Media's Influence On My Worldview

Many factors have affected how I see the world, and the way I view things. The three biggest influences on my worldview have been my community, the media, and my family. The media plays a huge role in how I (and everyone really) view and experience the world around me. I spend, on average, about three hours each day watching TV, and around an hour (interspersed throughout the day) on Facebook, so it is clear to see how much I could be affected by the media. The affluence of our community, on the Main Line, also has a large impact on my view of the world. The last, and most significant factor of my worldview is my family. Family is the number one means of socialization, and as such contributes immensely to worldview. The majority of my beliefs,

The media greatly affects how I view the world. The TV shows I watch-- sitcoms like The Big Bang Theory, The Office, and Parks and Recreation-- subconsciously form paradigms for friendships, relationships, success and happiness. What I see in those shows seeps into my mind and creates a model for what those things should be like, or are supposed to be like. Also, social media like Facebook positively skews information and events around the world. Posts on Facebook are often generously optimistic: detailing inspirational stories and dealing out support for innumerable different groups. This creates somewhat of a false sense of optimism and overwhelming good in the world. You almost never see stories of tragedy: you almost never see stories of true reality. You often find miracle stories and people taking a stand for morals and their beliefs. It falsely represents the reality. I can recognize that, in using Facebook, I have been affected by this and that it has affected my worldview. Through these means-- through TV and social media, as well as video games (which have largely the same effect as TV)-- the media has affected my

The community I have grown up in has had a gigantic impact on me. The affluence of the Main Line as well as the excellence and high expectations of Conestoga High School have given me an immense sense of privilege and entitlement. As difficult as it is to admit, I have somewhat of a sense that it is my right to go out into the world, get a good job, and be successful. It isn’t simply a hope, or dream or desire, my environment has taught me that, that is what is supposed to happen, and that is what will happen. The overwhelming number of wealthy people in the community subconsciously gives the impression that it is my “destiny” (for lack of a better word) to go out and become wealthy myself. The fact that I have never really had a brush with poverty or really any kind of financial hardship has given me a warped perception of the way the world works. The bubble of our community has shielded me from the realities of life in other parts of the country and the world. It has also provided me with a general sense of hope and optimism about the world which might be missing or lesser in people my same age living in less affluent