Yourself As A Consumer Of Information

Depending on age, the ways we are exposed to information differ. For instance, a 5 year old has no idea what he/she is allowed or disallowed to watch, hear or read. But a 20 year old on the other hand, may do so towards anything as he/she pleases. Therefore, as children, our parents control the media and information we are exposed to; with common sense like children are supposed to be watching Sesame Street, Toy Story and reading Peter And Jane and such rather than American Pie or the violent movie 300 and so on and so forth.

This was of course, me as a consumer of information; where as a child, the information I was exposed to was given to me by my parents: books, shows, songs etc. But as I grew older they became partially responsible of it and I felt like I was ‘old enough’ to be allowed to watch things like make-outs on TV, or violent killing scenes. I guess it was because I was rational enough to think that they were only TV shows, pointing out that a child watching these may imitate the shown violent gestures. But dad on the other hand, still disapproved of it and whenever these scenes would appear when he was around I would have to change the channel or pretend I wasn’t watching.

Friends, too, changed the way I was a consumer of information. For example, boys are exposed earlier to certain things because of their curiosity and them being boys; I guess they are given the permission to do so earlier than girls. So being friends with them, they tend to talk about and tell you things you never knew, regardless of what it was about – but of course, mostly sexual related topics.

In addition to that, I am a Roman Catholic by faith and going to Sunday School also changed the way I am as a consumer of information. As a Catholic, we learn ways on how to deal with the information we receive, what information is appropriate and how to act upon information received.

Of course, whatever you receive (input), you do something about it (output). Sometimes we do not realise we are doing so. It may be in actions, the way we speak, the slang we use, the clothes we wear and so on and so forth. My opinions on cultures, activities and such differ from other people because of the way I have been brought up. And of course, the way I have been brought up involves the ‘input’ that I’ve gotten all these years.

If I have not been attending Sunday school, the way I perceive things would be much different than how I do now. For example, sex before marriage, abortion, how we honor our parents etc. If I have been mixing with friends that have bad habits, of course the information I would be receiving would be more negative and “black” and therefore affecting how my life would have been shaped.