I feel that a great amount of our knowledge comes from the media. For example, there are many things that are happening in this world that we cannot personally experience like the war in Iraq or political campaigns. So, we rely on the media to gain information on these topics.
I believe that the three most important problems facing America are America’s ignorance towards the media, the way that the media can create stereotypes, and how the media creates images of a perfect person that does not exist.
I believe that most of today’s society is unaware of the persuasiveness in the media. I know that I was this way for sometime before taking Principles of Persuasions last semester. It is a scary thought when you realize that the media is using so many techniques on the consumer that a class can be taught about them. I feel that it is always important to have this knowledge because even if we buy into their persuasions we do it by conscious choice aware of the techniques that are being used. For example, there is always a new M&M commercial being aired on TV trying to persuade consumers to buy M&MS. Well aware of their techniques I decide to buy M&Ms anyways because I love how they taste. However, these types of persuasion are used in our everyday lives and are used when we are about to make big purchases, such as buying a car. Buying a car is a big commitment and this would be a good time to be aware of the persuasive techniques that the dealer may be using on you.
I feel that the media can also create stereotypes. Many of the us watch the news on a daily basis and notice that the same types of people are creating the same crimes. But, the truth
is that just because a person looks a certain way does not mean that they are a trouble maker. I
remember at one point in time people with tattoos were considered bad news and today almost everyone has one. Something that was looked down on in the past is now a big thing with the younger generation. Although I do not believe that the media is consciously creating these stereotypes, I believe that what they are broadcasting leads people to create their own stereotypes. One of the most popular sayings is that you cannot judge a book by its cover and it is the truth.
I believe that the media also tends to portray the ideal image of a person in today’s society. Today the media portrays the ideal person as thin. Whether you are watching TV, driving down the street and see a billboard, or just looking through a magazine, it is almost guaranteed that you will see an ad for weight loss. And, although I know that diabetes is a growing concern with overweight Americans today, just because you are not extremely thin does not mean that you are overweight and unhealthy. And I know that adults are aware that this is just how the media is, but younger people of our generation believe that they need to look a certain way to be accepted by society. For example, a woman at work mentioned t hat one day her nine year old daughter was getting ready for school and told her that she could not wear a certain pair of pants because they made her butt look big. This is sad because at the age of nine I remember my only care was to have fun and I feel that at this age you should not have to worry about impressing others.
As a society we rely on the media, but I think that it is our job to notice the negative effects that the media can cause and keep these effects in mind.
5 comments:
I agree with you that we rely on the media and it causes us to take in everything that they give us. I liked the topics that you talked about. They were different than the other ones that I have read. It was interesting to read. Nice Post!
I agree with the majority of what you said with exception to your statement that the media creates images of a perfect person that does not exist. I believe that mainly it is society itself that conceptualizes the ideal beauty, and that media simply reinforces it. I will say that the media may go slightly beyond for example just how skinny the most perfect person should be, but in general, society believes that skinny is beautiful.
I loved your blog, it was well thought out and well written. I do agree that media has taken over and not for the better. It is common to talk to or know someone that has all their knowledge based on the media, instead of research. Its funny how we are the fattest country in the world yet we have so many people with large eating disorders.
This is a really good point! I agree that the media creates images that dont exist. I often catch myself falling into the media trap and believing everything I read or hear. Great points!
I agree with your points, but do you really think these media-based problems are the biggest in our country? The problem with saying that those three aspects are the biggest problems is that the root of each problem is the same...people aren't media literate. If people were media literate, they would be able to see through the persuasive advertising, the stereotypes and the body image issue. If you realize that behind these messages, there are real people just like us who don't have a complete understanding of the world and aren't perfect, you'll take them a lot less seriously and be more cautious about what you believe. While your points are valid, I think they really only account for one main problem.
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