Personal Statement

Image by quinn.anya via Flickr

The effects of new media and technology on human behaviour both intrigue and influence my perception of society. The constant changes to communication methods, the inevitable shift towards open standards, propriety systems and how privacy is being ignored as the Internet and technology invade our lives with increased frequency. Real-life and online behaviour continues to become more connected and it's now difficult to separate them. Our opinions, relationships, insecurities and existence are disclosed without restraint, especially as the published information is indexed and available indefinitely. The freedom we are granted begs the question where we draw the line in what's considered acceptable. I follow many influential entrepreneurs and market leaders, their perspective, vision and experience, fascinate me and this is why I have chosen to study media, culture and communication at degree level.

The Internet provides an interactive platform to engage with people that have unique and diverse backgrounds. I actively maintain an online presence within many popular social networks and communities. Through these services I create, optimise and promote content, whilst building relationships and participating in discussion which directly influences the reputation and credibility of those involved. The content shared is often consolidated and I'm exposed to rich media that challenges my creative impulse. Through the distribution of media on communication services, viral marketing and user-generated content have become popular and replaced conventional methods. In a consumer-driven society, understanding how these trends influence opinion have assisted in enhancing my analytical approach and provided me with a solid foundation. Telecommunications have enabled long distance exchanges between large numbers of people but one-to-many communications remain favourable. Television, film, music and print have a role but the impact of new media has affected these traditional broadcast media communications. The events on September 11th 2001, Thailand tsunami and the Mumbai terrorist attack broadcast; press coverage and the issues raised highlight just some of the reasons why I am interested in this subject. The pressure to break stories, originality and advertising revenue are integral to the industry.

I have been interested in communication since the 90's when I purchased a computer and began participating in group discussion and forums. During this time I experienced the "dot-com boom" which refers to the growth of the Internet and the advent of the World Wide Web. Messenger clients and email became the primary source of my interaction but it wasn't until 2003, after the birth of my second child, that I became actively involved in a global community. Microsoft enlisted my services as a moderator, the position comprised of being a community leader, testing material under embargo, managing a global community and maintaining the public forums. The highlight was conducting interviews at a product launch in America which culminated in meeting senior Microsoft officials. I acquired many skills from Microsoft and from working at Barclays as a product support technician. That role involved content publishing, marketing, trend monitoring and team development. I have chosen this university course in particular as it expands on a subject I find interesting and engaging. As a mature student I have acquired and will utilise in my studies aspects of self motivation, time management and a wide range of technical and leadership skills. As a single parent this course will provide the opportunity to complete a degree, participate in university life, and raise awareness to my children on the value of being a student. Relevant skills I will use include those already mentioned and the ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines. I feel I have developed some of the qualities required for success in degree-level media, culture and communication studies.