A Media Driven World

With news of the latest bombing in Boston filling our television and social media screens, I can't help but think back to a simpler time. A time when the media didn't control our lives. We often look upon our youth as a better time. Things were easier, safer and just better. But were they? We know that bad things still happened. The world as a whole has not necessarily become more dangerous, or more violent. In fact, there are many studies that insist on just the opposite. That the world is actually safer and less violent now than in the past. But it sure doesn't feel that way, does it? I blame technology and the media. 
The major difference in the world in the last 50 years isn't more crazy people, it's more awareness. Growing up in the 80's, the news was on at set times, usually twice a day, in the morning and evening. For one hour a day, you learned about what was happening in the world. The news gave you the facts and that was it. You made up your own mind what to think about it. Every house received a newspaper each morning, and if you happened to miss the news, you could read about what you missed. Again... just the facts. The who, what, where, when and ONLY if they were 100% sure, the why. No speculation, no interviews from irrelevant sources, no biased opinions and no unnecessary regurgitation of the same information just to fill space and try to gain viewers. The news was a necessity, not a form of entertainment. 
Now, not only is the news on 24/7, but we have the internet, social media and smart phones to access not just the facts, but a million different people's interpretation of those facts. We mistakenly think the news is giving us information we need, when in reality it is feeding our fears. By filling our heads with information we don't need and constantly repeating it, we are being brainwashed to think that it isn't safe for our kids to play outside, and that every time we leave the relative safety of our homes, we are risking life and limb. We are allowing the media to convince us that the only way to be safe is to tune in to their every word and do exactly as they tell us. Sounds a bit similar to cult behavior to me. I like to think that I am a fairly intelligent individual. This means that I am fully capable of making up my own opinion on things. I don't want to live in a world where I am afraid to go outside. Bad things happen. That is a reality. If you cower in fear of everything, then what is the point in living? If we teach our children to be afraid of every  noise and smell and food, they will never enjoy life. The more you keep your kids locked inside and staring at a television or computer screen, the more brainwashed they become. Teach your children to be aware, not be afraid. Teach them to make up their own minds, not to allow others to make it for them. Show them the good and beauty in the world, don't bombard them with the evil. Let them play outside. I don't watch a lot of news, but last I checked, fresh air is still safe to breathe, and a few grass stains won't kill you. 
I know that there is darkness and evil in the world. It has existed as long as man. But there is also goodness and light. For every one bombing and terrorist attack, there are hundreds of positive stories that get overshadowed. Don't let the media turn you against your fellow man. Don't let them feed your fears and make you forget that there is an amazing world out there ready to be experienced and enjoyed. You have a mind of your own. Use it to decide what is important to you. You cannot turn off the scary, evil and ugly things in the world, but you can turn off the TV and computer.