Spanish

“The Shaping of Identities.”
Technology has changed everyone’s life. Everywhere you look there is a television, a smartphone, or some other type of technological equipment. In a society where everyday life revolves around technology, media, and religion, someone’s identity is drastically influenced by each of these specific entities. Since the age of seven when one starts to reason, everythingaround a developing child will influence him in either a negative or positive way. When technology is made so accessible, as it is today, the media take advantage of this privilege to do their job, but what is the real intention behind the media? Are they only reporting on popular events or do they have a deeper goal to influence young minds? When religion and the media are two of the biggestfactors that influence the younger generations, person’s identities are shaped according to the media and religion’s views. Ever since being young, religion and the media have played a big role in influencing my identity. Being raised in a traditional Mexican home, where my family has always been extremely religious, and growing up in a technological era have shaped my identity in many ways.
Mediais one of the biggest factors that have influenced my identity, but I’m not the only one that has been affected by the media. Recent studies believe that “from the 1970s onwards, there has been a significant decline in Americans’ participation in civic, social, and communal organizations”(Lynch, pg. 49). This is the exact reason why media plays a major role in shaping identities, because so manypeople get hooked on media. Lynch even says “one of the significant factors associated with it has been an increasing dependence amongst Americans upon television as a medium of entertainment”(pg. 49). Realistically, today’s modern generation has left behind old hobbies such as reading physical newspapers. For example, the majority of people today read their newspapers on their digital tablets ore-book readers, thus eliminating the use of old businesses such as printed newspapers. Society has reached the point where technology determines the nature of society and culture within which it is used. In past years, society imagined the future to use technology in order to make our lives easier and today, that what is has become.
Just like any other teenager, I wanted to be “cool” at thatage, so I relied on television and the Internet to see what was “in” and what was “out.” Many shows on television portray the latest fashions that are trending, so the younger generations are always on top of popular trends. For example, one of the most popular shows today is Jersey Shore. The show features guys and girls in their mid-twenties partying their brains out while wearing the best brandsand accessories. Anybody can see the show as a form of entertainment, but the younger generations are negatively affected by what shows like these portray. When deeply analyzed, these popular shows are influencing popular culture in a negative way. Wanting to be like what is being shown on television and the Internet, binge drinking and physical violence are the two biggest influences that arebeing picked up by teens. Being a teenager not too long ago, I can speak for other teenagers and accept the fact that the media really affects identities. I recall when I was in Junior High School that the hip-hop and rap movements were very popular. At this same time, MTV blew up as the first channel to show music videos all day. Consequently, the majority of the videos were hip-hop and rap. It isfrom these influences that many styles came up, such as wearing baggy pants, wearing hats in a sideways manner, and being a rebel to society. I clearly remember my identity was shaped by these particular events into the type of person I am today. Although my dressing style has changed to a more professional look, I still listen to hip-hop and rap as well as follow some of the culture.
Religion...