CCM: Prompt 8
When it comes to this assignment I’ve undeniably been struggling. Deciding upon which hyper object to focus on has proven difficult when I still find myself struggling to fully comprehend and understand what makes something a hyper object. I eventually decided upon microplastics, something about the word stood out to me as I felt I hadn’t seen it very much throughout this course and in general climate media.
This absence of discussion is what has motivated this project and research. I spent hours watching videos and reading articles about micro plastics, what they are and how deeply they’re effecting our eco-systems and human health. I think what has saddened me the most in this research, is realising just how much we’ve complicated our lives with the mass production of plastic. We’ve created a vicious cycle in which I can’t see us escaping. We can slow down the production of plastic, but with how much already exists both in our eco-systems and in our lives, it feels like soon we’ll be drowning in it. We have so much microplastic coming back into our bodies from the ocean, whether it be in our seafood or salt. It feels as though there is no escape from being consumed by plastic. The worst part is that we did that to ourselves, and yet, knowing how detrimental plastic is, companies still choose to mass produce plastic rather than more sustainable materials.
When it comes to the presentation, Im not entirely sure where I’m headed. I’m honestly still figuring out what my approach will be to making media about microplastics. Ideally, I’ll make a video of sorts. What I’m struggling with most however is the approach to take, whether I look to be more informative, or reflective and aesthetically pleasing. There’s a lot of information and a lot to be said about microplastics, so condensing it down into one 5 minute video isn’t entirely easy.
The cycle idea is something that’s stood out to me a lot through researching, and I think somehow using a circular/cycle motion could work well. I also want to really stress how important it is to recognise just how detrimental micro plastics have been and will continue to be to us, eco-systems and sea-life. If I felt I knew little about microplastics, I’m sure others out there don’t have a clue what they are, where they are and how much of them is.