How has mainstream media (tv, print, radio) affected our culture?
@kathleenquist (9)
January 4, 2011 7:30pm CST
Mainstream media consists of television, print and radio which is controlled by a handful of big corporations. This one way communication tool subjecting its viewers to repetition, trivial stories, and consumerism.
Drama, emotion, violence and crisis dominates in the psyche of the American culture.
Why? and how did it get there?
1 person likes this
2 responses
@CarlHalling (3617)
• United Kingdom
5 Jan 11
I feel there was a cultural shift in the 1960s. There had been one in the '20s too; but it didn't have the same power as the sixties cultural revolution. The ideas of the '60s were hardly new. They had been in existence for centuries: but US/Western society was really transformed in that decade. The '50s was not all that different to the '60s if you look at it; but the prevailing culture in that decade was still deeply conservative.
@kathleenquist (9)
•
5 Jan 11
If you could please explain what the ideas of the 60's were. I am not sure myself.
Yes, that was in my opinion the end of the conservative culture. I would bet a teenager from that era would be appalled at what the teenagers today are like. huh...
@CarlHalling (3617)
• United Kingdom
5 Jan 11
Yes, many teenagers from the '50s would be...er; I think they'd not even believe the future. I mean, not just today...but: the '60s was so different from the '50s: it was like another world altogether; incredible to the older generation. Having said that, the '60s existed in germ form in the '50s, and had done so for centuries: there is nothing new under the sun. I'd say the '50s were still under the dominion of traditional values based on the West's Judaeo-Christian heritage which was the basis of conservative culture. What happened in the '60s was that alternative values...an oppositonal culture...made massive inroads into the mainstream, and the West's traditional Judaeo-Christian value system was systematically questioned. These alternative values had existed for centuries; indeed since time immemorial in one form or another: but with the help of the media and, above all, Rock music, they started dominating the mainstream perhaps for the first time. There was massive resistance of course. But in time this was significantly quieted. All that said however, conservative culture didn't fade away. Far from it.
@marrie1 (255)
• United States
5 Jan 11
I think peopel wanted to see what life is really like. I was actually having this discussion wiht someone last night and we both agreed that reality shows are getting rediculous. We both agreed that our own lives could be streamed and we might not even know it.
@kathleenquist (9)
•
5 Jan 11
Agree, the reality shows shouldn't even be called reality, real life is not like that. Your life could be streamed but right now I think you would know it.
