In our modern day society, unless one lives within an Amish community, not consuming some form of mass media is next to impossible. There are news channels, commercials, satirical entertainment shows. movies, oh, and do not forget almighty Facebook! That is only the tip of the media ice burg.
Growing up, I asked my mom why we did not watch the news like other people. She explained that she found all news channels to be quite negative and was not a fan of how they rarely reported positive events in our society. Once she made her point, I couldn’t help but notice how often they report on horrible events such as a child drowning in a river or how much they pick apart every single president in office to pieces.
As ludicrous as some of the stories that the mass media likes to spread, how much is society to blame? Media outlets report outrageous stories because shock value stories nearly always garner an immediate reaction. If no one cared for clickbait articles and did not blindly discuss topics they had little knowledge on, the mass media would necessitate ways to report on events.
Another problem we face is that many opt in to see biased reports on current events that align with their current beliefs. While there is not an issue with having set morals and strong beliefs, a habit of the intelligent is to observe opposing opinions regarding a subject and then drawing a conclusion.
Another trick of advertising is their use of subliminal messages. When one sits down in nearly every single movie theatre, the gargantuan screen will play sounds of Coco-Cola being poured and showcase popcorn being popped. The advertising companies are hoping that your brain will replay other pleasant times where you sipped on Cocoa-Cola and munched on popcorn, and you shall be so overcome with desire for theatre treats that you will happily trot to the snack counter to pay quadruple what those snacks sell for at other vendors.
While there are certainly upsides to living with the mass media, such as immediate information to potential outbreaks in diseases, warnings on mass shootings and much more, there are certainly some downsides. While our world is certainly not chock full of sunshine and rainbows, the media loves to emphasize the troubles our world faces and prey on our fears.
Another handy little trick of theirs, is taking small sound bites or video footage of seemingly offensive or vulgar words that a celebrity or position said and blowing it way out of proportion. Personally, I’ve learned to read the entire interview instead of the key words that are being tossed around and rarely find it is anywhere close to being as shocking as the the few key words are portrayed to be. Media is a double edged sword to be sure, some suggestions to aid consuming it is to research subjects important to one’s self, avoid personal bias and not become paranoid and fearful.
Kaylee Holman 