In Brave New World, Huxley writes of how the society conditions people at a young age by reiterating phrases and rules so many times that it becomes second nature to think these ideas when they grow older. He calls it "hypnopaedic". Reading this got me thinking of how this is seen much more subtley in our society. Kids discern right from wrong based off their parents' teachings or their religions. What friends, collegues, or the media says is "in" must mean that those things are cool to have. I mean the world's flat just because, right?
For instance, my friend Warren was writing an article for The Windjammer on one of the recent Props being proposed. He synthesized his ideas based off what he heard from the news and media. When he presented the article to his teacher, she said he was misinformed and printed out the Prop for him to read and interpret himself. Warren thought he had formed his own ideas, but he actually had just molded them, subconsciously, after others' opinions.
So how prominent is this subconscious conditioning in our society?
And will someone, someday, consciously do this to the masses?
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As you have said through my experience, I believe this subconscious conditioning is prominent, more so than people believe. I wrote that article thinking I was being informed, the facts flew at me and I immediately thought this was going to be an easy article. My sources: television news, online blogs, and online journalists. To my shock, every fact I had gathered was wrong. Who knew the news could be wrong? Postman did, but as a member of the general population, I did not. More importantly, who knew to look at the actual prop for information? After reading it, I found that it was right, the point made was in the Constitution itself.
ReplyDeleteThe media is already consciously doing this to the masses, but it is entertainment, as Postman pointed out. Their goal is to entertain, not to inform.
Side note: After re-writing the article, it was cut out of the newspaper, because it was deemed "too controversial" by the Mayfair staff. Where did my freedom of speech go?
You don't have any in school, Warren. Well, if it's not conducive to a proper learning environment, that is. You should know that by now.
ReplyDeleteI know, Raul, I know. But you have the answer right, we do not have freedom of speech "if it's not conducive to a proper learning environment." What infuriates me is that it was. The article was on the Arizona Immigration Law, it was a story on the news page, and it gave you pure facts that you do not find in the media, the kind you can only get from actually reading the law. This issue was conducive to a proper learning environment because it gave you the truth of the matter, that is all, it did not distort or take the law out of context as on the television, it was purely unbiased. What does it matter if it is controversial or not, a lot of subjects in history are. I stated facts and was effectively silenced. This is what aggravated me.
ReplyDeleteTyler, I think that while we are not being forced to listen to these messages while we sleep, we are having our opinions altered by news shows like Glenn Becks show on Fox and other such news and politics shows. I see this social conditioning presence everywhere, in movies, television, books, advertising and so on.However this isnt necessarily a bad thing, we should be exposed to others opinions so that we can grow. One thing I do fear is that the information that they are giving us may not be true or the opinions that they are giving us may not be rationally thought through when adopted by all of the watchers or readers.
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