Research Paper on:
Media Consumption, Identification, and Identity

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
a fascination with the domestic space in media consumption (Georgiou, 2003). Whether or not the audience is participatory is really not a concern when discussing how identity and identification  are related to media consumption. First, it should be noted that media literacy has come of age ("Media Literacy," 2003). This is an increasingly postmodern world and media is not  only important to comprehend, it is a part of life. In a society as mass mediated and media saturated as the present one, communication technologies are at the core of  political, economic and cultural environments ("Media Literacy," 2003). It is no wonder that both identity and identification are concerns. Identity is related to how one sees himself or herself.  An identity is very personal. At the same time, media can have a significant effect on identity. For example, someone sees a television show about an anorexic girl and feels  fat. That is not the intended consequence nor the message of the program, but that is how it is perceived. One can enhance or detract from their personal identity through  media involvement. Identification on the other hand is when an individual relates to the material in a knowing way. If the individual identifies with the material, it may to  some extent relate to identity, but it is the process of identification that is important. For instance, someone may perceive common interests with a talk show host who comes from  Illinois and grew up in a similar locale as the viewer. There is identification. In thinking about media consumption, producers will want to account for both principles. This is very  important. Identity is again personal but it also involves specific attributes such as nationality, race or religion. Things of that nature often come into play. Studies show for example that