The Media

[MartialArtist68]

The media plays a very influential role in this country. We rely on it for news, mindless drivel, etc. Our kids watch and read about movie stars, their bad habits, good habits, drug addictions, which ones are anorexic, and the list goes on. The point I'm trying to make here (and probably haven't made well so far) is that the media plays a key role in our lives. Does it control us, too? Think about it, as I previously mentioned, as kids we watch alot of less-than-educational things. We imitate behaviors. We want to be just like the movie stars or cartoons on TV. As adults it invokes emotions, be it rage toward the new war or admiration for the President (although I don't particularly feel this way). Some people see a new car, for example, and rush out to buy it without a second thought because it looks "cool". We are a very media-centred society. How much is too much?

Cheers,
A very enraged 15-year-old

 

[Cruentus]

The media plays a very influential role in this country. We rely on it for news, mindless drivel, etc. Our kids watch and read about movie stars, their bad habits, good habits, drug addictions, which ones are anorexic, and the list goes on. The point I'm trying to make here (and probably haven't made well so far) is that the media plays a key role in our lives. Does it control us, too? Think about it, as I previously mentioned, as kids we watch alot of less-than-educational things. We imitate behaviors. We want to be just like the movie stars or cartoons on TV. As adults it invokes emotions, be it rage toward the new war or admiration for the President (although I don't particularly feel this way). Some people see a new car, for example, and rush out to buy it without a second thought because it looks "cool". We are a very media-centred society. How much is too much?

Cheers,
A very enraged 15-year-old

A good book, and a political science classic, is "Manufactured Consent" by Noam Chompsky. Depsite all he's done, it's still one of his best works, IMHO. It will help explain, at least in part, why the media is the way it is, even though the tactics today are more modern then they were when the book was written.

I suggest this one as a start; it's a good read, and easy read, even for a 15 year old. :uhyeah:

Your leader,

Mao Tse-Tung

 

[MartialArtist68]

Thanks for the recommendation (my writing sucks today, BTW). Hopefully between training and work I'll have time to read it.

I do beleive, though, that too much of our society is based around the media- TV, Internet, and video games to be exact. These things are good in moderation, but obviously parts of our society aren't mature enough to handle it.

 

[RandomPhantom700]

The media certainly influences our decisions and is hardly unbiased in its presentation of the news--after all, that's how it's supposed to be. However, I don't think that "the media" controls us, for a number of reasons. First, there are conflicting media sources, with their own views and biases. Second, the different media agencies respond to the public as much as the public responds to them.

 

[MartialArtist68]

I'm not just talking about the news.

 

[PeachMonkey]

I have to second the recommendation for "Manufacturing Consent" by Chomsky.

The techniques used by media (not just news) for manipulating people, whether for political gain or simply to make you want to drink Sprite, are insanely sophisticated and gaining in power all the time.

Each generation is more and more inculcated in this bombardment, and far more support, fortitude, and personal development is required to resist its call.

 

[Feisty Mouse]

PM - nice quote, I love ee cummings

I think one of the most insidious - or perhaps, directly powerful - media aspects is the commercial aspect. We will roll our eyes but then sit patiently through ads - now even in movie theaters, gggrrrrrr!!!! - and passively absorb messages. Beer gets you hot chicks. Cars make you cool. A dietary supplement to "enhance" your "member" will improve your whole life.

And I think we do, as a society, need to emphasize personal interaction more. I think the group on here may be a self-selecting group though - people who pursue martial arts, for the most part, are engaging in personal interaction and growth of their own accord.

 

[Mark L]

The media is something I view with great suspicion. The paper of record where I live (The Boston Globe) when read with a critical eye is quite clearly slanted to the left. I've not explored readily accessible alternatives, however I do listen to a voice from the right during drive time. It's striking to contrast what these two sources report as the important stuff of the day, and the analysis.

As to the other media, specifically that to which my children are exposed, my wife and I are the ultimate monitors. We decide the frequency and dose, and more importantly talk to them about the content. A parents job is never done ...

It is a frustrating relationship, when I seek news I prefer it to be the facts and just the facts. Presenting opinion is a First Amendment right, to which I subscribe wholly, but I'd prefer a disclaimer as to what is fact and what is opinion. My biggest nit is displaying bias by only reporting that which supports the viewpoint of the reporting agency. Getting a well rounded portrayal of what is going on in the community, region, state, nation, and planet could easily occupy a large part of the day.

 

[MartialArtist68]

Thanks for the great post. It's nice to see that somebody is monitoring what their kids watch.