There are many factors that contribute to my identity. However, if I were to choose just a few that made up my identity the most it would be my culture, sports career as well as the place where I was brought up. These few factors are some of the biggest that make up who I am. Media plays a big role in society in modern day. It has the power to impact these factors of our identity. It ultimately has an influence on who we are. 

My culture is one factor of my identity and is a big part of my life. I come from a Sri Lankan household, where I live with my parents and my grandmother who were all born in Sri Lanka. Although we all live in America, we still tend to follow a Sri Lankan lifestyle rather than a more western one. There are many things that make up this Sri Lankan lifestyle including the food we eat , clothes we wear and the traditions we take part in. I have always eaten some kind Sri Lankan dish everyday for at least one meal. This would most often be rice as many Sri Lankans also eat it daily as part of the tradition. At night, I usually wear a sarong instead of pajamas and it is something that feels quite normal to me. I have also learned and played Sri Lankan traditional drums since I was a kid. It was the first instrument that I ever learned and it feels amazing to be a part of that tradition. Traditions like these are part of my lifestyle and I can not imagine living without them.

Media helps me to connect to my culture in many ways. One way is through social media such as Instagram, Youtube, and Facebook. Through these platforms, my family and I have come across content created by many other Sri Lankans. One type of content that has a great impact on my identity is the food content. My family is able to see similar recipes shared by other Sri Lankans and integrate them into their daily cooking.  I am also able to see content by Sri Lankans who live in America and other western countries. This content allows me to understand more of who I am as a Sri Lankan living in the U.S and I am able to see my life in a different perspective. 

Another factor that makes up my identity is my sports career. I am a wrestling athlete and a track athlete. Most of my time in high school and middle school was spent on sports. I have spent a lot of time going to tournaments and matches. The training leading up to them takes much of my time as well. Wrestling is a unique sport for me because it has allowed me to realize what I am capable of. I was able to push myself beyond what I thought was capable of. This allowed me to become the person I am today as I am able to endure many hardships even outside of sports. The sport gave me values which I hold onto in real work such as hard work as well as my mentality. Wrestling allows me to have a strong mental health as well and physical health. The sport has ultimately allowed me to become a very fit individual. 

Media has affected my sports career as well. This is mostly through platforms such as Youtube and Instagram.  I very often watch videos of high level wrestlers which inspires me to one day be like them. I also can learn many techniques of different wrestlers by watching these videos. I also watch other videos by fitness creators and motivational speakers which has helped to motivate me to keep moving forward. This has helped me to stay focused and keep staying true to my values such as hard work and mental toughness.

My hometown of Staten Island is also a big factor of my identity. I have lived there my whole life and it was not until college where I started to travel to other parts of New York to study. I know almost every big avenue and landmark in this place. Most of my time has been spent going to the mall with my friends or going to the ballpark to watch a game. Staten Island is a small part of New York with a small population compared to the rest of New York City. This has allowed me to be able to make friends and build connections with people.  

The media affects this factor of my identity in many ways. This can be through the news, social media, newspapers and many more. There are news organizations in Staten Island that are well known in the borough, the most famous being Staten Island Advance. The advance has been spreading news through many platforms about what is happening around Staten Island. This helps me to keep in touch with where I am from. There are also newspapers that get distributed around the Island. Many times, the newspaper has written articles about my school, my friends and even myself. In this way, things that are happening in my everyday life are being captured in this form of media. 

In conclusion, the media has the power to impact different factors of my identity. It definitely plays a role in my life and has an influence on many different aspects of my life. These factors make up who I am. It has allowed me to have different perspectives, have a specific mindset as well as stay updated with my environment. The factors from my culture to my sports career to my hometown have all, in some way, been impacted by social media.