How Media Affects Us All: Fiction, Reality, and Our Altered Lives

Alexander Y. Robb*, Scott Williams, and Jamie Dessart

Department of English, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506 and Waynesburg University Department of Philosophy Waynesburg, PA 15370

Presentation Category: Oral-Behavioral & Social Sciences (Oral Presentation #49)

Student’s Major: Psychology

Reality has been a victim of the influence of media since people have been putting meaning to words. Whether in form of song, text, or visual arts, media has become a nigh unstoppable force regarding people’s perceptions of the world around them. This series of essays seeks to explore, with a focus on television and literary media produced for the young adult demographic, how culture has taken and used these mediums for both honorable, and not so honorable purposes. From people taking inspiration from works of fiction to commit crimes, to the demonization of animals leading to their killings as a result of sensationalism in movies, the importance of introducing sensitive topics to children young to help them learn empathy, to even the effect that comedy and satire have had on our society's tolerance for bigotry, this essay looks at the potential for media to be a mover and shaker in the world for progress and change, while also examining its potential for great works of evil, especially for a generation that is increasingly involved with making their identity line up with beliefs they see and integrate from media.

Funding:

Program/mechanism supporting research/creative efforts: My efforts were mainly voluntary.