The use of media and its effect on our society has recently become the topic of discussion in my 11th grade english class. Though the spread of media and the knowledge that it is the source of nearly all the information we learn, was not new to me, I was not yet aware how manipulative media was...I didn't realize that almost everything I read, see or hear had an ulterior intent other that pure entertainment. For instance, most of the songs I listen to are about experiences that the artists lived through. I'm not aware that the songs do infact influence my opinions about other cultures, people and situations.
One major/obvious issue that media brings is the universal image of how the perfect woman and man should look like. The audience over the years have adapted to the sort of messages adds and movies send about them. Therefore beause a larger number of the populations are exposed to these ideas and then subjected into accepting them.
The bottom line is that media has changed and greatly influenced our way of thinking. If you were to look back at the First World War, propaganda against the Triple Alliance was what heavily influenced the U.S and Triple Entente citizens to dislike the enemy more. The government was able to use the media of newspapers and radios and posters to display their biased opinion. This unfortunately isn't a lost art. Governments and news reports on t.v are heavily biased and altered in order to motivate and interest the audience..you.