7 Shocking Truths about the Media That Will Blow Your Mind ...

One of the most shocking truths about the media is that Viacom, one of the largest media companies, proudly proclaimed, “We don’t advertise to this generation, we own this generation.” How does that make you feel? To be owned. It’s disgusting. I wrote a paper in college about the negative effects of the media and one of the books that I read that truly opened my eyes to see the truth is called ReCreate Your World by Ron Luce. I don’t know about you, but when I learned this truth I wanted to stand up for our generation and spread awareness.

The major media giants utilize all they can to reach us. Indirect marketing as well as direct marketing is their specialty. How many billboards did you pass on your way to work/school/home today? How many commercials have you seen today? How many ads popped up in the corner of your computer today? Exactly. It’s sad but the truth is that the media purposely uses these marketing strategies to reach you and change the way you think, whether you are aware of the internal changes or not.

Did you know that the ‘MTV generation’ consists of about 71 million young people and that 69% of girls admitted that models in the magazine influence their idea of the perfect body image? Did you also know that 80% of 9 year olds are on diets…9 year olds! The most vulnerable age group is the most targeted age group – 13 year olds. They are considered the “branding” age because they are like cattle and just follow the herd. Don’t encourage them by being a part of that statistic.

How is the media so clever and so good at their job, you ask? They focus on repetition: repetition is the key to embedding into your brain and subconscious mind. Think about it: why is McDonalds so popular and well known? Because the marketing strategy is so on point – they advertise everywhere every day about everything. If you don’t believe how powerful repetition is, Google search “a video of children recognizing marketing brands” and you will come across a lot of videos and articles talking about the influence of repetition. These pieces of information illustrate how children especially only recognize the ‘major’ brands.

Most teenagers spend 150 billion dollars on media. If a vulnerable teenager sees Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, or One Direction using a product or getting involved in something, chances are he/she will do it too just to “fit in”. It’s sick that the media will use celebrities or well-known people to dictate certain things to the public in desperate hopes to make money. It’s always the celebrity that is going through a break up, having drug problems, or consuming something that is highlighted on TV…do you notice? If a person’s only role model is Miley Cyrus, he/she will mirror no matter what.

Okay, have you heard the song #Selfie by The Chainsmokers? I just heard the song on the radio for the first time today and I couldn’t believe the garbage lyrics. I’m not going to lie, I love the beat but the b*itchy talk during the opening couldn’t be a more perfect example of how the media encourages judging others (regardless if the song was a joke/meant to be funny or not). People can start a comment war about this truth all they want, but the truth hurts and I’m just stating facts and giving evidence. Let me also be clear that not everyone falls prey of deception and listens/follows the media, but the majority of our generation is not aware that they are even getting brainwashed. Things of our generation such as songs with messages about sex, drugs, partying, hooking up, etc are seemingly “normal” nowadays. What happened to the old fashioned classy and put together mentality?

Whether you believe it or not, the media hides a lot from you. There are many things that are not openly discussed with the public, there are many things that the media conjures up to make money, and there are many things that the media encourages because they want to control you. Another shocking truth: 98% of people are followers and only 2% shape the culture. What percentile do you want to fall in?

The bottom line is that unfortunately the media preys on those who are young and bendable who will easily believe everything and follow the pack. My passion is to challenge you to think outside the box and see through a different set of eyes to start thinking for yourself. I’ve personally done a lot of research and thinking before writing this article and again my intention is to bring awareness. Which of these truths shocked you the most?

Resources
grandviewschools.org
uncp.edu