Hallo, ich bin Lara :D

Hi guys! It’s nice to see you here :D. I am Lara, a 19-year-old from Germany.

In my free time, I love going on walks and traveling. I really enjoy just walking around or going on a hike – preferably somewhere with a great view! When I’m home, I take my dog with me; if not, my headphones are my best companion on walks. I put on a playlist that fits my mood – a lot of Dire Straits, AnnenMayKantereit, and HOYO-Mix at the moment – and start walking. I also like taking pictures of where I go and travel to! To me, it doesn’t matter if they look good or not; I take them for the memories. I want to look back at and remember everything I’ve experienced!

Recently, I have started cosplaying too – from both video games and anime! My favourite cosplays so far are my Koleda from ZZZ (even though I do not play the game anymore) and my Monika from DDLC. Since cosplaying, I’ve also started going to more conventions, mainly in Germany, though. The cosplayers I’ve met are so lovely and kind, no matter which level you’re at, it’s such a welcoming community (from my experiences so far) My next convention will probably be the MCM London!

Other than that, I love playing video games! My favourite game of all time is Red Dead Redemption!!! Other than that, I love Genshin, Omori, and Stardew Valley, and I’m currently playing Persona 5. There still are too many games I need to play; my list is never-ending T_T. The next game will either be The Witcher 3, Baldur’s Gate 3 or Needy Streamer Overdose. Combining my music and gaming interests, I love video games OST! It pains me to see how underrated it is; so much musical talent and bangers get ignored. My favourite tracks right now are Fontaine – HOYO-Mix, The Morn a Thousand Roses Brings – HOYO-Mix, Metallic Madness Zone Act 2 – Tee Lopes, and Beneath the Mask – Lyn.

When I’m not in London, I usually return home to Germany – spending time with my parents, two younger sisters, and especially my (adorable) dog! His name is Danny, and we got him 6 years ago. Funnily enough, he shares a birthday with two of my close friends (meaning I never forget their birthdays :P). The pictures are hopefully enough to convince you he’s very cute – and he knows it. Combined with the fact that he’s pretty intelligent, he will use my weakness against puppy eyes to get what he wants (mainly treats). Sadly, I could not take him to London, but I would in a heartbeat. That’s what makes our reunion even sweeter every time, though!

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So why digital media?

I grew up surrounded by media and am an active social media user – something I’m trying to use less. Still, it has interested me from a young age. A topic that I’m extremely interested in is the use of social media and its effect on young children’s minds. In a literal sense, for example how social media is causing the attention span to worsen significantly. But also in a mental health way – I believe social media has a huge effect on it. For instance, seeing perfect influencers constantly, exposition to harmful content and propaganda, and constantly comparing to a false and unobtainable reality is extremely damaging to developing children. Growing up on and with that already has and will continue to have negative effects on their health, physical and emotional. Seeing how social media changed me, my sisters, and everybody else made me curious about media in general. Was media always this harmful? Why do we keep using it? What effect does it have on us, especially in the long run? How do companies keep people entertained and addicted to their social media apps? What tactics and processes are used to manipulate the audience into thinking and behaving a certain way?

I chose the PR and advertisement pathway, especially with the last question in mind. Finding out how convincing and cunning some advertisements, campaigns etc. are is fascinating, and I hope to answer some of these questions in my time here.