Effects of the media

Do you think the media have such a big influence on us as the sociologists and psychologists tell us?

Course they do! Most people are just a load of sheeple. We think we aren't affected but they wouldn't spend so much money on advertising if it didn't work

People are affected by advertising but not all people watch adverts or read newspapers so how are they affected/influenced?

Try avoiding the media - it's everywhere. It gets totally into your brain and you don't even know it

jantwokay wrote:Try avoiding the media - it's everywhere. It gets totally into your brain and you don't even know it

Not all people are affected by the media even though, as you say, it is everywhere. This is because to be affected you have to take note of it and some people do not watch the TV or read newspapers/magazines so how are they affected?

Also some people are less likely to be affected than others even if they do watch and read etc.

Besides - what is wrong with the media any way?

If people didn't like it then they wouldn't let the media have such a big hold on them. You aren't giving people credit for having minds of their own.

'to be affected you have to take note of it'

That's the point; you don't have to take note of it. It is pretty subtle stuff and even if people do have minds of their own, they still take it all in without realising it. You can resist the obvious big lies, but the little ones all stick together and you just take it in. It's like dropping a frog in hot water; it jumps out. Drop a frog in cold water and heat the water up under it - it will boil to death

So if the media have such an influence, surely people want it that way?

Perhaps they are not really aware of what is happening? We think we know we are being manipulated, but it is happening so much and at such a level that we don't really get it at all.