Media-crity

     Youth today are bombarded with so much. The high speed culture of America has opened the door to a plethora of stimuli all competing for the attention of the masses. School, family, and media are constantly tugging at the minds of youth. While giving undivided attention to any is not always healthy I believe the growing power that media has on youth is risky. In 2001 PBS released the documentary The Merchants of Cool all about media’s effect of culture and more specifically the teenage culture. It was fairly eye opening and scary to see how media adapts to their target audience. The largest targeted audience is teenagers because of their amount of disposable income. So basically it is economically savvy for media to market to the next generation, but it is far better to manipulate them. The documentary focuses in on a company called Look-Look that seeks out trendsetters and sells pictures and ideas to marketing companies. These companies then act on the information. Usually these so called trendsetters are a select few, it is not the average Joe on the street. Once the media gives proper attention to these trend setters it can become the norm. Basically the media has the power to magnify a select group making it appear as reality. Youth are then bombarded with this superficial reality until it is ingrained to point where it becomes reality. I mean why try to predict culture when you can shape it, right?

     This is not inherently bad, but the media is becoming less and less censored. Sexuality, cursing, crude humor and violence are now the norm, not the exception. It is all dulling to the senses. Before 1984 PG-13 did not exist. Initial concern was for PG ratings given to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Gremlins. I am sure most people have seen one or the other and probably do not understand the fuss that was raised. It just shows how desensitized media can make us as computer graphics can make things look more lifelike. If you are skeptical about media’s dulling effect go a month without TV, you might be surprised what stands out the next time to watch the newest episode and latest box office hit. It does not stop at TV. Anyone else remember the uproar against the Grand Theft Auto video games series? How about billboards? I just read an article the other day that Pornhub, an online pornography site, has a billboard on time square. Anyone think that pornography should be treated as mainstream? All in all, I think it is important to recognize the power media has.

     I was taught that if you put good in then you put good out. It will be difficult to teach youth good when the media screams the opposite. Ideas and social norms are in a constant state of change and will be hard to keep with and harder to counter negative ones. I think as an educator it will be important to stay current without assimilating. This way you can have proper respect for your students and they will respect you. Also how do expect to be a positive influence when you do not understand what else is going on. In the book Is Everyone Really Equal the authors constantly insist that denying reality can only serve to maintain its heading. I want to make a positive difference in students’ lives, I can only do so by acknowledging the reality they live in.