Final Exam Part II

What do you like most about your newfound media literacy?

    Firstly, I think my newfound media literacy will be extremely valuable as I prepare to vote in my first presidential election. This is going to be one of the most important elections in history because each of the candidates is so unique from one another. Now that I have an understanding of media principles, I will be able to see how each candidate utilizes various forms of media in order to encode their message to prospective voters. Hopefully with this knowledge, I will be able to make an educated and well-grounded vote for the next US president.

    Also, I have gained a useful acquaintance with the Adobe applications. Especially in this age of Web 2.0, these programs are giving nearly limitless production power to the individual. Now that I have a solid understanding of how most of these applications work, I should be able to spot a Photo Shopped image or appreciate the hard work that went into creating a short flash movie I view on the web. Programs like these are helping fuel the expansion the Web 2.0 universe.

    Finally, though my newfound media literacy, I have begun developing new theories for our possible future as a culture. Is the nation on the gentle slope towards “dumbing down” like in the film Idiocracy? Will we one day become so dependent on technology that full-blown cyborgs go from science fiction to science fact? Will our abilities to alter DNA one day allow us to “play God”? The media is asking all of these questions and more. Time will tell if we as a culture can one day come up with the answers.