We are being manipulated and lied to. The media that we watch and listen to is full of propaganda, deceit, and manipulation. Those with money and power can easily sway public opinion by inserting their message in a popular movie, TV program, or the news. It’s very easy to pass off lies as the truth when most people don’t have the time or ability to fact check everything.
If we were living in a communist society, the government would control what we watch and listen to and listening to or watching anything else could get us jail time or worse. In a democracy, we can freely express our opinions, but some opinions are more suppressed than others. Also, while everyone is entitled to their opinion, some people have louder voices than others. Those who control the media get their opinions expressed the most and loudest. Even corporations who run social media platforms can silence someone for expressing views against what the corporation deems appropriate.
I don’t enjoy watching the news anymore because it’s heavily opinionated instead of being fact based. The news stories are presented at a slant to make people think and feel a certain way. Most of the time, I feel angry and worried after watching the news. I never feel uplifted and encouraged. I’ve also seen good movies and shows tainted because a controversial topic or woke ideology that is pushed. Children can adopt the values of the shows they watch and more and more parents are using the television as a babysitter.
We are still in control and can impact the media around us by what we choose to view. If we don’t like the way a certain show or movie is presented, don’t watch it. If enough people don’t watch it, we will begin to see less of it. If we don’t like the values of a website, don’t visit it. Corporations push what they think will make them the most money and if less people are attracted to what they put out there, we will see the corporations change what they put out.
Negative media can make us have negative attitudes as well. Many people say, “You are what you eat.” Well, we take in a lot more than food. What songs do we listen to and what shows do we watch? All of these things that we take in get absorbed into our minds and hearts and can affect us in both good and bad ways. While it is important to know what’s going on around the world, we need to be careful about what we take in. There are many movies that I think would be interesting, but I don’t watch them because they contain too much violence, sexuality, or bad language. There are also many films I don’t watch because I feel like they are pushing an agenda more than a story.
When I watch a movie with a well written story that isn’t trying push an agenda, I walk away happy and satisfied, even if the story is a sad one. My soul feels energized when I listen to music that not only sounds good, but has a good message. Finally, I’m appreciative when I find out what’s happening in the world without being told how to feel about it. A couple of days ago, I went to adoration and exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. I sat in front of Jesus for two hours without any distractions and I came out of the church uplifted, encouraged, and happy. We truly are what we take in.
