That is a question which I want to explore. First I will write what I mean by fooling people. Watching TV the viewer is bombarded with pointless reality shows, TV games like “which suitcase you choose”, never ending serials with no true plot or films like “Hit tygodnia” which are some stupid action movies. Strangely TV shows can be addictive - even ones where there is nothing going on like “M jak miłość” or The Bold and the Beautiful. There’s almost nothing worth turning TV on. It seems like watching TV has no other purpose than killing time, but that is not all of the story. I don't want to start with how long people are doing it day by day.
http://leisureguy.files.wordpress.com/2007/07/tv.jpg?w=470
In my opinion the worst thing is the manipulation. In the news I can hardly see reliable information – often it is one side story with the moral or the opinion in the end. For me it is like TV wants people to think what they want them to. In TV shows the world is often an idealized place. For example, in the show called Friends the main characters seem to have nothing to do, have almost no responsibilities. They only go to work (some event don't do that) and spend time together in the coffee-house or at home?
Aren’t they the best friends in the world? Maybe after the show you want to be a part of it (even for a few seconds) or have friends like them? Another great example what I mean is a serial called “Entourage”. Basically, it’s about a few young folks with too much money (truly, one has money but everybody uses it) to spend. In every episode they drive very expensive cars, have great clothes, live in a big house and have awesome time at parties...
Isn't it sweet?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=740vPo5-FqM&feature=related
The viewer while watching it may for a moment feel good, want to be a part of it. Then comes the moment of truth. The Person realizes (maybe subconsciously) that they are not like them, they don’t have a superb car, money, or a big house like one in the show. And all of the sudden – bam, there is cure for that mood. An advert showing how that or another product can bring you closer to the happy feeling, the one that brings hope that you can be like them, living that dream. It makes you want to have the staff shown in ads.
Great example is the live changing phone advert:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8tWLEsLpxs&feature=related
Questions:
How you feel about the subject?
Do you feel manipulated by the TV?
Friday 21 January 2011
Does TV fool people?
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Of course that people are manipulated by Tv. It is evident. I don’t know if you watch Fakty or Wiadomości but to observe the manipulation it is necessary to watch both of them. They show the same information in absolutely different way. Only if you compare them you will be able to create your own independent opinion. I really recommend it. What do you think about it?
ReplyDeleteTo be honest I removed the TV from my live and I’m not watching it at all. To see what is happening in the world I’m using the internet, which probably is not a lot better. Maybe someone can tell me what is better – the TV or the internet?
ReplyDelete@Jakub: Probably it is the same, but there are some differences. As TV channels are also present on the internet like newspapers and radio stations, there are also ordinary people who are not sponsored and write really what they think and what they know.
ReplyDeleteI've a TV in my living room, but I don't watch TV shows, the news or any of that. I use my TV only for watching movies, without ads, without wasting time.
I have tv in my room, I use it to watch/listen information channels but for a most of time I'm not really listening what's happening there, it's just a background to my computer work ;) Everything becouse I'm very interested in (esp. international) politics, but when I work on my computer I don't want to waste my time for browsing information pages.
ReplyDeleteOf course news are usually very manipulated - exactly as Małgorzata wrote. It's always good to watch them from two different sources - we should remember that internet isn't better - just compare websites of Gazeta Wyborcza and Rzeczpospolita...
I watch tv rather rare but despite of this I know that TV makes people more stupid, addicts from media and the worst is that it takes a big part of our life. I can agree that TV manipulate people by using specially kind of interaction with viewer. The best example of this are advertisment which use so sophisticated ways to convince watcher to make some decision or just to buy some products. If you want to have more free time and be more happy don't watch TV as often as you do it actually.
ReplyDeleteI don't watch much tv, and I don't have a telly. But it's obvious to me that media manipulate their viewers. The same thing is with newspapers and Internet sites. Information is a weapon, and everyone who have it wants to make a use of it and make some money.
ReplyDeleteIn TV I watch only football matches so I can't feel manipulated ;) But for me TV has big impact on people. This is reason why politicians pay big money for good image of his people in TV.
ReplyDeleteDoes TV fool people? It's impossible not to agree with you. TV tries to influence people taking away their ability to think for themselves. Most TV programs present a view of world which does not resemble reality. The aim is to develop a desire inside all of us to lead the lifestyle that 'they' impose. As a result, teenagers nowadays are much different than 20, or even 10 years ago. Sometimes, I have the feeling they have infinite void in their heads. When it comes to me, I am not manipulated by TV. Usually, I don't watch it, however, I am not completely against it. There are some TV programs worth watching. Sometimes, I switch on some programs in foreign languages (for instance, German or French) as I want to practice my listening skill. Programs such as Discovery can be interesting too.
ReplyDeleteFor sure TV manipulates people. Many people are influenced by mass media, they change their point of view.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that I watch news very rarly, but I'm fan of some great serials. Sometimes they can give us rest after work day and so on.
I know that TV manipulates our thoughts. Now there are special methods of manipulation to get us something to sell or transfer the way you want. We know the basic methods of manipulation to be aware when they want to deceive us.
ReplyDeleteI think people have always been manipulated by power. The media has recently become one of the forces that affect the thinking of people. Selective choice of information and the vision of the world that shows the directors and producers make people see only their way of thinking. Fortunately, we also have social media that allow human beings to be both sender and receiver such as information transfers.
ReplyDelete