Before taking this class, I honestly looked at media as something that was mostly there to entertain me. I spent more time watching sports, YouTube videos, or scrolling through TikTok than actually thinking about who created the message or why it was being shown to me. It didn’t completely change how I see everything, but it definitely gave me a new perspective. I’m starting to realize media isn’t just something we consume. It shapes how we understand people, history, and even ourselves. As someone who’s African American, Hispanic, and Japanese, I’ve also realized how important it is to see stories that don’t erase people or reduce them to stereotypes. When media is used the right way, it gives people a voice that history books and traditional news don’t always make room for.
Watching 13th honestly sat with me for a while after it ended. One quote that really stayed with me was, “Slavery was not abolished. It was reinvented.” At first I had to stop and think about what that actually meant. The documentary explains how the exception clause in the 13th Amendment allowed forced labor to continue through the prison system, and it completely changed how I looked at that part of history. Growing up, I knew racism was real, but I never really understood how connected the past still is to the systems we have today. It made me realize history isn’t something you just learn for a test and forget. People are still living with the effects of it every day, and that was something I honestly hadn’t thought about enough before watching it.
Another part that stuck with me was how the documentary showed that fear has been used over and over again to justify taking away rights from certain communities. Instead of fixing problems, people in power create someone to blame. That connected with a lot of what we’ve talked about this semester. It made me think about who gets to control the story and how easy it is for people to believe whatever narrative gets pushed the hardest without ever questioning it. That’s one of the biggest things I’ve taken away from this class. Media isn’t just reporting what’s happening. It also influences what people think is happening.
The Pew Research report backed that idea up too. One thing that stood out to me was when it said “Social media help give a voice to underrepresented groups.” I think #BlackLivesMatter is one of the strongest examples of that. Without social media, a lot of videos, stories, and experiences would’ve never reached millions of people. Another line from the report says that “Social media highlight important issues that might not get a lot of attention otherwise.” I think that’s exactly why the movement became so impactful. It wasn’t just a hashtag people posted because it was trending. It gave people a place to organize, educate each other, and make sure certain stories couldn’t just be ignored anymore. That’s something I respect because I’ve realized that the people actually living through these issues usually understand them better than anyone else.
I also liked learning about The Yes Men because they showed that activism doesn’t have to look one specific way. Instead of standing on a stage and giving another speech, they use satire, fake press conferences, and media stunts to expose how corporations and people in power sometimes put profits ahead of people. At first I thought some of what they did was ridiculous, but the more I thought about it, the more I understood why it works. It forces people to stop, laugh for a second, and then realize they’re laughing at something that’s actually a real problem. I feel like that’s something my generation responds to. We’re surrounded by ads, influencers, AI, and algorithms every single day. Sometimes another lecture isn’t what’s going to get someone’s attention. Sometimes it’s something unexpected that makes them pause and ask why.
This class also made me think about my own life more than I expected. Growing up around different cultures, I’ve seen how fast people make assumptions based on what someone looks like, where they’re from, or even how they talk. I never really connected that to media before. Now I can see how the stories we watch and the things we constantly scroll past shape those assumptions, even when we don’t notice it. That’s why media literacy actually matters. It’s not just about spotting fake news. It’s about learning to slow down, ask questions, and think for yourself before accepting whatever ends up on your screen.
Looking back on this class, I think that’s probably the biggest thing I’ll take away from it. Media can spread misinformation, but it can also spread understanding if people are willing to use it that way. 13th, #BlackLivesMatter, and The Yes Men all showed that in different ways. They reminded me that media isn’t just entertainment. It can challenge people, start conversations, and sometimes even change the way someone sees the world. I don’t think media alone fixes everything, but I do think it gives people a place to start. Right now, especially with how much of life happens online, that’s something that actually gives me hope.
The Fourth Quarter 