When I left home to go to college, I stopped watching TV almost entirely. My college campus was at the very edge of a small city, nestled in the mountains, remote from civilization. For most of my college years, I saw no TV shows, no ads, no billboards, no magazines. When I would come home and the TV would be on, my first reaction was, "Everything is so fake. The people look fake. Their words sound fake." Commercials were the worst. By avoiding all of the consumer-driven media in our world, I was made much more aware of the difference between real people and TV people, "ad" people. I'm not saying we should all be hermits and avoid the media - I think that's unrealistic and probably unhelpful in the long run. But taking a break, stepping back, revealed to me how unrealistic advertising is and made me value the real people, with their real beauty (inside and out), so much more.
Very difficult question, Ron and I wish I had an immediate answer. I think the only way to struggle against this message is by offering what those ads and mediums cannot; real, honest, open communication and relationships that build people up. These ads saturate and cannot help but influence people just in sheer volume, but I see our calling as being one of building each other up. These foundations can go a long way toward counteracting the struggles people face through the media images we see constantly.
When I left home to go to college, I stopped watching TV almost entirely. My college campus was at the very edge of a small city, nestled in the mountains, remote from civilization. For most of my college years, I saw no TV shows, no ads, no billboards, no magazines. When I would come home and the TV would be on, my first reaction was, "Everything is so fake. The people look fake. Their words sound fake." Commercials were the worst. By avoiding all of the consumer-driven media in our world, I was made much more aware of the difference between real people and TV people, "ad" people. I'm not saying we should all be hermits and avoid the media - I think that's unrealistic and probably unhelpful in the long run. But taking a break, stepping back, revealed to me how unrealistic advertising is and made me value the real people, with their real beauty (inside and out), so much more.
ReplyDeleteVery difficult question, Ron and I wish I had an immediate answer. I think the only way to struggle against this message is by offering what those ads and mediums cannot; real, honest, open communication and relationships that build people up. These ads saturate and cannot help but influence people just in sheer volume, but I see our calling as being one of building each other up. These foundations can go a long way toward counteracting the struggles people face through the media images we see constantly.
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