A Reflection

What do we think it means to be an American?

What do those in power (especially those who control the media) want us to think it means to be an American?

Is the answer to this question remarkably similar to the answer to the first question?

If the word "America" in those questions is replaced by the word "woman," or "consumer," or "Rush Limbaugh," are the answers to those questions still very similar? The answer is not necessarily yes or no for all of them (for many people, the answer might be "yes" for America, women, and consumers, but "no" for Rush Limbaugh). Regardless, the way media, or certain sections of the media, portray individuals, groups, or demographics often influences our perceptions of those same objects more than anything else in our society.

That is what this blog has been about. What is the media trying to tell us about ourselves? Why do advertisements work? Our lives are dominated by media. We are exposed to thousands of advertisements each day, and our minds do subconsciously process all of them. From our favorite television shows, to our favorite magazines, to our favorite shopping mall or Tube station in London, to our favorite far-right cable news channel, to our favorite "mainstream" cable news channel, to our favorite Youtube videos, to just about everything else, there is someone behind it trying to make money. Often, they try to sell us products or even ideologies that further their own careers and self-interest.

This is a roundabout way of getting to the message of this blog. It's not that the media is evil. It's not that we need to rise up and rebel against the evil Wall Street and Vine Street executives who are trying to control our lives. It's much more simple than that. All we need to do is to be aware. We need to be aware that we are surrounded by media, and all of the other things that I've talked about before. Through this awareness, we can develop a level of skepticism towards the media, so that we don't automatically believe everything that comes out of Sean Hannity's mouth. We can also view the stereotypes and dogma perpetuated by many areas of the media with more skepticism, which will help break through the gridlock and social apathy prevalent in our society today.

This is not, of course, a cure-all to solve every social, political, and economic problem that we face in the United States today. It is, however, a step towards being the independent, free-thinking individuals that a functioning modern-day democracy requires. It is a way to proceed through the twenty-first Century with direction and purpose, to allow a new generation, a Free Generation, to reshape the world with the great weight of centuries-old dogma lifted from their shoulders.