Francis Garcia | Week 9: The Power of the Media
Photo Credit: Vigilant Citizen
American singer-songwriter and poet Jim Morrison once said “Whoever controls the media controls the mind.”
Honestly, I thought the quote Beyoncé projected during the penultimate act of her Renaissance World Tour didn’t really mean much (if only I said yes to my mom when she offered to take me during the summer of 2023…). I thought it was purely for visuals to entertain her audience amidst her costume and set changes, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that what Morrison (and Queen B, technically) said was true.
Just how much does the media influence the human mind?
In the technology-based world we live in today, we consume various forms of media, whether it be through the news delivered on our TVs in the morning as we rush for school, the Instagram posts and TikToks we scroll through behind our teachers’ backs, the newspapers from the Eagle Era passed around campus near the end of each month, the bars and rhythms of our favorite songs as we lock in or enjoy our solitude, or even reading these blog posts for AP Lang. Regardless of the form of media we consume, we take in different messages that serve different purposes. Some serve to inform us, others serve to call us to action towards something, and some special ones aim to force beliefs onto ours.
With the rise of a special orange someone gradually influencing social media platforms to “moderate content,” I started to fear for myself and how everyone receives whatever information they learn of as they engage with media. I remember during the COVID-19 pandemic how the algorithm in popular social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter allowed misinformation about the virus to spread, which divided the general communities on those platforms about what is true and false. I also learned in one Instagram post recently about how Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is starting to implement Meta policies that allow social media users to start calling members of the LGBTQ+ “mentally ill,” which could further tarnish this minority’s social standing given its history of opposition for going against traditional beliefs.
I fully support social media as a means of spreading information, but how can that accurate information reach everyone when there are people above these systems controlling what is exposed and what is not?
I can ramble on and on about other examples of incidents like these on social media, newspapers, and other forms of media that exist on this planet, but all of these events emphasize how media in general can influence our thoughts, which in turn impact our behaviors and the actions we take towards certain events and ideas.
If the media controls the mind, then the minds behind the media are able to control us, which is why it is so important to be aware of what we consume.
Hey Francis! I thought your blog was a highly insightful take and I had literal chills while reading it. As social media has strengthened its grip on society, the spread of misinformation on such platforms becomes and even more complicated, urgent problem. I found your last sentence especially powerful. In the face of changing regulations of media monitoring online this line becomes especially applicable. Thank you so much for sharing, Francis!
ReplyDeleteWhatsup Francis!! I thought this post was both insightful and quite entertaining. Your bits of humor and casual tone made it very enjoyable to read, and I appreciate the clear effort put into this post! On a serious note, I completely agree with your sentiment of being "aware of what we consume" on media. I remember in Civics class in Freshman year, we watched a documentary on how misinformation. It's crazy how much power media has that it's able to fuel real life war and large-scale conflicts. Especially with easy access to the internet, even restrictions and monitoring of media activity is practically impossible, especially for the youth. In this way, as much as media can spread awareness, it's a double-edged sword which we don't have control over. Companies that boost their technological products are a huge reason as to why such circumstances have spiraled out of control, as they know the consequences but continue to profit off of it. It shows how society has provided control to the wrong people. Overall, I love your take on this especially because you are very tech-savvy yourself (which brings a whole level of expertise to this, I assume). Awesome job!
ReplyDeleteHi Francis! I like how you blended different information that you accumulated over time to help prove your point of the twisted power the media has. Specifically, you began your blog with an explanation on how you came to ponder this topic, then included points on misinformation on social media during COVID and Meta's potentially harmful new policies. You gave multiple avenues on how media has the power to influence people in a negative or misdirected way, helping us understand your thought process! This problem is urgent and quite important given the heightened socio-political state of our country right now, which is why your blog is an insightful and helpful read! Overall, you did a great job proving your point.
ReplyDeleteHi Francis!
ReplyDeleteI loved how you asked a rhetorical question in your blog to transition to a new point which you were trying to make. I also thought that the structure of your blog helped it to be easily digested by the reader. I liked how you chose such a relevant topic also! The length choices of each paragraph also seemed incredibly impactful and helped to make your points clear and coherent. You also gave various perspective of the same issue to give the audience an objective perspective. Overall, I truly enjoyed reading what you had to write this week and look forward to reading your next blog!