Happy Fall everyone! Here’s an old pic from the last time I went to Pumpkinville with my besties — I haven’t posted in a couple weeks since we had some time off for fall break (that was much needed) so I’m just going to jump right in like I never left!
This chapter was sooooo long, but I was able to come away with some key points that I thought were interesting. First I’d like to share this quote from the first paragraph of the chapter, “The message is at the heart of the communication process; by means of messages, we not only transfer information but we also strategize and try to accomplish things” (Littlejohn, Foss, and Oetzel, 2017). This is true, right? Think about it. When we are communicating with each other there’s always some sort of point (or message) that you’re trying to get across to the other person, such as your individual opinion on a certain topic.
Also, according to the chapter, “we also construct and and share how we see our identities and our lives through the stories that make up the messages we tell, and we invite others to see us in a different way” (Littlejohn, Foss, and Oetzel, 2017). This makes me think of how we present ourselves on social media, Instagram to be exact. Social media has taken control of our lives, having us check each app every day just to see what everyone else is up to, which, don’t get me wrong, it helps me stay in contact with my family and close friends at home in New York and Florida, but that’s not the point.
We post pictures of our lives on Instagram for everyone to see to make it seem like our lives are sooo perfect… but I know something lies behind that fake smile because trust me, I know no one is perfect, and I know my life isn’t as great as it may seem on my page (I’ll call myself out, I don’t care). The point is, we are the ones who come up with our own message that we’d like others to experience and connect with, and an issue with that is you may worry about how others may perceive that message you’re trying to get across.
Littlejohn, Stephen W., et al. Theories of Human Communication. Waveland Press, Inc., 2017.
Janae's Journey 