Do you suffer from frequent headaches? Anxiety? Overspending?
Have you recently taken a dose of mass media?
You may be a victim of bullet/hypodermic theory, also known as the influence of the media.
Don't worry! You are not alone. Many people allow the media to influence their minds and actions; myself included.
I initially said to myself, "No, not me. I will not fall victim to the media's influence. I'm smarter than that!" Well, clearly that was just a lie I told myself to feel better. In all honesty, I am ashamed of how much I allow the media to influence my decisions and feelings.
For example, with the current pandemic, it's hard to resist the media's influence on COVID-19 because it's everywhere. Just take a look at this article about the number of new positive COVID-19 cases reported in Florida and the recent death toll. The headline itself makes you want to run and lock yourself in the house forever. Seriously, it's crazy how I could be having a great day and then I come across an article like the one above and instantly have anxiety. I didn't even think twice about whether this information was accurate or not, I just passively believed it.
It doesn't stop there though, I often find myself vulnerable to mass media advertisements that influence me to buy things I don't necessarily need. This constantly happens to me on social media, which is oversaturated with advertisements and influencers.
For instance, take a look at this social media ad for Apple's iPhone 11 Pro. Before seeing this ad, I had no desire to upgrade my phone because it was working perfectly fine. However, after seeing the capabilities of the night mode on the iPhone 11 Pro camera and seeing a few more ads, I was convinced I needed this phone.
I now realize I have a serious problem, I passively allow mass media to have too much control of my life. Even when it comes to the TV shows I watch. For example, I am a fan of the real housewives franchise and anytime I watch an episode or a clip like this one, I'm immediately moved to call all of my girlfriends and invite them to a random brunch or on an extravagant vacation.
With that said, even though the bullet/hypodermic theory is outdated, it still holds some truth. Well, to me at least.
Anyway, I'll stop ranting.
Until next time, peace! ✌️
xo, Sequoia