If I were to define the term, "media," I'd call it a "stalker." It's true - it follows us wherever we go and tries to plant facts, lies, and entertainment into our minds. It's @ Safeway, our homes, work, school. EVERYWHERE.

Television.
Movies.
The Newspaper.
The Internet.
Magazines of all sorts.

These are some resources the media takes advantage of to display themselves. Dependence and independence from it totally depends on YOU.
Sometimes, I take magazine articles for fact, and sometimes I determine the falseness in its words that I read and hear.
Yes, the media does distract us and state things that are often decievable - but I believe that its effectiveness depends on an individual's willingness and ignorance.

What engages YOU when you go to Safeway and gaze at the covers of magazines that are displayed in front of the check-out aisles?

"Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson in Real Life"
"Michelle Obama's Best Dress"
"How to Lose 10 Pounds in 10 Days"
"The Holiday's Best Buys"

Flashy titles and beautiful headshots of famous people grace the covers of these magazines. Our attention is grabbed immediately and we are tempted to grab that magazine off the shelf and flip through the pages.
Pictures and articles may set some goals - whether they are to alter our image, help us to recall the dangers of having unprotected sex, etc. The media may suggest good changes for us that may benefit society. It may cause us to opinionate ourselves or apply more knowledge to fixing problems when we act. At the end of the day, it's our choice to accept or deny. Some people confuse the concept of the media completely controlling society, and our choice as the audience to control the acceptance of its proclamations.

How many times do commercials come up in one sitting of your favorite show at night?
How many times have you walked out of a movie theater, inspired to live life in a different way, or disappointed at the terrible plot of the script?

How many times has the media sidetracked you in your daily life?

How many times have you absorbed whatever the media proclaims AS FACT?

What role does the media take in our lives?


The media is a truly a TOOL.
Its purposes are to entertain, carry out propaganda, make money, waste our time, and to make us believe in its lies or genuine data. In a nutshell, the media can only throw out information - genuine or not. It doesn't literally "CONTROL" us. It may cause us to think and opinionate ourselves, but it doesn't manipulate us in any way.

We, as human beings, have the ability to determine and accept information for ourselves.


To conclude, the media does NOT control society. The audience controls it because of our willingess to accept or ignore.