How is Our Knowledge Influenced by Media?

In the modern world, media has become a preliminary source of “knowledge”. In addition to this, most people look towards models (and actors) for fashion and style tips. The absorption of knowledge from the media persists at an unstoppable rate. The news, of which we read or watch, comes from one source and is therefore a somewhat bias opinion. It is with these speculations that we attach our “knowledge” of that such event. One such example concerns the recent tsunami, of which affected several Asian nations. Numerous articles, written by those who were not present during the time of the natural disaster, stated that with prior understanding of how a tsunami is caused, they themselves would have reacted to the receding of water, by running away. But in reality, nobody can really place themselves in the position, unless they themselves were there.

Similarly, the fashion trends are expressed through media. People look towards the ideal person, apparently actors and models, for tips on how to accessorize and look good in the modern day world. The interesting thing regards the actual physique of these persons. Nowadays, models have weight and height restrictions. These restrictions impose boundaries concerning what a person should look like. Several factors contribute to the amount of influence media has on the public. The most valuable factor concerns the strength of that society’s specific culture. One very profound example of this is India. Previously, and still, being overweight is a sign of wealth. This is in relation to the fact that food is a scarcity in India, and if you have lots of it, it means you are rich. Of course, now there are several health risks to being overweight, but the effects of media vary between all nations and cultures. Media is controlled and manipulated by society. It is society that has placed most of the boundaries already; media is just another media to continue doing so.