Class Response: January 20, 2009

Today we spend a time discussing the impact of mass media in the lives/circumstances of people. The Frankfurt School claimed that mass media has lulled people to asleep causing them to forget how difficult and tough their situations really was. Another idea was 'reification', where 'particular' perspectives become 'natural'. I agree, mass media has such significance in my everyday life, how i perceive life, what i believe to be 'cool', 'good', 'bad', shaping my morality in subtle ways. It it amazing to see what has become 'natural' on television, which a few years ago was either discouraged or forbidden. We change along with what is being shown on television and we don't even know it. It is quite frightening.