While we recognize the limitations of any singular blog post’s ability to answer big questions like the ones we’re asking, our intention is not to tell you everything there is to know about this issue, but rather to open up a space for conversation, reflection, curiosity, and a consideration of all the other questions this one question sets in motion.
Media Literacy is our ability to access, analyze, evaluate, create and participate with information in a variety of forms — including print to video to the Internet.
why is it important?
Our lives rely on digital technologies to deliver our news, entertainment and information. Our abilities to effectively navigate online spaces and information is vital to progressing as a society. Without media literacy practices users of technology tend to find ineffective and inefficient pathways to the information they seek, getting trapped along the way by mis-information and online hate.
Media literacy helps to break this cycle of inefficiencies and provide users with the proper understandings to harness digital tools to enhance the productivity, connectivity and civic engagement within their individual lives.
what do I need to know about social media platforms?
There is a lot to unpack when it comes to understanding how the backend construction of social media platforms impact how we operate in social spaces.
To simplify what is going on from the technical jargon that you will encounter in our extended resources below, consider the following features and how keeping these understandings in our minds as we navigate these environments will help us to feel in control of our journey.
…start by watching this
now let’s reflect on…
ONE
They make money from you looking at targeted advertisements and by selling your information to third-party entities.
TWO
They use relevancy based information feeds to create tailored views around our preferences,. specifically designed to show you what you like and keep you happily scrolling past ads; polarizing your understanding and current beliefs.
THREE
The ability to like and be liked through a notification system can cause addiction to these spaces. Each like to your content triggers dopamine releases in the brain which can develop a dependency and inability to ignore,
FOUR
Their engagement features (liking, commenting, sharing) coupled with the relevancy algorithm amplify extreme messaging and polarizing ideas in these spaces.
self reflection exercise…
What does your news feed look like?
Compare it to another persons and have a discussion about the different windows created for each of you.
While we recognize the limitations of any singular blog post’s ability to answer big questions like the ones we’re asking, our intention is not to tell you everything there is to know about this issue, but rather to open up a space for conversation, reflection, curiosity, and a consideration of all the other questions this one question sets in motion.
question
How do you use technology to build and/or sustain relationships? How can technology hinder your ability to build relationships?
As I sit down to write this, it’s international friendship day (July 30). I am sitting outside at a café, waiting for fellow American Canary and dear friend Katie Baxter to join me. Katie and I met in college and our friendship formed in similar café spaces over coffee or beer and conversation. However, our friendship solidified when we used technology to keep in touch as we both moved about the world, traveling, working and growing as women. All we needed to update one another on our location, latest happenings and state of mind was an internet connection. It allowed me to access solace and inspiration for any specific situation.
Reflecting on the intricacies of defining friendship and how it is formed, sustained and evolves, I am tempted to say that relationships with friends and loved ones are evolving alongside technology. We now have opportunities to include those who are closest to us in the smallest moments of our day. Across the sea, or across the street, people can connect, share, and form consistent relationships without hindrance of time and space.
With most of the prompts we look at in our blog, like “How can technology hinder your ability to build relationships?”, I keep going to a place of yes (or I immediately would answer yes.) Yes, technology can hinder our ability to build relationships because I also believe that a uniquely formed connection with someone can create a lasting impression and set the foundation to be in a relationship with another person. Even without knowing moment to moment what is taking place in someone’s life, the depths of consideration around the human experience allows us to “maintain” a sense of friendship, relationship and care.
In a world where technology doesn’t exist and Katie and my paths crossed unexpectedly after a decade of dust, It wouldn’t surprise me that we would re-establish our connection, and after a few awkward moments of “catching up” we would be laughing and sharing curiosities like no time had passed. Technology wouldn’t hinder that….. I wonder if younger people for whom technology has been ingrained in their entire existence, can even begin to imagine a different experience.
If it weren’t for technology, I’d no longer have my best friends. After graduating college my best friend moved to Florida. 1,405 miles from me to be exact. My childhood friend left our hometown for grad school and is now 1,882 miles from me. And my college roommate will be moving to England in February. Making us 3,243 miles apart. Yet none of our relationships have ever been better.
Technology keeps my relationships with my friends secure. I am able to Facetime them and see their posts on Instagram and Snapchat to stay updated on their lives. Obviously, I wish I could spend more time with them, and for a while I started to think that everyone was trying to move as far away from me as possible, but I’m grateful for the relationships that I do get to maintain because of technology.
As I thought about technology’s influence on my relationships I started to think about the online hate and insecurities that everyone faces, but with each of those negative thoughts, all I could think of is everything that technology has given me.
Technology has given me the ability to be a part of moments that I would’ve never been able to before. I remember when I was a Freshman in college and received a Facetime from my brother that was him and his now wife telling me that they had just gotten engaged. I also received a Facetime while studying abroad in England showing me an ultrasound that said that I was going to be an aunt for the first time. Even though I wasn’t home with my family, I still got the chance to be a part of both of those moments because of technology. And that is something that I wouldn’t trade for the world.
All of the relationships that I have mentioned so far have been well maintained using technology but were built in real life. I do believe that technology has the ability to hinder your ability to form new relationships because we tend to hide a lot of ourselves online. I believe that it depends on the person and whether or not they have the ability to be who they really are online. I personally would rather build relationships in person since I spend so much of my daily life online already. But once that relationship is established technology can be an amazing thing to help maintain relationships with those that you might otherwise lose touch with or to be a part of things you would miss out on before.
Although at times it pains me to say this if it wasn’t for Facebook I may not have the life I do right now. Flashback to my senior year of college. I am sitting on my laptop planning a trip to Colorado to visit a grad program in Boulder I had recently been accepted into. It was 2009 and I was a bit late to the Facebook game and still didn’t see the value of being on the space (still struggling with that), I had an enriching social and educational experience, I connected with new people all the time, why did I need a computer to help me to do something I have always done so well? I liked my network and didn’t see a reason to expand it further. That was until I studied abroad earlier in the year and realized that I didn’t have to live in the 20th century sending letters to my friends and I saw Facebook as a way to maintain my long distance connections.
So there I was sitting at my laptop planning my trip, since I was online and “active” I was naturally logged onto Facebook to see if any of my friends were as well, checking to see whose green light came on as I waited for pages to load on other browser tabs.
Thomas Haina and I have known each other since we were kids and had reconnected when I returned from abroad that summer. When he moved back to Wyoming at the end of the summer, he was cataloged into the long distance friend section of my social network. However, when his green active light came on Facebook I decided to message him that day in the hopes he would know someone in Colorado I could crash with. To make a very long and somewhat personal story short, that one conversation became the first of many we had online, over the phone and eventually in person when he moved back to New York after I accepted a spot at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.
I would not say that Facebook or any digital media technology has helped me sustain my relationship with Thomas, if anything at times it can hinder our connectedness, but it has allowed me to connect and sustain relationships across the globe. These relationships would not be as substantial or strong without the glimpses into their lives that are provided by digital tools and I am still in awe at the abilities to connect instantaneously across space and time, to share moments, ideas and emotions with others whenever I wish.
It is those abilities that drew me to becoming a digital media professional, a storyteller, a lover of all new creative technologies, but it is my time in the trenches of technology and social media spaces that has me questioning whether these benefits outweigh the negative impacts technology and social media can have on relationships. I watch young people struggle to find themselves, lost on the internet, being bullied to fit a mold that has been warped and curated into an unattainable goal. I watch families and friends all sit around, eyes glued to their phones, when they should be glued to the moments unraveling before them. I watch hate pour out from every corner of the globe with the most media illiterate helping to amplify all the mis and disinformation they come across.
I fear that if we do not begin to address the crisis of media literacy in this country we will diminish all hope for using these technologies to their greatest potential. We will lay waste to every benefit as we continue to divide and demean one another online. We will fill the space with such useless information that truth will suffocate and die.
We now have access to incredible abilities to communicate and connect and I hope we can find our way through the noise to make meaningful connections that will help strengthen our communities.
actions to take
Plan technology free activities Create Technology Free Spaces Reflect on how the media you consume and technology you use impacts your relationships
Share your experience with us! Connect with an AC member for a one on one chat.
While we recognize the limitations of any singular blog post’s ability to answer big questions like the ones we’re asking, our intention is not to tell you everything there is to know about this issue, but rather to open up a space for conversation, reflection, curiosity, and a consideration of all the other questions this one question sets in motion.
When I sit down to eat dinner with my family or to have coffee with a colleague I always place my phone face down on the table. I do this because I know if I don’t every push notification will pull me out of the present face-to-face interaction I am having, and push me into the digital world, taking away from the real-time human connectivity.
Notifications have become a part of our everyday lives. We get notified when someone messages us, when a package has shipped, when a friend likes our post or when our groceries are ready to pick up. Notifications of new shows that we “must” see!, new goods we “may want” to purchase, services we “need” to subscribe to or news that might be of interest to us and the list can go on. Maybe even infinitely…
Notifications can be helpful, like the ones that tell me I need to leave my house in order to make it to my next meeting on time, but they can also be distracting and detrimental to our ability to focus on the present. The number counter on my email app is anxiety inducing, knowing with each numerical increase there is more work to be done. My Instagram or Facebook notification counters, which never get beyond 10 and create more of a bubbling excitement. Granted, attending to an Instagram notification takes a fraction of the time it would take to answer my average email but there is a distinction between how I physically and mentally react to the two different types of notifications. Knowing that email notifications mean more work and social notifications typically provide affirmation, praise, joy or a whole slew of other positive responses it makes sense my brain would react differently to the two.
That is not to say that I do not have emails that bring me joy and social notifications that are deeply negative but the notification of an email coming in always comes with a moment of apprehension where when I see a “ping” on one of my socials it is typically accompanied by a moment of anticipation.
I do my best to be conscious of the fact that how I engage with notifications is a habit that has been formed intentionally by the device and app design with the goal to pull me back into the digital landscape, ultimately to expose me to more ads, therefore increasing my likelihood of consumption.
I know this and think about it a lot, but it still pulls me in.
I will automatically open and clear the notifications in certain apps, jumping in and out in seconds to see who says what or liked what that I have posted throughout the day. This jumping is usually done in between moments – when I finished a task, walking to my car, waiting in line, etc. I pull out my phone and I am pulled into a digital space.
Maybe we should call them pull notifications instead of push… (or maybe they were called push notifications because they are pushy- annoying and pressure you to deal tight then and there)
But I am being pushed away from something every time I pick up my phone.
What could I be doing in these moments if I didn’t have my phone and a notification to check (to clear?)? I am a naturally extroverted person so I know I would talk to more people, try and connect with those around me. I crave the connections with others and am working on reclaiming my in between moments to foster more random conversations.
These in between moments are not only times where I could be connecting more with others but also moments I could be using for inner reflection. The constant consumption of information throughout the day leaves our brain little time to process all that it has consumed. This can result in feeling more tired, having headaches, more restless sleep and other symptoms as our brains struggle to catch up to processing the daily information load. These in between moments could also be space I could be using to think, problem solve, create, be curious and question.
Although my brain can handle all the data I throw at it at the end of each day I can’t help but wonder if I needed it all.
actions to take
Reflect upon how different types of notifications impact you.
Check out and adjust your notification settings.
Share your experience with us! Connect with an AC member for a one on one chat.
questions to consider
How quickly do you respond to notifications?
How often do you check your notifications?
When/where do you check them?
What else could you be doing besides checking your notifications?
While we recognize the limitations of any singular blog post’s ability to answer big questions like the ones we’re asking, our intention is not to tell you everything there is to know about this issue, but rather to open up a space for conversation, reflection, curiosity, and a consideration of all the other questions this one question sets in motion.
This blog post was conceptualized and completed prior to last week’s Supreme Court decision that will overturn the landmark Roe vs. Wade decision that provided federal protection for important female reproductive health rights. If you are dissatisfied with that decision we encourage you to consider how you can become an agent for change in your own community. This post will share a few experiences from people catalyzed into action by injustice and issues they felt they could no longer sit by and watch unfold. At the end we have shared several resources for understanding the process of running for local office and encourage you to check them out or share them with a person you feel would be the right advocate for change.
I recently was speed walking around the city skimming plaques on houses, sidewalks and statues, astounded by the depth of documented mainly political history on every corner. I also couldn’t get over how people (presumably politicians or the politically motivated ) wore suits in a city of such heat and humidity, but that is another conversation. As a visitor from the small mountain town where I live, being in DC felt like the epicenter of politics, the White House, the pentagon, THIS was where the things happened. What the things are exactly, I couldn’t tell you, there was just a conscious sense of separation between where I live, the decisions I make and this burgeoning metropolis where people aim to set the policy and laws that impact the world.
And still: there were yard picket signs urging people to vote for this lady and check-marked boxes indicating that this referendum was the “right choice” placed back to back in contradiction. Elections in D.C. are just as local, just as divisive and just as important as they are anywhere else. I began to wonder how and why people get involved in politics, whether they are in the middle of the mountains working to protect the environment or motivated by the urgency of big government that permeates our country’s capital. It also made me question the ways in which individual participation really could provoke change on a larger scale along with how media impacts that ambitious goal.
I spoke with my uncle George, longtime county commissioner of the Aspen County Seat in Pitkin County, Colorado and a good friend, Shannon Elkins who is currently running for House District 98 in Texas about their personal experiences running for local office, how and why they got involved and what they see as an outcome of their political participation.
For George it was a natural progression, he had been in leadership positions throughout the community, on local boards and was connected to many people already in office. He was apprised of the changes in policy being presented and when something came up that would be impacting his local public lands, he mobilized. He shared that the way he used media (newspapers, local radio etc.) was to say interesting, often provocative statements during meetings to ignite public reaction, emphasis on the action. Upfront with his ideas, his initiatives and the inner workings of his office, George was able to inform the community on issues that impacted them directly. Because of the local rulings of his county the general public were allowed to put together their own masterplan for land use, creating a direct form of democracy by becoming direct decision makers in their community. He gained the trust of his constituents by being an integral part of the place he was aiming to protect.
Shannon, had a bit of different experience. As a younger, gay, Jewish, democrat in the heart of Texas, she joined politics with the aim of making noise around a wedge issue she believed in: HouseBill 25 which restricts transgender student athletes’ participation in school sports. Shannon has been teaching math and special-ed for over 11 years and her passion on the issue is what inspired her to run, originally unopposed, for the opportunity to have a stronger voice in policy decisions. Her campaign has uncovered how little her friends and surrounding community know about the political process and also how excited individuals can get when they have a candidate who reflects and will fight for their shared values. She appreciates the opportunity to talk to people about their beliefs and how they feel those beliefs are being expressed in the political arena. As her political work has increased, she continues to recognize how social media can create an unrealistic echo-chamber of messaging and involvement based on use and political leanings. Shannon uses media to increase messages of hope and truthful information to share out, along with using platforms to garner support for her efforts.
Both Shannon and George affirmed that “politics is for everybody”. By joining local clubs, organizations or boards, learning more about the candidates in your area, applying to be an advisory board to elected officials, builds community. They shared the sentiment that democracy is in a precarious position, a divisive, two party system that is unsustainable in its current state. They also expressed so much joy in being a part of a cause that is important and how while, it can seem like a lot, every small action helps.
For me, politics as a whole always felt symbolic.
I am a registered independent so I can vote for what I believe, but politicians felt like this far away breed of suit wearers who really couldn’t take my perspective into consideration. After speaking with George and Shannon and reading/watching the brilliance of Rep. Chloe Maxmin and her rural campaign for House Representative of the State of Maine, I am reminded that the grassroots approach, the one on one conversations and pursuing local knowledge to advance political comprehension has a lasting, ripple effect.
Whether you are in D.C or somewhere else in the country, I urge each of you to write down your values, research your ballot and the individuals you are electing to represent you, find causes, groups and politicians who share those values and participate in democracy.
Or, run for office yourself and share your journey with us.
actions to take
Consider running for a local office in your community.
Support local leaders your believe in.
Share your experience with us! Connect with an AC member for a one on one chat.
questions to consider
What are the things you care about?
What aspects of your life do you feel could be better?
What position could/should you run for?
Who in your network will help support your decision and positions?
While we recognize the limitations of any singular blog post’s ability to answer big questions like the ones we’re asking, our intention is not to tell you everything there is to know about this issue, but rather to open up a space for conversation, reflection, curiosity, and a consideration of all the other questions this one question sets in motion.
It’s midnight. I awake abruptly, go to roll over and feel nothing but air beside me, as if I am laying on the edge of a cliff. I immediately roll back to save myself from the tumble downward to be blocked by a warm soft wall. The couch. I slowly open my eyes, trying to get my bearings as I hoist myself upright. I focus on the screen dominating my view and read – Are you still watching”?
Obviously not.
As I shake my head and finally awaken completely I am left yet again wondering what I am doing sitting on my couch. I should be sleeping soundly in my nice cool bed instead of a hot tangled mess.
Why did I decide to play that last episode knowing I was about to fall asleep?
With streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon offering up never-ending selections of entertainment, it is all too easy to get stuck on auto-play as we fall down the rabbit hole of our favorite shows and become attached to our favorite characters. The combination of these beautifully produced stories created to keep us all entertained, perpetually watching and sitting on platforms that encourage users to not look away, produces the perfect environment for binge watching.
Binge watching, an act we may not readily admit to committing but one the average American has been known to partake in, can be defined as watching two or more shows in a row and is not inherently a bad or detrimental thing to do. However, just like other addictive behaviors, binge watching shows can also be categorized as a problem if the behavior begins to detract from your (real)life. That is where our question comes into play: to binge or not to binge, what will you watch?
This question, like many others we have posed in this space, drives to a core understanding of media literacy and media mindfulness; the understanding of how the media we consume and the way in which we choose to consume it is impacting our lives. For me, not recognizing when it is time to shut down for the night has cost me countless hours of healthy sleep.
Numerous studies have been done looking into binge watching, exploring how the brain works when binge watching shows and the mental health impacts of binge watching. Scientists have seen that like other pseudo-addictions your brain produces dopamine while you watch shows you like. The more you do it, the more dopamine it produces and the better you feel. If the brain does not have any other reliable sources of pleasure (such as human connection), dependency on this form of dopamine can develop into an addiction.
While it can be addicting, it should be acknowledged that binge watching can also be used as a stress management tool as it can help us block out our daily stressors during the period of watching. The way we identify with characters and situations in shows can fuel the likelihood that watching a show will produce dopamine, and why many people report watching shows helps them relieve stress.
Although we can form genuine connections with others over the shows we watch, when we substitute human relations with TV we become disconnected from our own human nature, which can exacerbate and deepen feelings of isolation, anxiety, and depression. When we spend more time watching and less time engaging and living we can starve ourselves emotionally(link) of the person-to-person interactions and connections our bodies and brains need, and what happens when we finish binge watching our favorite show?
Now I have to wait a year to watch more???!!!???!!!?
I am feeling pretty sad…(aka dopamine crash)
Maybe I will just start the whole thing over; what else do I have to watch, do, or experience?????
It is easy to see how this type of behavior can have rippling negative impacts on our lives, but all hope is not lost!
Each study we encountered highlighted this idea:The difference between a healthy enthusiasm and an addiction is that the former adds to your life, whereas the latter detracts from it(link). Here are the expert tips on creating healthy media habits:
Setting up either time limits or episode numbers you are willing to watch is one way to combat problematic binge watching habits and prevent this habit from becoming addictive. Create media blackout times where you won’t binge watch. Set boundaries for yourself and stick to them.
Although I don’t think I could ever do it, stopping half-way through an episode will help you get over the constant cliff-hanger narrative that most shows employ to hook you into the next episode, as by the time you get through half of the episode you will have answered the most pressing questions from the previous one and will have not yet been pulled in by the most pressing questions for the current episode.
Balance your binge watching with finding other sources of pleasure so your brain doesn’t get hooked on binge watching as a primary source of dopamine. Hang with friends and family, go for a walk, join a club, play a game, cook something delicious, make some art, or find your own fun. Seek alternative forms of positive cognitive/emotional stimulation.
For me, I shut auto-play off on all my platforms and no longer find myself incoherently stumbling off my couch at all hours of the night.
actions to take
Seek out diverse media. Question the nature of
Reflect on your own habits of binge watching
Share your experience with us! Connect with an AC member for a one on one chat.
questions to consider
What genre(s) of show do you choose to binge watch?
Why do you choose that/those genre(s)?
What have you lost from binge watching in the past?
While we recognize the limitations of any singular blog post’s ability to answer big questions like the ones we’re asking, our intention is not to tell you everything there is to know about this issue, but rather to open up a space for conversation, reflection, curiosity, and a consideration of all the other questions this one question sets in motion.
question
Reflection on Mental Health and Impact of Media on our Personal Mental Health
There is a spoof on drug commercials that I love called Nature Rx. It takes the common concept of a prescription solution to all encompassing issues that we as humans face daily, and recommends a solid dose of Nature (Disclaimer aside). My own life has been remedied countless times by a few days out in the wilderness away from “it” all. Without a barrage of notifications, incoming todo’s and well meaning, but overwhelming check-ins from friends, I stop thinking in a million different directions, prioritizing and reprioritizing as work, news and events as they come into my purview.
A couple of years ago, I moved to a remote town in the mountains for my mental health. Having ease of access to the quiet and the removed felt like the only way I could find some semblance of sanity amidst my rapidly expanding anxious mind. It took some time to get used to the quiet. Sirens and basslines are a rarity and even our radio is commercial free. Nothing yells at me to buy or to do or be something. Yet still with screens becoming an extension of ourselves, how we connect, how we work and play, I can’t help but feel a persistent nagging to learn more, be better informed, experience media in a myriad of ways just to stay relevant.
Proximity to nature didn’t decrease societal expectations- often filtered through media representation to successfully juggle work, health, home and beyond. Of course a positive outlook is a prerequisite even in the face of tragedy close to the heart and across the world. I began working with a therapist to outsource my struggles and find validation that internal upheaval is relatively normal. The more I researched about the “natural” ways our brains work and how connections and signals can get out of whack, the more comfortable I found myself with using science to help keep me grounded and I began to take chemical prescriptions to keep from being engulfed by big feelings in response to the news and work I (candidly) seek out.
It is a bit ironic how I use the technology and the media to find ways to decrease my anxiety/depression/confusion when I know full well that time and space away from the media those factions of self are minimized. Knowing about issues, events and the latest and greatest has it’s benefits, you can find ways to help, participate in the global community and feel culturally current. For me it also instigates helplessness, F.O.M.O, and budgetary strain. Balance is not the right word for what I aim towards, realistically- neither is sanity. But acceptance and awareness have been the best way to help myself in the sea of mental health, media literacy and personal understanding.
I can’t remember the last time I went a full day without using any media. I can easily say it’s been years. Years of being on social media every single day, consuming information, and comparing myself to others online. I’ve grown to accept that a portion of my life does take place online. It’s how I receive information, talk to others, and get entertainment.
Growing up with social media impacted my mental health severely. I started comparing myself to others online at the tender age of 11 and still do to this day. That being said, I now know much more than I did back then and wish I could give that little girl a hug and explain to her how photoshop works. There have been various times in which I would try to give up media but whether it was FOMO or pure boredom, I always seemed to get drawn right back in.
I do think media has a large positive impact on my life that I don’t always give it enough credit for. Lately I’ve been trying to focus more on the positives in my life and feel as though I should do the same in this situation. Media has helped me put my own situations into perspective that I may not have noticed otherwise. Whether it be life after graduation, or dealing with mental health. With the use of social media I have found people who are similar to me in ways that I haven’t had before. I also use it to stay close with people who I’d otherwise lose touch with. It makes me feel good when I know that my friend sent me a TikTok because she saw it and thought of me. We work opposite schedules and don’t live near each other anymore, so knowing that she saw that and thought of me helps keep our friendship going. It may be a generational difference, or maybe young adults are worse at communicating with one another, but it’s how many people my age use media with their friends without directly communicating.
Media has a large impact on my mental health and whether that impact is positive or negative depends on the day. Sometimes it’s an escape where I can talk to friends or watch harmless videos. Other times it’s post after post of negativity that tears me down, sometimes without me even realizing it. I’m trying to be more mindful of moments like that and remove myself from those situations before they do succeed in tearing me down. Hopefully through realizing those triggers it will lead to a better impact of media on my mental health and to me becoming a better media consumer.
I have a love-hate relationship with media and technology. On one hand I love it, it helps me do all the things I need to do both in my professional and personal lives. On the other hand I wish I could step outside this era of hyper digitalization and back to a simpler time where I didn’t feel it was essential to be connected through technology, the days when I walked for hours down a stream completely disconnected from everything other than the physical world around me without this looming need to reconnect and catch up to what I missed during my digital absence. For me it is not possible to completely disconnect nor would I want to but I often think back to the 90s and miss the days of dialup where you had to coordinate to meet up with friends and actually show up, where you couldn’t be on the phone and the internet at the same time so conversations were all about the present, where physical connection was the priority over building virtual networks. Knowing that I cannot disconnect has driven me to better understand the ever present impact the media I consume and technology I use has on my perspective and well being.
Now saying that does not mean each and every time I consume that the impact is monumental or even noticeable but change is happening and I think it is this hyper awareness of impact that has allowed me to form consumption habits that for the most part have positive impacts on my mental health and overall wellbeing. I know for instance that if I start my day ingesting hard news I can become distracted from the priorities at hand as I contemplate the big things happening in our world and how I, Bridget Haina, can work to solve them. I know that about my brain, that if it is presented with a problem it will work tirelessly to try and solve it, stealing all the moments I need to focus and complete simple tasks for the day as I dive further down the news of the day rabbit hole.
I also know that sitting and watching the latest animated movie to be released with my kids will provide me with moments to connect and feel with them as we engage together with the stories being presented to us. There will be a moment where I laugh and I cry and they look over and say mom, why are you crying and I get to explain my own reaction to the media. I know that scrolling through most social media feeds typically makes me feel less than or wasteful with my time as I exit, rarely finding a meaningful takeaway from the space. I know that reading romance novels has improved my romantic relationship with my spouse and watching cooking shows will typically result in either making a delicious meal or scrounging for whatever fast snack is available to satisfy my now incessant hunger. I know checking my email can make me feel both caught up and dreadfully behind, a paradox I can never seem to escape and that can stress me out like no other. I know about these impacts because I want to understand myself and the reactions and habits that I form through media consumption. I want to be able to harness that limitless information available to me to benefit my life instead of using media as an escape, distraction and detractor from my goals and being mindful about the media I consume will help me do that.
actions to take
Plan screen breaks Reflect on how the media you consume and technology you use impacts your mental health Talk to a mental health professional
Share your experience with us! Connect with an AC member for a one on one chat.
questions to consider
Out of the media you consume, which has the most negative impact on your mental health?
Which has the most positive?
What helps you decompress from media and technology?
How do you incorporate mindfulness into your media use?
While we recognize the limitations of any singular blog post’s ability to answer big questions like the ones we’re asking, our intention is not to tell you everything there is to know about this issue, but rather to open up a space for conversation, reflection, curiosity, and a consideration of all the other questions this one question sets in motion.
question
What are the impacts of algorithmically-biased information systems?
You are probably familiar with or have heard of the term ‘news bias’. This is the idea that news can provide a leaning perspective, where one side of the story is more heavily weighted than the other; thereby often providing a more polarizing or partisan view of current events and issues. If you have been living in the U.S. consuming media created within and distributed by our mainstream media systems for the last decade (or more), then chances are you have consumed news of this variety, and may even feel that your side is inherently right and it is the other side that has the story wrong. This feeling that the other is lying, misleading, or twisting the facts deliberately has grown into a distrust and a diminished reliance on not only the mainstream media, but also on each other.
Across the country people are turning their backs on neighbors, friends and family as we consume messaging that moralistically paints the other ‘side’ of any debate, issue, or political persuasion as inherently wrong and immoral. In doing this, we are also turning our backs on seeking the truth and engaging critically, honestly and proactively with our own slanted frame of reference.
We need a moment to pause…
to examine more closely the role we play in creating the polarized information ecosystem that we operate within.
Whether you ingest your news through traditional or new media you are presented with an array of choices. Not everything the publication has to offer, but rather a curated fraction of information algorithmically assembled in the hopes of grabbing your attention long enough to get you to dive into a particular story and spend more time on the platform. Think of the front page of a physical newspaper, the landing page of your favorite blog, the 45-second broadcast segment or the order of the news feed on your chosen social platform. All of these informational spaces were created to provide a glimpse into what your choices are, and as you dive in, each piece of information is surrounded by more recommendations with the hopes of keeping your attention for as long as possible; not so you can learn more or engage with different point of view on any given topic, but so you will spend more time consequently viewing more ads and making the platform revenue with each click or second spent scrolling.
This monetarily-driven goal that affects nearly all social media companies and news outlets puts a heightened focus on the relevance of information over significance of it. This shift to a relevancy-based information structure that operates through human generated algorithms places emphasis on user data and personalized experience within digital spaces. This means that instead of publications showing you what they feel is most significant or important, you are more likely to see what is most relevant to your specific preferences. These preferences are built over time as we engage with information: each click, each second captured and compiled by an algorithm to create an understanding of what you like and don’t like to ingest online. This begs the question: who is learning more, the platform or the user? Who is gaining more: the platform or the user? And who is losing more: the platform or the user?
Understanding news bias and being critical of the source of our news is an essential component of media literacy, one that not only applies to news but to all information we consume, whether it is fictional or non-fictional in nature. Exploring the algorithm bias in our everyday lives will help us understand how we operate within and create biased information channels for ourselves as we engage and consume online. Understanding the algorithm function that is built into search-based and information streaming platforms can allow us to transcend the bias of our own information chambers as we actively seek out unbiased morsels of information, instead of passively receiving whatever the feed trough has to offer.
Take pause. Seek out the truth. Scratch beyond the surface of information. And remember, ‘the other’ is a complex human greater than any misguided post or comment they may make.
actions to take
Seek out diverse media. Question the nature of
Actively Seek Out Information Read Beyond the Headline Diversify Sources for Your Information
Share your experience with us! Connect with an AC member for a one on one chat.
questions to consider
What information is significant to the well being in my life?
Where do I rely on getting my information?
How many sources of information do I use regularly?
How does the information I see reinforce or challenge my current views?
While we recognize the limitations of any singular blog post’s ability to answer big questions like the ones we’re asking, our intention is not to tell you everything there is to know about this issue, but rather to open up a space for conversation, reflection, curiosity, and a consideration of all the other questions this one question sets in motion.
question
How do we see ourselves represented in the media?
reflection
by: Maddie Stewart
Identity is defined as “the distinguishing character or personality of an individual.” Many things go into the making of a person’s identity, including their gender, race, class, ethnicity, sexual orientation, nationality, political orientation, religious beliefs, age, physical/personality attributes, etc.
Although each of these aspects certainly matter in determining individual identity, it is almost impossible to accurately understand someone’s feelings of self worth and their experience of being in the world based solely on these attributes. This tick-box list of identity categories can lead to us seeing each other as caricatures, rather than as unique individuals with nuanced ways of identifying and relating to the world around us. There is also a risk that in prioritizing group identity as the most important feature(s) of a person, we begin to lose the ability to judge people first and foremost as individuals, based on their deeds and actions, not based on the deeds of their parents or where those parents were born, their zip code, skin color, gender, or sexual orientation. This is the principle of individual liberty, upon which the concept and functioning of liberal democracy relies. We are each complex creatures, shaped by a lifetime of experiences that give each individual a depth to who they are that may not easily meet the eye. At American Canary, we think that this complexity of individual personhood should also be factored into how we think about representation in the media.
With the rise of social media, it has arguably become easier to connect with others and to find groups of people that share a similar “identity” to you. People look for their own attributes in others throughout the media. We tend to gravitate towards those that are like ourselves but on a more complex level than “she is a white person that also went to college”. I gravitate towards people and characters that resemble who I am as a person in society, and I often identify with people in the media that don’t relate to me on my deepest level, but that may relate to my family life or age. I try to find these common traits and use them to make a connection between myself and these people or characters. But in mainstream media people are still presented using stereotypes that can lack the complexity that goes into forming one’s identity.
When thinking about my personal experience being represented in the media, numerous characteristics come to mind. I constantly see people that look like me in the media, from skin color to education level. I am fortunate enough to be a part of a class and race that is heavily represented in a relatively positive light; however there are other aspects of myself that I see underrepresented. The underrepresented aspect of my identity that comes to mind is the representation of mental health in the media.
I feel like mental health isn’t as stigmatized in the media as it once was, but when it’s talked about, it’s done in a more superficial way. And although positive, it doesn’t go into the realities of dealing with a mental health disorder that could potentially help people relate to one another on a deeper level. I don’t see posts about how your vision goes dark and your hands cramp up when you have a panic attack. Or how you can have a million thoughts racing through your mind even though it just looks like you’re staring off into space. Media doesn’t show my mental health reality or that of someone with Major Depressive Disorder. How some days it can feel nearly impossible to speak to another person or get out of bed in the morning, where is that character amongst the millions depicted?
Media helps me pretend. As a media professional, I know it can potentially cause more harm than good. But as a 22 year old, I can understand the appeal of pretending to have a perfect life. I thrive off of the gratification of likes and comments when in reality, I have no idea what I’m doing with my life. It helps keep up the mask that I’ve tried so hard to create and escape the reality of the current struggles I’m facing.
We hide a lot of ourselves online, and often the parts that we do share are those that neatly fit into group identity categories (i.e. “as a cis, white, female..”) that can be somewhat generic and unrevealing of our inner selves; which is part of why it can be hard to identify with others in the media on a deeper level. In order for me to be completely real on social media, I’d have to give in to the vulnerability that I’ve tried for years to hide. I’ve always tried to be genuine about my mental health, but I manage to do so in a light-hearted and funny way. I’ve always struggled to be vulnerable with others. I’d rather be perceived a certain way, as talkative, bubbly, and fun. I’ve tried hard to make that my personality, especially in the media, and to hide what happens when I’m alone. I wish I could say that I’m strong enough to accept that part of myself and be more open about it because maybe it would help others, but I fear that maybe it would just change the way people see me instead.
By digging deeper into one’s own self and being honest about what parts of ourselves we look for in the representations we see online, or the parts of ourselves we feel we have to hide online, we could connect around the complexity and imperfection of being human. For some people, the part of themselves at the forefront of how they are able to show up in the world is the mental health battle they are fighting that day. For others, it will likely be something entirely different. We shouldn’t presume to know what representation in the media looks or feels like for each individual person based on what parts of them we can most easily identify. Adding this layer of depth to what representation in the media looks like might allow for the creation of an even more inclusive media landscape, one in which each person’s individuality, vulnerability, and complexity is celebrated, not filtered out.
actions to take
Seek out diverse media. Question the nature of representation of others.
Share your experience with us! Connect with an AC member for a one on one chat.
questions to consider
What parts of your identity are well represented, underrepresented or misrepresented?
How does it impact you when you see media that misrepresents one of your identity groups?
What type of stereotypes show up in the media you consume?
What ways do you diversify your media consumption?
While we recognize the limitations of any singular blog post’s ability to answer big questions like the ones we’re asking, our intention is not to tell you everything there is to know about this issue, but rather to open up a space for conversation, reflection, curiosity, and a consideration of all the other questions this one question sets in motion.
Growing up as a(white cis-female) millennial it is hard to dispute the impact media has had and continues to have on my life. As a small child I would dance around my house singing Disney songs as an adolescent I found my personal style flipping through countless teen magazines; as a young adult I was an early adopter of social media; and as a woman in my 30s I have dedicated my life to the pursuit of creating a media literate society. I have sat crying as I watched unimaginable events play out in live time before my eyes and rejoiced as the diversity of messages and information has grown beyond the confines of one ideology.
Each moment of media consumption lays down a narrative or idea for me to follow that will either challenge or reinforce what I believe. From the Disney movies of my youth telling me to find my prince and live happily ever after, a narrative given to me I had to break, to the book White Fragility that was downright uncomfortable to read but helped me break free from many ideas that would keep me reinforcing white privilege. These narratives can take hold of us shaping our values and understandings of the world. This is happening to all of us each and every time we pick up the black mirror or flip on the black box.
I find it interesting that we equate our devices to voids, empty spaces designed to hook and grab our attention without requiring anything but our time to have access to an endless pool of thought. These pools, that are constantly being filled with the ideas of individual and collective consciousness, hold our past, present and visions of our future. At face value this sounds wonderful. Why wouldn’t constant connection to the globe and everyone in it be a good idea? Why wouldn’t we want unlimited free information just a query away? The optimist in me sees these spaces and marvels in their potential to connect us across space and time but the realist in me recognizes that this information ecosystem also holds the potential to cause great harm.
What happens when I only consume the hyper-curated and perfected imagery flooding the visual communication landscape? When I let those images develop my understanding of what is beautiful or not within myself? How warped does my perception of self become and how does that impact my idea of self worth and overall mental health?
What happens when I consume information that provides only one perspective? When I let the algorithms take the reins to what I will see? How siloed does that information pathway become and how does that limit my ability to form a fully informed decision?
What happens when these impacts spread from the individual to society?…
It is hard to imagine my life without media. I sometimes think wistfully about tossing my phone out the window and never looking back and I have found great peace in the days I disconnect digitally and focus completely on the physical world around me. But media has always been a part of my life and how I understand the world. From the books I read to the shows I watch with my kids, media is always there helping me to navigate this journey we call life.
And although I’m wary of those who are waging warfare on truth and weaponizing the dissemination of information through digital spaces I believe if we can focus on doing two things as we ingest media we may yet mend the divide. If we can approach information consumption with a critical eye and open mind while finding ways to communicate with curiosity and compassion to our fellow humans, maybe just maybe we can reap the benefits of instant access to information and connectivity across the globe.
We are all in this together, and I remain hopeful that together will we rise 🙌
actions to take
Reflect upon your own media consumption.
Seek information instead of letting the algorithm show you.
Disconnect from technology.
questions to consider
How is my mood affected by the information I consume?
What channels create positive moods and which create negative?
How diverse is the information I consume?
Where do I obtain most of my information from?
What information do I give value to by clicking on, liking or sharing?
While we recognize the limitations of any singular blog post’s ability to answer big questions like the ones we’re asking, our intention is to not to tell you everything there is to know about this issue, but rather to open up a space for conversation, reflection, curiosity, and a consideration of all the other questions this one question sets in motion.
The Canary’s first meeting of 2022 was canceled the day of. There was some illness and some conflicting business and a general sense of ongoing recovery from the holidays. When we finally did meet a week later in a joyful state of reconnection and catching up, we brought up goals for the upcoming year, both personally and for our organization. We also discussed the negative response we felt to the New Year hype of resolutions and self-reinvention. In keeping with our values of intentionality, well-being, and truth, we took time to reflect on this and decided to each write a short reflection on how we approach the idea of reinvention at the start of a new year.
We hope you are able to have your own time to reflect on the question below. Feel free to let us know what things come up for you and if you have made any commitments or goals for this next revolution of time and space.
question
Why do we feel the need to reinvent ourselves at the beginning of the New Year and where does that influence come from?
reflection
“If there’s one thing I have learned this year it’s the importance of “others” to who “I” am.” Read More >>
“We as consumers need to recognize the distance between what happens on social media and what happens in the privacy of people’s actual lives, and be mindful about what we choose to believe and aspire towards.” Read More >>
“It is our human ability to remember and reflect on the past and to understand how it influences our present and future that creates the possibility of growth.” Read More >>
“In order to reduce those devilish outside forces that attempt to erode my foundation of solidity, I have had to create friction in how I access social media and the ongoing coverage of distressing news.” Read More >>
I am a listmaker. In fact, I am such a fan of lists and the sense of accomplishment I feel from crossing things off them that I start each one with “write to-do list” just so I have something to strike. I am also a huge fan of “fresh starts”. Whether it’s a new season, a birthday, hell, even a Monday can sometimes bring me that fresh start feel, I rejoice in the opportunity to begin again.
A new year for me is a fresh start and a blank calendar just awaiting a laundry list of to-do’s. However, a few years ago, overwhelmed with how quickly I was tossing aside my new year to-do goals, I added a simple one word prospect for how I wanted to “be” in each new year. We are all human-beings in that constant state of flux and flow, acting and reacting to our surroundings and circumstances. I figured if I could name one word for how I could hope to show up in that next circle around the sun, it would give me some foundations upon which to stand.
If for whatever reason, this is coming across as THREE simple steps to finding happiness and balance in your life this new year!!!! Please, let me assure you my annual attempt to establish baseline bad-assery typically struggles. I won’t say fails, because one word is easy to remember and repeat when presented with all of the life things thrown at you. In my twenties (I can say that now because I am 31), I so often started the year with words that required external approval from society. For example one year I went for “fit”, basically a false healthy version of myself that the media told me would make me ‘look good’. Another year I went for “love” not love for myself, of course, just finding a partner in order to fulfill what I had been conditioned to think I needed to be complete. In my most wise and advanced twentieth year I chose “fierce”. It was a matured notion of self awareness but secretly underlined with the idea of Beyonce’s stage name alter ego.
For 2022 my WOTY (word of the year) is SOLID. A term I hope to invoke in times of fear, questioning, difficulty and yes, counterintuitively, growth. Because this year I will find my security in the solid understanding of self. Already I have struggled. In order to reduce those devilish outside forces that attempt to erode my foundation of solidity, I have had to create friction in how I access social media and the ongoing coverage of distressing news. One simple click away to doubt and disorder is too easy. Like a school kid trying to avoid calling their crush, I keep deleting passwords and apps and letting my technology run out of battery. But creating this intentional distance allows me some space to really reflect on my feelings and gives me time to repeat my word in my mind so that my frame of reference is less malleable when I start to compare myself to others.
Checking my socials and scrolling through news has now become an item on my to-do list, rather than an unconscious habit. I do what I need to in order to make sure I am not missing anything IMPORTANT and move on. Then I get to do what I love to do most and cross something off with a solid black line and wait for the second hand to signal a fresh start.
We are asking ourselves why do we feel the need to reinvent ourselves each year and where does the influence come from? I would be lying to myself if I were to say that I am uninfluenced by the media I consume, because my perception is influenced by everything I consume: the books I read, the shows I watch, the music I dance to with my children, and the moments I share with others. Each day all of these tiny influences work to reinforce or counteract my current beliefs, and although I work hard to build my own perspectives, the influence is still there, shaping that perspective.
Some may hear the question “why do we feel the need to reinvent ourselves each year?” as a negative, but I think the act of reinvention is what drives us forward. It is our human ability to remember and reflect on the past and to understand how it influences our present and future that creates the possibility of growth. Honestly reflecting on and questioning our own decisions, habits, and actions each year provides the space for acknowledging both areas of strength in our lives as well as areas that we need to strengthen.
As one who is entrenched within technology and media at the beginning of each New Year, I like to take stock of my own habits of media consumption and the way in which I present myself online. While 2021 seemed to be a bit of a slow year in terms of my enthusiasm for sharing my life experiences with others online, I realized that the energy I once spent pushing forth thoughts online was funneled into other behaviors. I read more in 2021 than I have in the last 5 years. I transitioned from being a die hard physical book reader to an avid consumer of eBooks. I explored new genres in literature and worked to diversify my white dominant literary consumption.
Social media spaces which I had clung to in 2020 for connection shifted to the back burner as my work and home life transitioned from a status of digital isolation back to that of in-person human interaction. I refocused on building relationships in real-time and being in the moment with others, shedding all device distractions. Sure there were times where I would scroll on Instagram and feel maybe I should have posted more or maybe taken more photographs to share. 2020 was my most active year online. I posted weekly photo roundups, trying to convince myself everything was okay and we were thriving, but we weren’t, and we didn’t thrive, we survived.
After a year of surviving life consumed by digital spaces, I was spent, disengaged and disinterested in finding my spark online and I spent most of 2021 fighting with myself. Judging myself for my silence online, for my lack of interest in the news, for my inability to motivate myself to create, but today as I write this I resolve to let go of that judgment as I move through 2022. To forgive my lack of voice because I was tired and needed to rest. To forgive my lack of interest because sometimes we need to reflect on what we know and not seek out new information. To forgive my creative stalemate because sometimes it is more important to just be then to be more.
by: Maddie Stewart
I often notice how influenced I am by things in the media. Almost every aspect of my life is influenced by the media, whether it be how I think I should look, or the ways in which I could be living a better life. With the rise of influencers and “that girl” culture, I find myself asking how I can improve myself on almost a daily basis.
As we start the new year, it’s not uncommon for people to think of resolutions, many of which involve ways in which we can improve ourselves and our lives. I think nowadays, the resolutions we make are heavily influenced by the media and how online platforms encourage us to focus on ourselves and our self-image online. Personally, I know that mine are. I would love to say that I don’t let what I see on social media influence my own self-image, but I can’t, and although I’m aware that I let it, the outcome doesn’t seem to change. I see all of these amazing women that get up at 4 in the morning to work out and then have an extremely productive, and not to mention aesthetically pleasing, day. Whereas I have a hard enough time getting out of bed before ten on a weekend. I constantly compare myself to complete strangers.
The rise of social media has let us present the best versions of ourselves to the public, whilst encouraging us to hide all the parts of ourselves and our lives that are imperfect, vulnerable, and insecure. And yet we don’t seem to think that other people are doing the same exact thing. We take what they post as the truth, yet I’m sure that the women waking up at 4am who look perfect are battling their own demons, even if they hide them from public view. I’m not shaming or putting anyone down for doing that because I do the same thing. We as consumers need to recognize the distance between what happens on social media and what happens in the privacy of people’s actual lives, and be mindful about what we choose to believe and aspire towards.
After reflecting on this past year, my new resolution is to be more mindful with my media intake and focus more on actually achieving my personal goals instead of constantly setting unachievable ones based on what I see throughout the media.
The urge to reinvent oneself at the end of every year, to set new resolutions and break bad habits, to do all those things on your life to-do list that you haven’t mustered the discipline to accomplish yet, and the ritualized reflection and focus on the ‘self’ marked by the passing of time took on a new significance for me as we moved from 2021 to 2022.
New Year’s Eve is and has always been my favorite holiday. I’m a nostalgic person, someone who loves to look back in my mind through all my favorite memories and moments, feeling gratitude for the people and circumstances that made the year what it was. I’m also someone who is energized by beginnings and endings. Even the ending and beginning of each day, both with their own routines and regimens, guided by the reliability that the moon will chase the sun into the horizon and eventually back into the sky, fills me with a sense of reassurance and possibility. And of course, I love a good party. Every year, on the day of the Winter Solstice (Dec 21st), I carve out some time to take a long walk to a cafe to sit down and write my New Year’s resolutions, which often sound something like “always be honest, no matter how inconvenient”, “be more present at home”, or “reconnect with old friends” – vague enough that even small incremental progress counts for something.
As I reflect back on what motivates this period of self-reflection and attempted reinvention, it strikes me that in a world where so much is out of our control, where life can be fundamentally altered by the emergence of a pathogen, a natural disaster, a family loss, or a political conflict, focusing on the self can be a refuge; something solid to grasp onto day in and day out when everything else feels unstable. I can’t control or diminish escalating tensions in Europe, but I can put boundaries around my consumption of the news. I can’t lessen lockdown restrictions, but I can be sure to always use hand sanitizer and wear a mask. I can’t solve climate change and reverse biodiversity loss, but I can recycle and go vegan. I can’t change big tech’s algorithms to make social media less addictive, but I can delete my accounts. Whilst I certainly seek refuge in these small sources of control myself, I wonder if this focus on individual habits and self-reinvention is perhaps missing a large part of what makes us who we are, and, significantly, how we actually change ourselves and the world around us: our relationships to, and with, others.
2021 was a very difficult year for my family and I, one that changed our lives permanently. Amidst the neverending bustle and business of day to day life, it can be very easy to take for granted the people we love and the experiences we get to share; whether everyday, every weekend, or every Holiday season; whether in times of joy or in times of crisis. And in our increasingly digital world, it is becoming more and more tempting to zone out into our device of choice and to feel isolated and numbed by the messages and media we consume – which can often result in the coping tendency to pull further into ourselves, thereby missing opportunities for connection with others. But if there’s one thing I have learned this year, it’s the importance of “others” to who “I” am.
So, my resolutions for 2022 have taken on a slightly different tone, with more of a focus on the person I am and can be for others, and less of a focus on my individual goals. I am going to make time for the experiences and the people that matter and not allow myself to make excuses for neglecting my relationships with others, especially those special people without whom I know my life wouldn’t be the same. I am going to try to enrich the lives of those around me, both professionally and personally, however subtly. And I am going to resist the temptation to hide from difficult realities in digital spaces, and commit to reprioritizing the unique opportunities for individual and social change that exist in my relationships with others, both online and offline. 2022 will be a year in which I turn my gaze outward, not inward.
actions to take
Reflect on your own New Year’s resolutions.
Share your experience with us! Connect with an AC member for a one on one chat.
Reflect on where your perception of self and others come from.
watch
questions to consider
What outside influences help to shape the goals and expectations we decide we should set for ourselves each year?
How might the media be shaping our self-conceptions and pushing us towards this need to focus on the ‘self’ instead of others?
What happens to a society that only focuses on the ‘self’ and not the ‘other’?