Avid media enthusiasts from BYU–Hawaii shared how media and becoming interested in media like movies and music can help people become in tune with themselves and the people around them.
On a trip to Spain where he discovered his love of music through “The Beach Boys,” Scott Muhlestein, a senior from Utah and Hawaii studying English, said he felt his growing interest in media was both a unique and familiar avenue to meet and connect with people who shared the same interests as him. Particularly on this trip to Spain, Muhlestein said developing a broader taste in media helped him find closer friends.
“After discovering music like that, I started diving into a lot of different forms of music. Once I got interested in music, I started connecting with people who had similar interests. I feel like a lot of the friends I have now, or who I've had in the past, I wouldn't have had without media or without having similar interests.
“I think sometimes music and other forms of art can open the door to new friendships and new relationships because it's something that people find commonality in.”
I think sometimes music and other forms of art can open the door to new friendships and new relationships because it's something that people find commonality in.
Similarly, Ephraim Insigne, a BYUH alumnus from the Philippines, said his growing love for media helped him escape into different worlds, even if it was just for a short amount of time. He said movies like “Back to the Future” and books like “Harry Potter” were some of his first introductions to his own original media interests.
“It brings me to a world that isn't my world right now. It's a different world, and it’s a world where I don't have to worry about my own personal worries ... Even if it's brief, that glimpse into a world that isn't mine is what draws me to stories.”
Finding interests
Insigne said, “I find happiness just by experiencing the stories and being with these characters and the people inside the stories and different media, just to be going on a journey with them. Going from point A to point B and seeing them triumph and seeing them go through good times and bad times is a really good payoff.
“It's escapism for me. I immerse myself in stories and the different mediums that actually tell stories … I watch a lot of TV, and I've watched a lot of movies because the story is captivating.”
Brent Yergensen, an associate professor in the Faculty of Arts & Letters, said this form of media consumption plays into the natural human desire for escape from normal life and helps people to discover deeper truths about themselves and their specific interests.
“We treat characters in stories as if they are our associates. They almost become companions, both in how we see our journeys as paralleling theirs … We simply feel close to them as we see their lives unfold.
“We use media characters for our own uses and simple gratifications. Mostly, we simply identify with characters or personalities. They remind us about someone or some situation that is nostalgic.”
We simply identify with characters or personalities. They remind us about someone or some situation that is nostalgic.
Jaxson Archibald, a senior from Idaho studying communications, also said his love of both movies and music stemmed from trying to emulate his older siblings as they exposed him to different kinds of media. He said he especially remembered listening to “Death Cab for Cutie” albums on repeat when he was 12 years old as one of his earliest exposures to his admiration for music.
“I think that's what drew me to music the most, and it was just a way to escape. I think from where it started, obviously I was like 12 years old mowing lawns, and it just put me in a different place rather than just working a job.”
Likewise, Muhlestein said certain books and music bring back feelings of being heard and appreciated, even by artists long before his time.
“I felt like a strange kid and like I couldn't relate to some people. I specifically remember my dad had this big bookshelf in his office at home, and it was just filled with a lot of old books that he had gotten at yard sales.
“I specifically remember reading this one book, ‘Victory’ by Joseph Conrad. I remember reading it and feeling like for the first time there was somebody who saw the world in a similar way to how I see the world.”
Both Muhlestein and Archibald said their interests in media helped shape their desires and drives in life. For example, Archibald said he is excited about writing his senior seminar paper on how violence is portrayed in the popular television show, “Breaking Bad,” as compared to cult classic films by Quentin Tarantino because it is a topic he is passionate about.
Across time and generations
Muhlestein said his experience with media has not only led him to the people he connects best with, but also it has connected him with authors, artists, directors and all types of storytellers throughout history.
“I feel like one of the most powerful attributes of the arts is how they can connect you to people across time and across generations to people that have had similar experiences.”
Archibald added he has been able to grow closer to his family and parents as they experience both new and old media, specifically music, together.
“It was also a way for me to be closer to my parents. My parents are older, so I would listen to a lot of artists like Tom Jones and ‘The Carpenters’ and other bands. That was able to connect me and my parents more because obviously they hated the stuff I played all the time.”
Similarly, Muhlestein said sometimes the only way to truly express himself to the people around him is through his love of media.
“I think there are some things that are hard to communicate in the typical social settings that we find ourselves in. So, for instance, if you're at a party or if you're just out with your friends, maybe it's difficult to talk about some of the more serious struggles that you might have in your life.
“I think media gives people the opportunity to express those feelings and relate to those feelings in ways that are different from what might happen in a typical social setting.”
Yergensen said this all ultimately boils down to how media and people are constantly changing and becoming more open to new ideas and experiences. He said as long as this deeper exploration of media continues, people will be able to connect better with themselves and the other people sharing the world around them.
“The more important reason is that larger structures that forced all of us to have similar interests are kind of crumbling. The ‘one shoe fits all’ on style, fashion, etc. no longer works. It’s a postmodern world in which the modern ideas of identity are mixed, matched and altered.”