Media Induced Numbness
We as a people, as a culture, as a nation, as a world, have become desensitized.
The media strangles empathy. Holds a pillow to our face and presses tighter, tighter, tighter, until any semblance of sympathy lies breathless on the bedroom floor.
News media has become a scam. A corporate collection of individuals profiteering directly from the horrors of war, rape, murder, famine, disease. "You must be informed to be a 'good citizen'" they tell you. Let us tell you what to believe. Let us wrap you up in fear until you are no longer able to function.
Have you noticed the phenomenon of news? One school shooting happens, and the press eats it up. Soon you notice a seeming increase in school shootings. All they seem to report on are school shootings—are they happening more often than before? Maybe. But maybe it's the hot topic, so the news media focus on it until they realize they can no longer ring a buck out of the topic. Then it's on to the next. Pay attention to trends, you'll see what I'm talking about. Some from the past few years: ISIS, School shootings, Police shooting civilians, have any of these really disappeared? I reckon they all continue to be prevalent in society, but you stop hearing about them. Why? The next uproar, that's why.
Another hurricane, another earthquake, another shooting, scroll scroll scroll, "oh look, a cat video". You know you've been in this situation, whether it's a cat video, celebrity gossip, newest technology, you've been beaten over the head so many times that you've become desensitized to the horrors of humanity, so you pass them by. We all do it. The media cram so much information down our throats, wave so many headlines in our faces, that it's impossible not to become desensitized. In our country especially, violence is an everyday norm. Hollywood glorifies it. Can you think of the last movie you saw that portrayed zero violence? Can you think of the last time your read a news article portraying a good event? Open any major newspaper, and you'll find (if you're lucky) maybe maybe 10% good news. And half of that news is only "good" cause the results favored the lesser of two evils. But there are millions of good deeds performed every day across the world. Many of them major. How come these go unreported?
When was the last time you read or heard anything about our country's involvement in the Middle East? I'm not going to try and invent any conspiracies, but how is it that the Vietnam War, which was heavily documented, and inspired great political upheaval and protests within our nation's borders, was the last war to be well documented? Why? Ignorance of the masses = power in the hands of others. Sounds like a catch 22 right? Must read the news to stay "educated", but only educated on the topics we think you should be educated on.
Most media sources have become ever more polarized and opinionized. Every writer has at least a slight bias, but many articles have complete biases. Read an article and start to peel back the layers, really think about it, nearly always you can find a strong bias. And the scariest part of all in this role of encouraging biases is technology. Particularly social media. Algorithms. Pay attention. If you look at a few articles on certain topics, or from specific sources, slowly you will begin seeing more and more on those same topics and sources. From my personal observations, Apple is one of the greatest offenders. Why do they want you to read the news so badly? As a default widget on iPhones (unless they've recently changed it) the news is set up. Also, their news app comes standard issue. Open Chrome on an iPhone and the default main Google page is covered in news stories. Experiment with their news app. Over the course of a few days, click on a few articles about something specific; notice that you'll receive an increasing flood of stories similar to it over the preceding days. Now, you could argue that "it's useful, it helps me find things I'm interested in sooner, etc." But boy does it increase personal bias and polarization. If you're only seeing and reading articles based on the things you like to see, how are you ever going to get the other side or perspective of the story?! But hey, the masses don't care—why would you want to taste something you may not like, when you can be spoon fed your favorite junk food all day?
Maybe it's a necessary evil—reporters, journalists, etc., have to make a living too—but advertising in news articles makes me sick to my stomach. "Sorry to interrupt your reading about innocent women being raped and murdered, but hey, these people want you to buy lingerie. Click on this add to save 20% on cat food. Check out our sale, it'll make you feel better about the world." Capitalists will do anything to spin a dime. Their distractions contribute to a lack of sensitivity.
I'm not saying that you shouldn't read the news. But be wary of bias. Be wary of algorithmic manipulations. Seek out the topics the major brands are spewing at you.
But most of all, take the time to escape the media. Use that time to be sensitive to others. Use that time to be compassionate towards those around you. Use that time to uplift, serve, and inspire those suffering in your neighbourhood, your city, your country, your world.
The media strangles empathy. Holds a pillow to our face and presses tighter, tighter, tighter, until any semblance of sympathy lies breathless on the bedroom floor.
News media has become a scam. A corporate collection of individuals profiteering directly from the horrors of war, rape, murder, famine, disease. "You must be informed to be a 'good citizen'" they tell you. Let us tell you what to believe. Let us wrap you up in fear until you are no longer able to function.
Have you noticed the phenomenon of news? One school shooting happens, and the press eats it up. Soon you notice a seeming increase in school shootings. All they seem to report on are school shootings—are they happening more often than before? Maybe. But maybe it's the hot topic, so the news media focus on it until they realize they can no longer ring a buck out of the topic. Then it's on to the next. Pay attention to trends, you'll see what I'm talking about. Some from the past few years: ISIS, School shootings, Police shooting civilians, have any of these really disappeared? I reckon they all continue to be prevalent in society, but you stop hearing about them. Why? The next uproar, that's why.
Another hurricane, another earthquake, another shooting, scroll scroll scroll, "oh look, a cat video". You know you've been in this situation, whether it's a cat video, celebrity gossip, newest technology, you've been beaten over the head so many times that you've become desensitized to the horrors of humanity, so you pass them by. We all do it. The media cram so much information down our throats, wave so many headlines in our faces, that it's impossible not to become desensitized. In our country especially, violence is an everyday norm. Hollywood glorifies it. Can you think of the last movie you saw that portrayed zero violence? Can you think of the last time your read a news article portraying a good event? Open any major newspaper, and you'll find (if you're lucky) maybe maybe 10% good news. And half of that news is only "good" cause the results favored the lesser of two evils. But there are millions of good deeds performed every day across the world. Many of them major. How come these go unreported?
When was the last time you read or heard anything about our country's involvement in the Middle East? I'm not going to try and invent any conspiracies, but how is it that the Vietnam War, which was heavily documented, and inspired great political upheaval and protests within our nation's borders, was the last war to be well documented? Why? Ignorance of the masses = power in the hands of others. Sounds like a catch 22 right? Must read the news to stay "educated", but only educated on the topics we think you should be educated on.
Most media sources have become ever more polarized and opinionized. Every writer has at least a slight bias, but many articles have complete biases. Read an article and start to peel back the layers, really think about it, nearly always you can find a strong bias. And the scariest part of all in this role of encouraging biases is technology. Particularly social media. Algorithms. Pay attention. If you look at a few articles on certain topics, or from specific sources, slowly you will begin seeing more and more on those same topics and sources. From my personal observations, Apple is one of the greatest offenders. Why do they want you to read the news so badly? As a default widget on iPhones (unless they've recently changed it) the news is set up. Also, their news app comes standard issue. Open Chrome on an iPhone and the default main Google page is covered in news stories. Experiment with their news app. Over the course of a few days, click on a few articles about something specific; notice that you'll receive an increasing flood of stories similar to it over the preceding days. Now, you could argue that "it's useful, it helps me find things I'm interested in sooner, etc." But boy does it increase personal bias and polarization. If you're only seeing and reading articles based on the things you like to see, how are you ever going to get the other side or perspective of the story?! But hey, the masses don't care—why would you want to taste something you may not like, when you can be spoon fed your favorite junk food all day?
Maybe it's a necessary evil—reporters, journalists, etc., have to make a living too—but advertising in news articles makes me sick to my stomach. "Sorry to interrupt your reading about innocent women being raped and murdered, but hey, these people want you to buy lingerie. Click on this add to save 20% on cat food. Check out our sale, it'll make you feel better about the world." Capitalists will do anything to spin a dime. Their distractions contribute to a lack of sensitivity.
I'm not saying that you shouldn't read the news. But be wary of bias. Be wary of algorithmic manipulations. Seek out the topics the major brands are spewing at you.
But most of all, take the time to escape the media. Use that time to be sensitive to others. Use that time to be compassionate towards those around you. Use that time to uplift, serve, and inspire those suffering in your neighbourhood, your city, your country, your world.
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