Nayla R's Learning Journal

Media is any medium used for mass entertainment, information, promotion and/or communication. This can include radio, newspapers, television and the internet. Social networking are online platforms used to interact with others and create both interpersonal and parasocial relationships. I currently used Tiktok, Instagram, Reddit, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube. I use all of these sites for entertainment and documenting the parts of my life that I choose to show.  Pinterest and Twitter are not sites that I use daily, so I don't use them that frequently. Reddit and Tiktok are great for mindlessly scrolling and getting lost, so they are used multiple times a week. Instagram and YouTube are used almost daily for me (with YouTube definitely taking the lead). I do not watch many TV shows (or anything that would be on cable). YouTube has been my main source for TV-like content for years.  The only social media sites that have any affect on my emotions are Tiktok, Instagram and YouTube...

I thought that the We Are Data  reading was both eye-opening and just as I expected. I've always felt that there were creepy undertones to social media (and the internet in general) but this further validates that. The reading mentions how ignorant Internet users are to how their data is used. I would argue the opposite. While we may not know exact specifics, a lot of us know. We are aware of how invasive technology is. The issue is that it is so woven into our lives that it feels almost impossible to avoid the exploitation of our lives. It almost feels like a toxic relationship. I know that if I want to be on the internet, use my GPS or majority of the functions on my phone/laptop, I have to take part in this. It creates a love-hate relationship with the Internet, where I find myself critiquing the system while being a part of it. I've previously used the feature talked about on page 6 (www.google.com/ads/preferences) and was relieved how incorrect my identifications were. I t...