Example Of Essay On Media Analysis

The media categorizes everyone into certain cultural groups based upon what they consume. Consumer behavior, whether it be in the form of products and/or media content, determine how the media views our consumption patterns, and determines which cultural group we belong to. However, our self-perception may not always match the profile of our cultural-consumption. In my case, I think that my self-perception, with a few notable exceptions, was gauged poorly by my cultural-consumption profile.
First, my gender is male, and my consumption behavior is vague with respect to gender preferences for certain products. For example, my list shows that I use a toothbrush, shampoo, hair conditioner, and shower gel. These types of hygiene items could be used by either a male or a female. Thus, my self-perception of my masculinity could not possibly be gauged by my cultural-consumption profile. Coincidentally, I often buy hair products that both genders might use, such as Suave. Typically, Suave is used by either males or females for washing one's hair. Suave also makes shower gel for both genders. Thus, the cultural-consumption profile was vague in its probe, too vague to be able to discern my specific gender. I am also an avid sports fan. I enjoy a variety of sports, including professional football and college basketball, as well as professional baseball. None of my choices for media content reflect my preference for watching sports. For example, while I read and watch on-line news on a daily basis, the cultural-consumption profile was not able to identify exactly what kind of content I read and watch. Again, the profile proved to be somewhat ambiguous, with respect to my specific taste in particular sports. However, the cultural-consumption profile was able to identify me as a consumer of on-line news. Thus, my media usage could be discerned as frequent. Nonetheless, the type of news consumption was too vague to categorize. In this regard, my self-perception as an avid sports fan was not measured by the profile.
My self-perception as a "health nut" and a "clean freak" was uncovered by the cultural-consumption profile. Based upon the frequency that I use basic hygiene products, such as shower gel, indicates that I keep my body very clean, showering on a daily basis. My specific choice of Sensodyne toothpaste indicates that I take good care of my teeth. Not only does this make me feel better about myself, but this toothpaste means fewer trips to the dentist. Thus, my self-perception as a "clean freak" matched the cultural-consumption profile, indicating that I am clearly devoted to frequent self-care. Both of the terms, "health nut" and "clean freak", somewhat overlap. Thus, it appears that the cultural-consumption profile matches my self-perception in both aspects of consumer behavior. However, other factors, such as exercise and specific dietary regimens, were not taken into consideration by the profile. Hence, my self-perception as a "health nut/clean freak" was not measured in totality. Only a small segment of this consumer behavior was detected by the cultural-consumption profile.
Finally, my self-perception was not clearly defined, and does not match the cultural-consumption profile with respect to a number of consumption behaviors. Due to ambiguous questions and vague criteria, it is unclear how any form of media could accurately categorize which subculture I belong to. Thus, I think that marketers would have an extremely difficult time targeting me, based upon my consumption choices.