Mass media are a variety of
technologies designed to relay singular messages to large numbers of people.
When similar messages reach many people, those people develop a similar mindset
because they were informed by comparable, if not identical, messages which
means similar thoughts will be produced from the similar information. I did not
like the mindset of those that followed popular media because they seemed too
willing to accept what they were told without questioning it. I have always
been very curious and will always ask questions. Not wanting to stop asking
questions, I sought forms of media that were more open-minded, both in content
and their consumers.
For
example, I have never been interested in pop music because its focus was on
popularity and some pop music even sounds “manufactured” to me, in that it has
a very strict verse, chorus sort of structure and the voices sound overly
processed. I have always favoured more progressive rock and metal music because
there was seemingly no limit to what the artists would try with their music; in
short it was more open-minded. Another example of seeking this open-mindedness is
in the dialogue disseminated through popular media. Popular culture has a
specific set of dialogue attached to it and I never wanted to be constrained to
a way of speaking.
The
way that I have sought more open-minded media is a result of my dislike of the
mainstream media and a personal want to make my own decisions. It has been
theorized that when people are told to do something their reaction is usually
to rebel. I internalized the mainstream media as a way of being told what to do
and that was unappealing to me. As a result I became interested in music and culture
both because of the content of them and the associated attitudes towards
outside influences.
The
result of this way of thinking is that I became more open-minded, but only
towards certain things. For example, I like music that is very progressive and
integrates new sounds, but I do not like most electronic sounds (created by a
keyboard or a computer program) in my music. I also seek music and ideas from
obscure sources, which means that I hold those sources in higher regard than mainstream
sources. Looking for information from obscure sources has resulted in my
assigning different meanings to words than someone from a pop culture
standpoint, for example, would. When I discuss music, I think of bands with
instruments whereas someone else may think of individual artists with a
producer and strictly using their voice.
Even
though I do not hold mass media in the highest regard, it has still greatly
influenced my mindset and my worldview. By avoiding more accepted sources of
music and ideas, I have let it push me away from mainstream media. It has also resulted
in me discounting mainstream sources based on nothing more than their
popularity, whether or not they are valid and valuable.
