Is the Media Driving Us to Conformity?

Is the Media Driving Us to Conformity?

In the modern world, humans strive to measure their worth and importance as an individual within their society, rather than being valued on their own terms. Their behavior is driven by their desire to follow that which the media portrays as a better, more ideal life. Through technological platforms like social media, television, entertainment news and magazines, the world has become conformed into following an ideology of assimilating people to fit to society’s standards. People follow the herd, which is led by the advertisers, through the media. Money influences the media, the media influences the herd. Young people especially are more prone to changing their lifestyle and adapting to these norms through the influence of the media.

        Throughout the 19th century, there became a much higher demand for news in society. The printing press allowed people to have more access to information about how the world was advancing and that led to mass-merchandising, fed by the industrial revolution. There was a rise in consumerism as people had much more knowledge about things they could buy. Material objects became the thing that kept people happy. As technology advanced, the media was focused through commercialism, by informing people of new products they could buy that could improve their lives. When the radio, and then later the television, were invented, they were essential appliances to have in a home. It was a way to distract people from their real lives, their problems, their individuality. Television shows were mostly fictitious realities that people loved, because those realities were better than their own.

        Television introduced more celebrity fame. As more people became famous through acting on television, regular individuals began to evaluate their own recognition in society. People began to mold their lives and change their habits to follow the lives of famous people they saw on television and other media platforms. Celebrities are praised in society, so people believed that if they looked and acted like them, they may be praised too. However, this concept yields only a greater loss in individuality as people adapt their lifestyles to fit to the expectations of the mainstream world.

        These days, entertainment and media revolve mostly around celebrities. Many of these celebrities endorse products simply for the financial gain, never honestly attesting to the claims of the product. Consumer goods and products are valued more if celebrities take interest in them, which influence average people to be interested in them. Most of these products that celebrities recommend are ones that make you look “more beautiful”, according to society’s definition, which conforms the world to following one image of beauty. Characters portrayed in film and people in magazines are stereotyped into looking rather unrealistic, this sets the standards for normal people to be impractical. These standards are usually psychological; people are overwhelmed by the media influence that they believe it is in their best interest to conform themselves to be recognized by society. People look to others for inspiration, and as a result everyone becomes the same. Instead of embracing their differences, they assimilate themselves to fit in a media-driven society. This includes keeping up with the latest trends and constantly informing themselves on ways to properly portray themselves the way the media directs it.

        Television commercials and advertisements play a huge role in persuading consumers to buy foods and products that they continue to buy while allow them to keep up with the mainstream. The budget for marketing and advertising has steadily increased over 2% a year. “The top 200 advertisers in the United States [including Verizon and American Express] spent a record $137.8 billion on advertising in 2014”^[1]. As a result, these companies and their products are globally known and influential in the marketplace. In an experiment where Coca-Cola was tasted out of  an unlabeled paper cup, versus the same soft drink left in the bottle with the label on it, more people preferred the taste of the beverage in the bottle, unaware that it was the same exact drink^[a]. Huge companies like Coca-Cola have been able to brainwash people into buying their product, as low prices and positive advertising keep consumers coming back for more and more. A consumer is left to believe that they could drink this and become just like the beautiful, fun, popular people in the ads? These huge companies are monopolizing the food and product industry, causing people to adapt their lives into buying, and doing, all of the same things, and as a result it is assimilating our culture^[b].