The Media: Does The Mainstream Media Condition People To Believe That Everything Is Black And White?

When it comes to being informed about the world, it is not uncommon for someone to look towards the mainstream media. There is a strong chance that this is something that has taken place for most of their life.

They could find that the people they spend time with also have the same approach, and this can mean that they have the same outlook. For that reason, one could find that their way of looking at the world is no different to these people.

The Same Source

As they are generally going to be exposed to the same kind of information, it could be said that this is going to be normal. In fact, it can be as if the way they view the world is the only way it can be viewed.

Even so, this doesn’t mean that one will always agree with the people around them when it comes to what needs to be done, for instance. There could be times when someone else has one view and they have another.

Alternative Media

If one of their friends was to look towards another news source, they could believe that they are out of touch with reality. They can then be seen as the kind of person who believes anything.

But as they only pay attention to the mainstream media, they can believe that they have a better idea about what is actually going on around them. The other person could be seen as someone who believes in ‘conspiracy theories’.

Level Headed

Unlike this person, one is aware of what is taking place in the world, as opposed to hearing about things that have no basis in reality. However, if one has paid attention to the same source for most of their life and the people around them have generally done the same, there is going to be no reason for them to think any different.

It will be in their best interest to carry on doing the same thing, and they might feel the need to convert the other person. Or, they could simply label them as being crazy, and not bother to ask them why they listen to the alternative media.

Opening Up

If they were take the time to find out why they do this, they might soon come to see that this is someone who is aware of things that they are not. The next step might be to say that what they believe isn’t true as they haven’t heard about it.

One could then be told that they only hear about what this source wants them to know, and this could cause them to experience resistance. Upon hearing this, they might want to hear more, or they could end up shutting down.

A New Beginning

If they do want to hear more, they could find that that they will begin to hear things that are hard to believe. It could be as if most of what they know about the world is completely false, and they could start to wonder who they can believe.

But although they can experience inner unrest during this time, this can give them the ability to gain a more accurate idea of what is taking place around them. The other person can tell them where to look, or they might prefer to look for themselves.

Blocked

Yet, if they don’t allow themselves to hear what has been said, it can be as if they are talking to a brick wall. It is not going to be possible for the other person to get through to them; it would be better for them to change the subject.

One’s mind is going to be closed, and it won’t matter how much evidence they have to back up what they are saying. If they told them that the sky was blue, they could still disagree with them.

Critical Thinking

What this is shows is that one is not going to be willing to question what they are told by the mainstream media. They are going to trust what they have to say and so there will be no reason for them to do this.
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When it comes to what this source of information sells, it is rarely going to be necessary for one to think. This is typically the result of how the mainstream media presents what is taking place in the world.

Black And White

Instead allowing people to come to their own conclusion, they are more likely to create the impression that there are only two sides to what is taking place. And it is not going to matter what area of life they are talking about.

For example, when the time comes to have a presidential election, one candidate is often portrayed as good and another as being bad. Or if something bad has happened in the world, it can be because of what a group of people have done.

One Option

When it comes to the former, there is only going to be one candidate that people should vote for. This candidate is going to have good things said about them, and the other can only have bad things said about them.

When it comes to the latter, there is only going to be one way to deal with what is taking place. As a result of this, these people will need to be attacked, and there will be nothing else that needs to be done.

Conclusion

Portraying everything in this way is going to appeal to a lot of people, as there will be no need for them to think. This is going to stop them from having to use their brain, and this is naturally going to save them a lot of energy.

But while this makes life easier in the short-term, it is likely to lead to problems further down the line. If they took the time to look into what is actually going on (regardless of what the mainstream media is talking about), they are likely to see that there is far more to it.