In Raven's blog she mentioned how "...it’s crazy to think how obsessed people can get over knowing the name or how a baby looks when you have no correlation with them or their parents." She, herself, admitted to having an interest in celebrity couples and the news that surrounds them (particularly the children they have together) but she also acknowledged that the very idea that such interests exist is an example of how the media is negatively affecting our society. I would have to agree. Although displaying interest in other human beings is perfectly normal behavior, when said interest reaches the point of obsession, it's a good time to step back and re-consider your values. You mustn't let the media do that for you.
Shannon brought up the very good point that "chances are, you’re only being told what they want to tell you"; The 'they' in that sentence, of course, being producers and broadcasters of various types of media. What she says is, most likely, very true. I cannot imagine anyone purposely sending a message to the public that, in any way, truly opposes their own stands on morality, virtue, or otherwise. Sometimes (in the eyes of the informant) the only safe way to tell the public about an event or circumstance is to hide information that could, otherwise, misguide their understanding or lead them to become suspicious. Yes, I am thinking about politicians at this point. I imagine you are as well.
I was reintroduced to what is, perhaps, my favourite thing about the media because of Adam's post. He is an avid soccer (or football, as you may call it) fan and is a regular viewer of the World Cup. after mentioning how nations often disagree and dispute with one-another on a regular basis, he reminded me of how "the tournament allows people from different nationalities to put aside whatever differences they may have and enjoy the beautiful game in a pro-multicultural environment." This wonderful phenomenon is, thankfully, not exclusive to soccer, or sports for that matter. Perhaps the single greatest aspect of the media is how it can shatter separatism and the poisonous prejudices that come along with it. We are all human beings that carry the potential to care for, reason with, and understand one-another and sometimes all it takes is a group of guys kicking around an air-filled ball to realize that.
In conclusion I suggest you to use the media to find what motivates, captivates, and inspires you (unless you are inspired by 'SAW' to kill people - don't do that.) and to avoid the parts of the media that simply do not bring out the best in humanity and, most importantly, yourself.
