Maria's Media Autobiography

Hi there! I am Maria Mendoza and I am hoping to double major in Justice Studies and Communications with a minor in computer science. There are a number of colleges that spark my interest and at this moment in time I am uncertain as to what college to attend. The types of media that I have used since my childhood has sky-rocketed and has become a tremendous influence in my life. When I was a child, my mother as a single parent with four children, could not afford to buy us pagers, cellphones or computers. My only direct window to another world of possibilities was books. I read all kinds of books from comics to magazines but my favorite genre was fiction. It was a wish world where anything was possible. The only other media outlets that were offered to me was the radio and television. We listened to tons of radio and watched many shows and movies together. I would say my mother found a way to keep my brothers and I intact and away from the trouble of the streets through family movie days. I never experienced internet until high school where I had to access it for homework and projects. It was a little nerve-racking learning how to use such a complex media device. To this day, I consider myself a beginner to the ever-changing tech world. After graduating high school and getting a job I was able to afford a cellphone and connect to all my friends. It definitely was a milestone and is as important just as obtaining a driver's license. Today, I have tons of media apps on my phone and computer. I also prescribe to a couple magazines which I need to make time to read since I started fall quarter. I also frequently visit many websites to read articles that spark my interest. Although, I have yet to grab an actual newspaper. It is very rare that I am not surrounded by some sort of device such as the radio, smart phone, advertisements, and internet. It is hard to escape the tech world especially in the Silicon Valley. The only chance of that happening is if there was a blackout and I didn't pay my phone bill. There is no escaping the advances in technology.