Who Am I?

Genesis Hidalgo

Professor Cacoilo

Activists, Interlopers, and Pranksters

September 13,2018

My role in media varies, since I am constantly on the move with either school or work. However, when I do have some time I do occasionally watch the news such as CNN, MSNBC, and actual newspaper articles from the New York Times, Washington Post, and many more. I believe that it is important to access and learn from many different resources before having an opinion on any topic or belief. Media is taking the world by storm and whether or not it is a positive thing can be argued, but it definitely cannot be ignored. As soon as people wake up they immediately go on their phones to check Instagram, twitter, snapchat, and even more social media apps, and before they go to sleep they do the exact same thing. We are all guilty of doing this, but it is important to be aware of this and to practice self control when it comes to letting the media brainwash us into buying things we don't need, idolizing people that are regular human beings, and that constant seeking of approval from people that we don't even know.

      I do have one guilty pleasure, and that is my obsession with YouTube. There is something so raw and interesting to see regular people live their lives day to day by recording it and posting it for anyone to see. It is also interesting seeing people voice their opinions on  topics of controversy, triggering subjects, and their religious beliefs. Although there are youtubers who are paid by certain companies to say what benefits their investors, there are also those genuine people who have taken their own path and don't let anyone change their way of thinking/being. I think what I admire the most is that these youtubers are brave enough to be so vulnerable online, and are able to withstand any type of hate they get. At the end of the day, what makes Youtube so successful is that it lets people connect with each other no matter where they are, and you are able to get to know somebody just by watching their videos.

       Gravitating back to news sources, I think the channel that has influenced my perspective on the world is Vox. Vox is a Youtube channel that consists of journalists from all over the world that cover all types of issues that are currently happening. For example, the Venezuelan crisis that is happening as we speak is a topic that personally angers, and saddens me. The news channels on television briefly speak about the crisis and do not dive deep into how severe this issue is. I opened my eyes to the crisis because of Vox, and they explained every single detail as to how this problem even began. Venezuelans are starving, homeless, and are fleeting in masses to bordering countries such as Colombia and Ecuador in order to find some kind of work to send money to their families. It doesn't matter if you have a college education or no education at all, everyone is suffering in Venezuela.
   

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1gUR8wM5vA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeL9kPDmwC0

At the end of the day, technology is going to be more advanced as the days go by and media will have an even more direct influence on our lives and it is important to learn how to take in true and valuable information, and rejecting lies/biased opinions.