Unarguably, media plays a huge role in our society and the socialization of children. Although media today is much more readily available it has existed for a very long time, even in those “better times” our grandparents talk about. Media isn’t just movies, television, and Internet. It’s books, magazines, and songs too.

I believe mass media is essential. It is both good and bad with a lot of gray area as these types of things always are. My generation learned basic Spanish, social norms, manners, and counting from Dora. However, we also learned swear words, how to use drugs, and violence from several more popular television shows. Again, this isn’t a new thing in my generation. My grandparents learned how to read and do math in simple picture books and later read westerns that were filled with violence and other works with “unacceptable” writings; “Howl” by Allen Ginsburg comes to mind.

With just this evidence I would simply say that media is bad. Our parents and teachers can teach us simple math and reading without nationally known characters. Then there would be a lot less people exposed to these norm breakers.

However, I then think of the absence of media. Without books, television, movies, and internet my social education would be limited to Farson and Rock Springs with only a few visits elsewhere. As we all know, the world is much more than Farson, Wyoming. It may be bad and it may be good, but a blunt ignorance upon entering a new place is simply the worst. Media can even save lives. Without television, radio, and Internet no one would see tornado warnings, Amber Alerts, or Wanted Persons.

When it comes to this debate, I think that the bad is just more amplified than the good. By breaking it down, I really think that media is necessary for an improving society. If there were no media all my education would come from parents and school. That brings up images of Ray Bradbury novels. When you receive a formal, controlled, and one-sided education it is easy to be dumb, ignorant followers. Media gives you a wide variety of learning albeit some is bad. I would rather live in a society with some crime and bad images than this social and worldly blindness that many people desire.