Are You Easily Brainwashed By Television?

[Dreek Lass]

Growing up there were a lot of shows that I watched on TV. I watched shows, cartoons, movies, and soap operas on television, and it didn't matter what the genre was or anything like that, they all seemed to perpetuate the same societal 'opinions' and norms, and they basically all spoke of the world that we live in from their perspective. Their perspectives were all the same, and that is not by accident in my opinion.

But as I grew up into an adult, I began to experience and see things in life, that differed dramatically from the opinions and ideas that the media puts out perpetually. And the more I spoke to other people, they told me the same thing.

On TV, couples tend to have sex a lot more often than people actually do in real life, and then people - women especially - doubt themselves or think that there is something wrong with them because they don't put as as often as what is portrayed of women or couples in the media.

The above is just one example. There are lots of examples.

So are you brainwashed by television or are you able to make a boundary between what the media puts out, and what actually really happens in society?

 

[pftsusan]

When I was a child watching TV, I used to want what these child star had. I would obsess. As an adult, I don't even like the watch the reruns of who that I had obssessed over.

So no, I'm not brain washed by them. I sellect what I want, when I want to watch them.

 

[tvjunkie]

I"m not easily brainwashed, but I do tend to daydream about being some of the characters I see. I imagine myself being a vampire because I love all the vampire series' on TV, no matter how much they 'suck'!

 

[Dreek Lass]

When I was a child watching TV, I used to want what these child star had. I would obsess. As an adult, I don't even like the watch the reruns of who that I had obssessed over.

So no, I'm not brain washed by them. I sellect what I want, when I want to watch them.

I think that it is normal to want to be in the place of those that have success for themselves, and in the place of those that seem to always have a smile on their faces when you are a child. I think that happens to most of us. I wanted to be in an all girl singing group when I was younger and I thought that it was going to happen lol, and after having gotten to know myself as I have gotten older, being famous would be one of the furthest things from what I want. I just wouldn't be able to handle it.

 

[SueA555]

I'm not brainwashed. I tend to watch more serious dramas on TV, which often involve ethical questions. I think there is a lot of good TV out there these days that is more realistic than the TV I was raised on.

 

[MercyL]

I don't think I've been brainwashed, but then I do not watch broadcast television. We watch satellite television. If anything, we gravitate toward shows reflecting our existing ideas about the world.

 

[Josie]

I think most people are easily brainwashed by media. Well, by pretty much everything surrounding them. Everyone has these really old fashioned ideas of how things work and why they need certain things or to do certain things. How to feel about certain things, how to look, what to do with your life, how to project onto other people lol. it's just a continuous stream of misinformation and manipulation and it's not just TV, it's just easier to get into people's minds when they're already staring right at it. I've never been easily manipulated by anything.. I follow my curiosities and my own happiness. I wish more people would look away and think.

 

[Dreek Lass]

I think most people are easily brainwashed by media. Well, by pretty much everything surrounding them. Everyone has these really old fashioned ideas of how things work and why they need certain things or to do certain things. How to feel about certain things, how to look, what to do with your life, how to project onto other people lol. it's just a continuous stream of misinformation and manipulation and it's not just TV, it's just easier to get into people's minds when they're already staring right at it. I've never been easily manipulated by anything.. I follow my curiosities and my own happiness. I wish more people would look away and think.

I do the same, Josie. A lot of the time people feel like you are arrogant or superior because you dare to step outside of the box. But the fact of the matter is that I don't know how to be contained within the box. I just don't know how to do it. It feels horrendously uncomfortable. I try to spread the message of the extent to which the manipulation is going on, but I need to find a balance with that. With knowledge, comes great responsibility. Seriously. You can't just dole it out willy nilly. It has to be precise and delivered in the correct manner. Of course, sometimes I just can't be bothered to go so deep into things, because to explain one thing, need a lot of prefacing, which leads into other things, and then another thing - and you quickly see that everything is linked. Curiosity didn't kill the cat. Curiosity freed the cat.

 

[Josie]

Ahh, well said. I ditto that entire post. The box is so completely uncomfortable and since really noticing I wasn't in it, I've also been trying to open eyes. Not like "knock knock, have you heard the good news", but more like "well aaactually..." lol. The eyes open to an extent, but for the most part.. the box means safety to many and you're crazy if you don't want safety. It's a waste of time unless, like you said, you dole it out carefully and thoughtfully. Which can be SO much work! lol. I'm actually working on biting my tongue at the moment. I don't like looking.. well, you know exactly how we look to people when we know something (haha how bad does that sound???) and it does sound arrogant, but I don't know how else to speak. I speak facts.. how do you not? It's a confusing world. Rather.. it's a pretty simple world, why does everyone make it so difficult? lol. Keep on keepin' on m'dear.. freedom is worth the "looks"

 

[Dreek Lass]

Ahh, well said. I ditto that entire post. The box is so completely uncomfortable and since really noticing I wasn't in it, I've also been trying to open eyes. Not like "knock knock, have you heard the good news", but more like "well aaactually..." lol. The eyes open to an extent, but for the most part.. the box means safety to many and you're crazy if you don't want safety. It's a waste of time unless, like you said, you dole it out carefully and thoughtfully. Which can be SO much work! lol. I'm actually working on biting my tongue at the moment. I don't like looking.. well, you know exactly how we look to people when we know something (haha how bad does that sound???) and it does sound arrogant, but I don't know how else to speak. I speak facts.. how do you not? It's a confusing world. Rather.. it's a pretty simple world, why does everyone make it so difficult? lol. Keep on keepin' on m'dear.. freedom is worth the "looks"

It is so strange that you should mention that you are working on biting your tongue at the moment, because it is something that I have recently come to the decision that I am going to begin to do. I had to reconcile it with not censoring myself, but rather preserving my energy and dolling out information to those that can receive it.

I am suck of constantly having to explain and justify things to people. It is pretty exhausting after a while, and there is so much to each thing in which there is to talk about.