Final Essay #1

Matthew Tasker

Sam Mudd

English 151

March 17 2011

Media on Society

Imagine a world where we as a society chose exactly what we wanted to stand for. Imagine a world where there wasn’t always someone constantly telling us what to do or how to react to certain situations. Imagine a world where ideas of sustainability were controlled by the people. This is a world that does not exist and will never be able to exist. Doesn’t this world already exist you ask? How can someone say that we as a society do not choose what we want to stand behind? How can someone say that we as a society do not have our own forms of sustainability? I am able to tell you this because of one simple answer. The answer to that is media. The media influences us as a society to have their ways of sustainability. We are influenced everyday by what the media is saying. Without the media society and our idea of sustainability would be completely different.

I am not saying that the media is a bad thing. The media informs the public of what is going on in the world. Without the media we as a society would have no idea as to what was going on beyond our own backyards. Yes, the media influences us to stand behind and do certain things but imagine a world without the media. Would it be a better place? I do not think that without the media that our world would be any better of a place, but if we did not have media the world that we live in would be completely different. Without media our world would be something very blain and boring. Sure, the media keeps us informed of what is going on around us but it also is something that entertains society. If we did not have the media to turn to what would we as a society do? What would we as a society stand behind? What would our culture be like? How different would it all really be?

The media influences us to do all sorts of things. They enforce and stand behind what our government says. They also go against what our government is saying because they want to give us another opinion on what else could be. They have influenced us to follow along with the “going green” movement. Back in the day they influenced us to smoke because back then it was the “in” and “cool” thing to be doing. In today’s society they are now making commercials that show how bad cigarettes are. Before, everyone smoked. It was the thing to do. In society today, smoking is no longer the “cool” or “in” thing to be doing. This just goes to show how strong the media is when it has to deliver a message that they want everyone to hear. Could this be what the media is actually for?

Yes, the media informs us about what is going on in the world but that is not the main concern of the media’s. In my opinion, and that’s all it really is, is that the media’s sole purpose for even existing is to influence and pursuade society to follow what they are saying. If it was not for the media society’s idea of sustainability would not be that of what it is right now. The media wants to have an impact on what they say. They want society to do what they say. They want this because they want to have complete control over society.

They want to have complete control over society because they want to be in charge. If the media loses control of society and the media loses control of the power to have people go along with what they say then to have media at all would be pointless. In the media’s mind they have to exist. They have to be putting in their input because they need people to follow and go along with it. If they didn’t society’s idea of sustainability would be different than what the media’s idea of sustainability was. Media does influence us on our ways of sustainability. For someone to say that they do not would be like saying the sun will not rise tomorrow. We as a society are influenced every single day by what the media says. It’s been like that for years and it will continue to be like that as long as we as a society have something like media.