I think identity is a combination of how you view yourself and how the world views you. Your identity could be made up of the characteristics that define you, like your ethnicity, nationality, social class, gender, sexuality, religion, interests, or values. But identity is more than just boxes to be checked off—it is who you are as a person. I think that the media has a big influence on identity. Media can influence the type of music you listen to, the clothes you wear, the people you surround yourself with, the candidates you vote for, and the opinions you express. Media can also influence other people’s perceptions of your identity. For example, the Nazis used Anti-Semitic propaganda (film, newspaper, radio, posters, etc) to villainize Jews and create an “inferior” identity of Jews. Propaganda was also used to venerate Hitler, cultivating his identity as Germany’s ideal hero coming to save the country. The identities of Jews, Hitler, and the “superior” Aryan race created a culture in Germany in which the dehumanization of Jews was commonly acceptable. Media is a very powerful tool to influence identity, and often identities are subject to history, culture, and power.
7 thoughts on “Identity – Chloe Fandetti”
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I like the example you used about the Nazis using Anti-Semitism propaganda. I also agree with the fact that your identity is built up of multiple characteristics.
The example you used shows how we’ve been using media to influence identity for years. It’s not just a new thing. Yes, we’re more impacted now than ever because of social media but it’s always existed. We’ll always live in a society where we’re trying to figure out who we are based on what we surround ourselves with. I think you made a great point in saying that they’re not just boxes you have to check off. It’s a much bigger part of who you are. It’s also how you want to be perceived.
I agree that identity is a combination of how you view yourself and how the world sees you. I also agree with your list of factors that influence identity and I believe that each of the factors you listed makes up a small part in who we are as people and how we view identity. I like the Nazi example that you used because it demonstrates the power that media and propaganda have on our identity. Often times if someone does not know that much about a topic and the media is projecting one idea, they will just adopt that idea and that affects their identity.
I really liked your personal definition of the word identity. The way you set up a list of boxes to check off about identity, then expanded on your first definition was a creative segue into your post. I also agree with what you said about music, clothes, and surrounding people influencing your identity. Those examples were actually what I focused on in my post if you want to compare and see if you agree with what I was thinking. I felt like you utilized a lot of the examples from class and the readings. You clearly absorbed these materials and did a good job expounding on it.
I agree with your perspective about how identity is so much more than boxes to be checked off, and it’s unfortunate how identity is so often reduced to that. Especially when it comes to tangible examples of this, such as applications for jobs and schools, it’s near impossible to truly express your identity as you’re often forced to reduce yourself to a list of physical characteristics. I also thought your example of nazi propaganda was a really interesting way to connect present and past examples of ways in which media shapes or influences identity. It is so true that media has played a huge role in shaping culture far before the rise of social media, something that we often forget in discussions about new media. It’s a good reminder for our generation to remember history and be both mindful and intentional about the media we consume and produce.
I agree with your statement regarding identity being subject to media. I think that it clearly highlights not only the fragility but also hybridity among identities. In contrast with the Nazi example that you used, I think that media can too be a way to help one discover outlets for identities. Through media one can be introduced to new callings and interests such or even new communities with they can identify with. At the same time however, I do agree that there is a fragility that is fostered through media which leaves one vulnerable in terms of perception of self.
Do you think that Hitler’s propaganda machine too advantage of a vulnerability to media sway and influence in German culture, or do you think the national identity of the moment created the media environment? That is, did Hitler influence identity with media, or did German identity at the time create the conditions where they were ripe for influence?