Is the media controlling our minds?

af_thefragile

We consider the media to be an instrument of projecting the truth and knowledge but how true is the media? And if not everything you see on the media is the true real picture then how and why can we trust the media?

The media has become nothing but a propaganda/mind control device tell us how to live our lives, how to think and how to see things. We dress like how the media tells us to, we eat like how it tells us to, we raise our kids like how it tells us to, we speak like how it tells us to. Some may argue it has always been that as these things have been said since the advent of media itself. But today the media has taken complete control of peoples lives.

But then it would as the average person now watches 6-8hours of television everyday. When I was growing up I would barely watch a couple of hours of tv everyday. I spent most of my time reading, drawing, playing out with friends, doing home work etc.
But today kids are glued to the tv 24/7.

The television has become the central onject in our home. We all worship the black monolith. Families spend their entire evenings worshipping it. We eat in front of it, hold conversation with out families in front of it, we tell our loved ones to shut up when we feel something important is going to happen on it.

And that's before I get onto the Internet where you can't get around a corner without being bombarded with images of naked people. Yet due to it's nature it's the only place you can seem to find some reliable truth anywhere today. But that's not after shifting through piles of rubbish and junk and more images of naked people.

Looking back at how things were 20 years before I really can't imagine what the world will become in 20 years from now...

Banned Account

tl;dr - beware other users, i think he may be frowing on internet porn!

Run for the hills ...

_feedback_

If they are, I don't want to be using the same media outlets as you !

PeterIanStaker

Red pill or blue pill?

petes

I love television too.

strokemyclover

af_thefragile wrote: »

Looking back at how things were 20 years before I really can't imagine what the world will become in 20 years from now...

How f*cked up is that sentence!

Sykk

tl;dr

dreamer_ire

af_thefragile wrote: »

Looking back at how things were 20 years before I really can't imagine what the world will become in 20 years from now...

Why imagine it.... it will be determined by the media!

mikom

af_thefragile wrote: »

Is the media controlling our minds?

Not at all........bzzzzzzzzzzzzz... ""welcome to the stage stacy. please bear in mind she's only 14... very brave girl ladies and gentleman"..... bzzzzzzzzzzz...... "The people are real. The cases are real. The rulings are final. "

Terry

Pfft. Clown college? You can't eat that.

parker kent

No it's not controlling us. I just checked with the media, they told me to say I was free.

Dravokivich

Everything everywhere is propaganda...

Devil08

of course they are..some people are stupid enough to believe everything they see on tv and read in the papers. They then quote all this stuff in everyday life as if its 100% accurate and thats how vicious rumours spread and people start living their lives based on what they hear and see. Its scandalous. people need to open their eyes and realise what they are watching and reading is all rubbish.

WindSock

Terry wrote: »

Pfft. Clown college? You can't eat that.

Just do it!

stbrennan

MUST...READ....NEWSPAPER urg!.......argh!HAGAR THE ...HORRIBLE..........YOU CRACK ME ......UP argh must fight it!:mad:

af_thefragile

strokemyclover wrote: »

How f*cked up is that sentence!

Sorry about the gramatical inaccuracy. I don't proof read my posts usually but you should get what I'm trying to say...

_feedback_

You obviously haven't been watching the "writing of readable posts" channel.

Pyr0

I'm pretty sure the media isn't controlling my mind.

Banned Account

elviscostello wrote: »

You obviously haven't been watching the "writing of readable posts" channel.

He has been but he refuses to swallow the crap they try to feed him - Go OP, be strong!

af_thefragile

^it's hard proofreading your posts when you're typing on an iPod...
Sorry about the bad quality of my writing buy you should be able to get what I'm trying to say.

Devil08

af_thefragile wrote: »

^it's hard proofreading your posts when you're typing on an iPod...
Sorry about the bad quality of my writing buy you should be able to get what I'm trying to say.

did you mean 'but'??

Logical Fallacy

Only if you let them.

WindSock

iPod, the worlds favourite portable media device!

Devil08

WindSock wrote: »

iPod, the worlds favourite portable media device!

world favourite piece of ****...just like the iphone....
how do you know someone has an iphone? theyll tell you...

af_thefragile

Devil08 wrote: »

did you mean 'but'??

That's my ipod's auto spell check for you... It's very dumb at times.

My laptop is broken so I've been doing most of my Internet on my iPod...

thebigbiffo

trust me, i work in large national media and the people who you accuse of mind control can barely control their f'uckin bladders.

seriously, how paranoid do you need to be? they're businesses: they give the consumer what they want and they think they can reflect what it is they want...the thing is, they get it wrong alot of the time and people like you think it's them telling you to act differently because it doesnt mean anything in your life.

the media can spin, take a stance, start a campaign whatever - but in the vast vast majority of cases they are trying to reflect the wider public opinion/mood in the hope of selling more papers, getting more viewers, attracting more listeners.

well, this applies to everybody except fox and sky news - they're owned by the devil himself. chill...or wear a tinfoil helmet

ScumLord

Don't let them get to you OP!

af_thefragile

thebigbiffo wrote: »

trust me, i work in large national media and the people who you accuse of mind control can barely control their f'uckin bladders.

seriously, how paranoid do you need to be? they're businesses: they give the consumer what they want and they think they can reflect what it is they want...the thing is, they get it wrong alot of the time and people like you think it's them telling you to act differently because it doesnt mean anything in your life.

the media can spin, take a stance, start a campaign whatever - but in the vast vast majority of cases they are trying to reflect the wider public opinion/mood in the hope of selling more papers, getting more viewers, attracting more listeners.

well, this applies to everybody except fox and sky news - they're owned by the devil himself. chill...or wear a tinfoil helmet

So you're saying people who read the crap put out in tabloid newspapers don't believe it?

When there is news saying Muslims want to apply sharia law in uk or books being written on how Muslims are taking over europe and will make everyone eat halal food and wear headscarves, such stuff doesn't affect peoples attitudes towards muslims?

Or more recent when majority of new yorkers had no problem with the islamic cultural centre in manhattan and then when a tabloid paper put out an article saying "Ground Zer Mosque" in big bold letters and Fox news suddenly making it the biggest story of the year about muslims building a 15story mosque on ground zero... Which resulting in a mass paranoia now causing 70% of Americans to oppose the building of what isn't even a mosque and what isn't event at ground zero. Aren't their minds being controlled by the media?

Or what about shows like Hannah Montana, zoey 101 and all those other kids shows telling kids how they need to dress and act to be "popular" and "cool" and if they don't dress or act that way all the other kids will mock them and make fun of them. Don't you think that's affecting kids minds?

Maybe the creators of these programes just want to make money. But you can't deny the affect it is happening on society and peoples mind.

Devil08

Bosco brainwashed me as a kid...It still has an effect on me...Everytime I open my hall door I expect there to be something fascinating happening on the other side, like a zoo, or a playground, or something mysterious and special. but all I get is some sh!t carpet, some stairs, and few jackets hanging up. Damn you little red haired puppet boy!

mailforkev

tv;dvd

ejmaztec

af_thefragile wrote: »

And that's before I get onto the Internet where you can't get around a corner without being bombarded with images of naked people. Yet due to it's nature it's the only place you can seem to find some reliable truth anywhere today. But that's not after shifting through piles of rubbish and junk and more images of naked people.

Reading between the lines, I think that your problem is that there aren't enough naked people.

easyeason3

Does anyone else think the OP is Jim Corr?

Devil08

No he didnt mention flying saucers or the lisbon treaty, Id say it could be andrea though??

Snowie

I really think it depends on

weather you are a stream lined person who never questions what you've been told or read. the other being that some people are just stupid enough to read the wrong papers, buys into hole spreads of the sun... star sunday world yada yada....

Persoanlly I question most things I read, why because am i reading opinion vrs fact or opinions on what may have been leaked does the reporter have some sort of grudge on the person etc...

areu4real?

Controlled, no.
Heavily influenced, yes.

I don't know how you can paint the web as a negative. It is the only uncensored information we really have (if you know where to look)
And seeing internet porn as a negative.... no, just no :mad:

beans

The first half of the documentary 'Manufactured Consent' is a great look at just how the jews media have been setting the agenda to cover the asses of various other jews government interests and jews whatnot

Sorry, that should read Jews Zionists, or something.

Great documentary anyway, from the pen of Mr Noam Chomsky

af_thefragile

areu4real? wrote: »

Controlled, no.
Heavily influenced, yes.

I don't know how you can paint the web as a negative. It is the only uncensored information we really have (if you know where to look)
And seeing internet porn as a negative.... no, just no :mad:

I don't see the internet as negative. As I mentioned, its the only place left where you can seem to find some truth. But its also a place where people can come and speak out whatever crap they want. You really have to dig hard past all the ramblings of the people putting out crap to get to any truth.

And about porn, I wouldn't say if it its negative or positive but there's wayy too much of it. It would be nice if all the porn could be stored in one location on the internet where whoever wants to indulge in it can go and find it all nicely in one place rather than having bits of it scattered all over the internet. There's hardly a website you can visit which isn't garnished with some provocative and profane advert.

We might be able to look past these adverts and images but it can not have any positive effect on the many children who go on the internet and will inadvertently be bombarded by these images.

areu4real?

I don't see the internet as negative. As I mentioned, its the only place left where you can seem to find some truth

Yea, sorry. I'm guilty of selective reading there. I agree, you have to dig to find truth online. On the other hand, it does encourage people to question the information in front of them and if that spills into the mainstream media too then that's definitlely a good thing.

And about porn, I wouldn't say if it its negative or positive but there's wayy too much of it. It would be nice if all the porn could be stored in one location on the internet where whoever wants to indulge in it can go and find it all nicely in one place rather than having bits of it scattered all over the internet. There's hardly a website you can visit which isn't garnished with some provocative and profane advert

I still refute this point though, I love nothing more than random porn.
I think most danger **** occur because of it

Turtwig

Nope, the people around you do. The media, depending on who their main audience is, simply act as a resonating group think to reinforce peoples beliefs. For example, Faux Fox News was initially supportive of the Mosque two blocks from Ground Zero but once it realised its core audience were largely in opposition it switched sides. The Times newspaper pulled a similar stunt regarding Climate Change once the CRU emails were leaked.

af_thefragile

Malty_T wrote: »

Nope, the people around you do. The media, depending on who their main audience is, simply act as a resonating group think to reinforce peoples beliefs. For example, Faux Fox News was initially supportive of the Mosque two blocks from Ground Zero but once it realised its core audience were largely in opposition it switched sides. The Times newspaper pulled a similar stunt regarding Climate Change once the CRU emails were leaked.

There was a really good documentary on how MTV used to interview young people and create its shows according to the trends and such and how they've started to impact of young people...

Found it, here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdzxc8Fpn3o

Donkey Oaty

af_thefragile wrote: »

We consider the media to be an instrument of projecting the truth and knowledge

No we don't.

The media has become nothing but a propaganda/mind control device tell us how to live our lives, how to think and how to see things.

"The media" is a diverse bunch of organisations, most of which are nothing like you describe.

We dress like how the media tells us to, we eat like how it tells us to, we raise our kids like how it tells us to, we speak like how it tells us to.

Speak for yourself. I do none of those things.

Some may argue it has always been that as these things have been said since the advent of media itself. But today the media has taken complete control of peoples lives.

Isn't "taken complete control" just a teentsy weentsy bit of an exaggeration?

But then it would as the average person now watches 6-8hours of television everyday.

Oh yeah? I hate many aspects of the mainstream media just as much as you do, but without them we'd have to rely on people like your good self for information, which sadly includes clearly made-up stats.

/off switch

FreudianSlippers

Maybe it's our minds that are controlling the media.



woah.

The_Joker.

Its beginning to look alot like christmas, everywhere you go!

JONJO THE MISER

You can see for yourself on this forum that the government has told boards.ie to sticky a banking thread saying there is nothing to worry about, when in fact the guarantee on customer deposits isnt worth the paper its written on, there dont have the money to back it up.

thebigbiffo

af_thefragile wrote: »

So you're saying people who read the crap put out in tabloid newspapers don't believe it?

When there is news saying Muslims want to apply sharia law in uk or books being written on how Muslims are taking over europe and will make everyone eat halal food and wear headscarves, such stuff doesn't affect peoples attitudes towards muslims?

Or more recent when majority of new yorkers had no problem with the islamic cultural centre in manhattan and then when a tabloid paper put out an article saying "Ground Zer Mosque" in big bold letters and Fox news suddenly making it the biggest story of the year about muslims building a 15story mosque on ground zero... Which resulting in a mass paranoia now causing 70% of Americans to oppose the building of what isn't even a mosque and what isn't event at ground zero. Aren't their minds being controlled by the media?

Or what about shows like Hannah Montana, zoey 101 and all those other kids shows telling kids how they need to dress and act to be "popular" and "cool" and if they don't dress or act that way all the other kids will mock them and make fun of them. Don't you think that's affecting kids minds?

Maybe the creators of these programes just want to make money. But you can't deny the affect it is happening on society and peoples mind.

Firstly, i never said they didn't believe it...i said the media are trying to reflect what they believe people want to hear and if that's an uproar over a 'mosque' at ground zero or sharia law in the uk (which, incidentally is actually true of the majority of muslims in both the uk and ireland) - the truth means f'uck all - the impact it has on the reader does. this does not equal 'mind control'...in the sense that it may have an effect, but it's not someone with a clear cut agenda peddling their stories. i can imagine that the majority of americans only found about about this 'cultural centre' from a tabloid sensationalist article and - lets face it - do you not think the public want islam to have f'uck all to do with ground zero anyway?!

hannah montana (jesus h christ). right, so the media have an agenda to sexualise our children? c'mon use your head! there's more media out there than ever before targeting an only slightly increasing number of kids. children have more access to pop culture due to this - meaning kids in general are becoming more savvy and less sheltered from goings on the the adult world - producers recognise they need content that attracts children who believe themselves smart, hip and cool and this leads to progamming that an older generation find too 'grown up' for their age groups. this is - again - not an agenda by the media, it's an attempt to win a market by using their own image of THEMSLEVES which is formed largely through a wider access to information in all it's forms.

for your last point: this is what i tried to point out in my original post. this terrible omnipresent force you generalise as 'the media' does not intentionally cause (many) adverse effects on society as a whole - it tries to reflect society. i mean you've heard the term of 'cutting edge' yeah? it just means something is at the forefront of whats emerging as cool - cutting edge tv shows, written word, radio whatever is just picking up on whats emerging as issues in society and giving them a better airing.

in short. jesus. chill out. nobody is really trying to control you. they're trying to get you to buy their shoes, eat in their restaurants or buy their insurance but the content - in 99% of cases - is simply thrash to keep you entertained in between working, commuting and generally being a good citizen.

irishconvert

Devil08 wrote: »

of course they are..some people are stupid enough to believe everything they see on tv and read in the papers. They then quote all this stuff in everyday life as if its 100% accurate and thats how vicious rumours spread and people start living their lives based on what they hear and see. Its scandalous. people need to open their eyes and realise what they are watching and reading is all rubbish.

Agreed. I don't believe 90% of what I read/watch on mainstream media. Why do so many people assume RTE/BBC/SKY are going to give them fair and balanced news?

OctavarIan

You can't deny that the media controls the population. Culture spreads through the media. The Irish wouldn't have become such pathetic American-wannabes during the Celtic Tiger if they hadn't been fed that lifestyle through the media. The media plant ideas and aspirations into our heads, I really don't see how anyone can respectfully deny that.

Double so for all the 'hard times' news that is making it seem like we're facing the apocalypse. Thanks to modern technology we have actually never had it so good. Life is easy, food is SO cheap, shelter is abundant; unless you're one of those people who had to have the big house (where half the rooms go unused for much of the day) and a new car every two years (when the 'old' one was perfectly fine). The only genuine hard time we should be worrying about is making the transition to renewable energy resources.

“The more you can increase fear of drugs and crime, welfare mothers, immigrants and aliens, the more you control all the people”