposefully conditioned themselves to become a passive consumer from an active citizen and that with this, advertisers aimed to sell products by promoting a positive self image.

The rise of the individual: The concept of individualism become popular and people rebelled against conformity as they wanted to show their different and unique points.

Branding and Lifestyle:  Branding associates personality with a product and we, as the audience, attempt to find products that match our personalities.

2) List five brands you are happy to be associated with and explain how they reflect your sense of identity.

Apple: Apple products are created for numerous purposes and has many functions, converged into one device, whether it be an iPhone, computer of watch. I think it shows how I seek convenience.

Converse: Shoes which are comfortable yet stylish shows how I like to wear things that look good but are also comfortable for daily life.

H&M: Clothing is often affordable and comfortable which is all thats needed from clothing.

Vans:Shoes which are comfortable yet stylish shows how I like to wear things that look good but are also comfortable for daily life.

Kipling: Kipling bags are mostly for casual use, but they are also very effective due to the many pockets and compartments that most bags have. The material is also very durable, which shows that I like to use the same style for a long while.

3) Do you agree with the view that modern media is all about 'style over substance'? What does this expression mean?

This expression means that people worry more about the outlook and appearance of their product rather than the effectiveness of its purpose, and I think that recently, this statement has been proven to be very true. Many people have a great focus on items that are trending in fashion whether it be clothing or digital items, and that the function of the item no longer matters. I think, to a certain extent, the style and branding of items, in some sense, shows other people the type of person you are and people carefully choose the things they own to portray a certain image to society. Although, there is a proportion of people who think its more about substance over style, it is evident that the media is entirely comprised of different forms of promoting style rather than substance.

4) Explain Baudrillard's theory of 'media saturation' in one paragraph. You may need to research it online to find out more.

The media has conditioned society to think a certain way and act a certain way. As we are completely overloaded with the media's dominant ideologies, we can no longer distinguish between the real value of commodities and the great value that the media conveys.

5) Is your presence on social media an accurate reflection of who you are? Have you ever added or removed a picture from a social media site purely because of what it says about the type of person you are?

I think my presence on social media greatly reflects who I am but only to a certain extent. I think this is because with social media sites such as Facebook, people get to see your likes and interests through what kind of pages and posts you like. However, it is difficult to see my personality through my presence on social media. I haven't removed or added pictures purely with the intent of showing people what kind of person I am, but it is common with many people as they only want certain aspects of their character to be shown publicly.

6) What is your opinion on 'data mining'? Are you happy for companies to sell you products based on your social media presence and online search terms? Is this an invasion of privacy?

Personally, I have no issues with data mining as greatly filters out what kind of things I would want to see and what kind of things I wouldn't want to see. I think it would be a great time saver when the time comes where there is something particular that I would like to buy or watch. I do think this is an invasion of ones privacy, however, unless someone is doing something that is inappropriate or illegal, there aren't any major effects for anyone.