The Media and Your Mind

Inspiration MinistriesBy Inspiration Ministries3 Minutes

Far ahead of his time, Marshall McLuhan grasped the role media has in shaping society. Born on this day in 1911, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, McLuhan observed with prophetic clarity how media indelibly had changed society through the way information was communicated. It changed how people thought, how movements were started, how ideas were spread, and how minds could be influenced.

In his revolutionary 1964 book, Understanding Media, McLuhan warned of the impact of television. He observed how, since the introduction of television, children reacted to life differently. They are “not at all the same,” but have different expectations and “an entirely new set of perceptions.”

McLuhan saw that television also changes the way adults think. Viewers are “involved and participate,” and they become fascinated with TV stars. “Everybody experiences far more than he understands. Yet it is experience, rather than understanding, that influences behavior.”

McLuhan wrote that most people are “almost inevitably unaware” of the powerful impact the media is having on them. We see that impact today through an exploding array of media innovations that encroach ever deeper into our lives and gain an ever-increasing grip on society. How, we wonder, are lives being changed because of the Internet, cell phones, and iPods? Yet even with this explosion of new technologies, TV viewing actually has been increasing, as it continues to shape the thoughts and lives of people of all ages.

Right now, what is influencing your thoughts, actions, and beliefs? The world? TV programs? Celebrities? Friends? Gossip? Realize, like David, that you can control what you allow your eyes to see and what enters your mind. Fill your heart and mind with God’s Word. Let Him shape your life.

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