Self-portrait - Me as a Consumer of Information

When I hear my parents talking about politics to other ‘older’ people, I’d normally just listen but usually be doing my own things at the same time. And that information is normally forgotten in about half an hour. Ever since I was young news and information about our government never really interested me. I never understood what was so interesting about grown up old men ‘leading’ our country. Up till now, any news about politics that reaches my ear exits the other almost immediately. So far, the news about politics I found interesting was the murder case of Altantuya Shaaribu and Teoh Beng Hock. To sum myself up as a consumer of information of politics: I don’t really care about what is happening in our government system (except for exciting news like murder and death) as long as I am able to live my life with my family like any normal family would.

When I was younger, my parents were the ones controlling most of the information coming into my mind. For example, they would tell me to close my eyes or get out of the room when an ‘inappropriate’ scene pops up in a movie. I also was not allowed to have anything to do with violent games or movies, because of the fear that I may end up being a psychotic maniacal serial killer that my parents had. Aside from that, I was not even allowed to watch Pokemon, which really bummed me out! The news and information that reached my eyes and ears were very limited, which probably is one of the reasons for my lack of interest in what’s happening around me.

As I grew older, my parents loosened up bit by bit, slowly but surely. They never really said anything when a man and woman kissed in a movie scene, they let me play the computer game ‘Worms’, and were finally cool with letting me watch Pokemon! As I matured, they have tried pushing the idea of reading the newspaper daily into my head. They keep saying that it is important for someone to be up to date with the current happenings around us. Even until now, they have been constantly telling me to read the newspaper, saying that it is important for a Mass Communication student to have excellent general knowledge. Sadly, the habit of reading the newspaper daily has not gotten to me yet, but I do keep consciously try to look for the daily newspaper to at least get a glance at the local news headlines.

Now that I am already in college and turning 19 this year, I have almost total freedom to choose what I want to see or hear. I am able to access almost any information I want to because my parents are at the stage where they understand “He’s old enough”.