I took the picture you see in 2012 when I attended a National Association of Television Production Executives in Miami Beach. My hotel was vintage, tidy, and right on the beach. It was worth losing sleep to rise at 5:30 a.m. so I could be on the boardwalk in time for sunrise. The sound of waves, the smell of the sea, the peachy pastel morning light made the hour each morning one of peace, beauty and contemplation.
It occurred to me that the waves I loved to watch were much like the media I study. Waves have such power and regularity. They never stop. There is never a rest from them. They can be breathtakingly beautiful — especially for an in-lander like me. They can be devastatingly destructive. Peaceful mornings turn violent when a hurricane blows in.
On that morning I saw a parallel between ever-present waves on the beach and the ever-present waves of media messages flowing over our lives and our culture. Media bring us news and information. They bring art and beautiful music, but they also bring hatred, ugliness and destructive effects. Those varying outcomes are constant, and they demand our attention and study. As consumers we must be continually aware of our exposure, our engagement, and the consequences of our media use. Are we being entertained, informed, deceived, distracted, persuaded — or all of the above? Like the ocean, these technologies we call media should be enjoyed, appreciated, and respected, not only for the way they enrich our lives, but also for the potential they have to do quite the opposite.
