The first thing that I like the most about my newfound media literacy is the use of the Adobe applications. I must admit, at first I was a bit hesitant working with these various softwares, but after a while, I grew accustomed to how they worked. They soon became easily navigable and I was able to produce some work that I have become proud of. Specifically, I liked working with Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator the most, as I was able to use them in my other classes and produce some amazing work. I also foresee myself using these applications in a real-job setting, as I will be hopefully going into advertising, and I could hone and refine my skills to master these applications that I begin to learn through COM 155.
Secondly, I enjoyed learning how to use tumblr. In my other class we were also asked to use to make a blog, but the program in which it was on was pretty confusing. Tumblr, seemed really easy to use and the look of it was smooth and refined. I think it was important to know how to post ideas, work, links, photos, and videos. As a result of learning how to use blogs, I have used them in group work to post ideas and share information. For me, it has become a great tool that I use in and out of the classroom now.
Lastly, in terms of the many topics and interesting things learned in class, I think for me, I was most intrigued by the documentary The Century of the Self. I was mostly impressed by the work of Edward Bernays. His understanding of psychology, public relations, and crowds was pretty impressive. His understanding of people’s thoughts and vulnerabilities allowed him to initiate some very interesting trends such as “woman smoking”. His way of making things desirable and a necessity through various media is what advertising, marketing, and PR are still all about even to this day. As an individual who is going into this type of work, I look at these leaders of the past to create the same “desire” for various publics and markets.
