I was sitting in my first class of the 2018 semester, Intro to Film and Media Studies, when my professor said something that made me start to wonder. He was talking about the effect of cinema on the human psyche, and he basically said this: film is one of the most interesting media forms we experience, because none of it is real.

These stories that we view, the images on screen that appear so real, don’t actually exist. Yet films evoke reactions and emotions that are undoubtedly authentic. For instance, every single time I watch Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Mitchell, 2001), tears are rolling down my cheeks by the final scene. Every. Single. Time.

When I started to think about this deeper, I found that the phenomenon occurs with so many different kinds of media. I began to wonder, how does media affect the human experience? How do these things that we create affect how we live our lives, and to what degree does it influence the decisions we make during our time on this earth?

It’s so fascinating to think about. We form relationships with fictional characters that can provide us with valuable insight about ourselves. We bond with other people based on what TV shows we like and which musicians we listen to. We create entire buildings dedicated to viewing and consuming media (i.e. art galleries, movie theaters, music halls). We live our lives with media’s omnipresent influence. And as media continues to evolve through platforms like Twitter and Snapchat, its influence on us will continue to grow.

As I learn more throughout the year, both inside and outside the classroom, I’ll revisit this question a few times. Until then, let’s experience as many stories as we can.

Helena