We are surrounded by many types of media. Its consumption always has a consequence, whether good, bad, or somewhere in between. What media are you going to choose to consume?
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio
In this day and age, we tend to use media every single day, whether it be for education, work, or entertainment. So while its use may be inevitable, what we can control is the type of media we consume and how we use it. It is our job to learn how to use media in a way that will enrich our lives.
In the September 2016 Ensign, Aysia Tan wrote an article titled, “No Neutral Ground: How Media Influences Us.” She discusses how the type of media we consume can have a great effect on us by influencing our thoughts and, therefore, our actions. Tan explains, “To remain in control of the media influence in our lives, it is essential that we choose uplifting media and recognize our susceptibility to the media’s influence.”
Our media consumption can also draw us closer to or farther away from the Spirit. “By choosing to participate in morally uplifting media, we invite the Spirit and allow ourselves to be strengthened,” Tan writes.
However, not all media falls under the umbrella of “good” or “bad.” Some types of media that we choose to consume just for entertainment may not be good or bad, but perhaps we’re consuming too much of them. The principle of moderation can help us live in the present and not behind a screen.
God gave us the power to choose, and he trusts us to choose to consume good media in the right amount, not just avoid bad media. If we choose to use media to uplift, enrich, and inspire—the way God intended—it can be a tool for good in our lives.
To learn more about how media consumption influences our personal lives, read Aysia Tan’s full article “No Neutral Ground: How Media Influences Us.”
Source: Ensign
—Kenzie Holbrook, Latter-day Saint Insights
FEATURE IMAGE BY VANESSA LORING
Find more insights
Watch Elder David A. Bednar’s video “To Sweep the Earth as with a Flood” to learn more about how we can use social media for good.
Read Elder David A. Bednar’s devotional “Things as They Really Are” for insights on not letting media consumption get in the way of person-to-person communication.