feelings, and opinions. We are individuals, and nothing influences us without our knowledge and

permission. Certainly not the media; we create the media, after all, and direct it with our own

tastes and preferences. It is merely a part of our lives, a not-too pervasive part. We say this with

absolute certainty and still know that we lie. For the media is not a part of our lives, it is our lives.

It directs us, moves us towards what its creators, directors and sponsors want us to see.

Everything we do is not media influenced, it is media-dictated.

In some ways, our modern information systems are helpful. They are, after all, informative.

From these systems we learn, we process the information they bring on current events, popular

culture, and every other subject known to man. But the information is tainted. It is filtered through

the corporate sponsors and the agendas of those who bring it to us. Therefore we bow to the

opinions of those who give us our knowledge on every subject they expose us to, from the clothes

we buy, to the music we listen to, the films we see, books we read, poli

values: respect for elders, kindness to neighbors, do your homework, eat your broccoli. The shows

them, they become susceptible to the imagery in many ads. Unless they have cultivated the ability

is not valued in popular culture can hardly be expected to develop the skills necessary to

Sacks lays the blame even more firmly on the shoulders of the media and bemoans the modern

see and how we see it, the question is, how do these values, brought to us in this rapid-fire way,

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2837
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page double spaced)