Francis Berger
  • Blog
  • My Work

The Purposeful Harmfulness of Mass Media

1/27/2019

0 Comments

 
Over the past decade or so, I have been gradually turning away from all mainstream news and media sources. I still occassionally read headlines or dip into the odd article, and there have been times during which I waded back into the mainstream media when I had a personal interest in some event or other, but overall I have essentially restricted my exposure to the media as much as possible. The impetus behind this decision and the gradual lifestyle change accompanying it is a rather simple one stemming from the realization that the mass media, in all its forms, is purposefully harmful.

Many people are quick to acknowledge the media as detrimental or, at a bare minimum, accept that certain aspects of the media have the potential to be harmful, but cannot embrace the idea that the media, in its entirety, is purposefully poisonous. In this light, most people regard the media as they regard most things in life – as something neutral consisting of equal amounts of good and bad. Ask people what the media is and they will invariably state that the various forms of media are basically means through which ideas and information are shared, or forums through which opposing viewpoints are presented and debated. Consequently, whatever harm the media causes – such as the current hysteria over fake news – are viewed as side effects rather than purposefully driven objectives.

Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. Outside sources are not required to reach this conclusion. All it takes is a little time and some rumination on the following questions:
  • What is the media?
  • What does it do?
  • What does it not do?
  • What is its true role in society?
  • Who and what makes up the media?
  • Who and what controls the media?
  • What is the end goal of nearly all forms of media?
  • What influences have the media had on me? How many of these influences have been postive/negative?

The questions above do not form an exhaustive list, but instead represent a start. If you are so inclined, take an hour or two, go through these questions one by one, and try to answer them as sincerely as possible from the foundations of your own experience and intuition. Your answers are likely to surprise you.

If you are interested in reading on outside source on the subject, I highly recommend Bruce Charlton’s Addicted to Distraction: The Psychological Consequences of the Mass Media, which is the most probing, yet concise elucidation on the subject I have encountered to date. The work is free online if you follow the link above. I urge you to give a read. It might just get you thinking about the purposeful harmfulness of the mass media.
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    RSS Feed

    Blog and Comments

    Blog posts tend to be spontaneous, unpolished, first draft entries ranging from the insightful and periodically profound to the poorly-argued and occasionally disparaging.
     

    Comments are moderated. Anonymous comments are never published (please use your name or a pseudonym). 

    Emails welcome:

    f er en c ber g er (at) h otm   ail (dot) co m
    Blogs/Sites I Read
    Bruce Charlton's Notions
    Meeting the Masters
    From The Narrow Desert
    Synlogos ✞ Aggregator
    New World Island  
    New World Island YouTube
    ​Steeple Tea
    Berdyaev.com
    Adam Piggott
    Fourth Gospel Blog
    The Orthosphere
    Junior Ganymede

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    June 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    April 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    October 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012

    Picture
    A free PDF is also available in My Work. 
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.