Apology for the Media

Of all the things people love to complain about, and there are a lot of them, the media is surely near the top of the list. But the media is really a wonderful thing. Since ancient times, people have used the media to be places they couldn’t be otherwise.

There are reasons to dislike, or even hate the media. People think media some kind of foreign, nefarious, unnatural thing. In truth, all humans wield the terrible power of media. Any time you tell a story, or draw a picture, or maybe even write a blog post, you are creating media. It is your birthright as a human. Some people’s media just goes further than others’.

The media is accused of telling lies. I’m sure this is true to some extent, because the media is made of people, and people are liars. Isn’t a lie is just a story that people get mad about?

I understand being mad at the media, but that is just being ungrateful. People have always had the need and the want to consume media. Do you know how much a colonial guy would pay for a new story? Do you realize what an ancient Sumerian would do a light human interest story?

People in the past were desperate for information. Today not so much. There is such a vast about of media out there that we don’t know what to do with it. We can watch news all day. We can watch movies for weeks. We can read more in a single sitting than out ancestors had access to in their entire lives. And we take it all for granted.

Some people are so saturated they can’t tell media from reality. Any reasonable person can tell fake news from not. And a reasonable person will admit even the real news is sort of fake sometimes. You shouldn’t believe too much in anything you see on paper, or on a screen. If you think for yourself, and don’t take information for granted, then the media is not a problem.

Taking things for granted makes a person bitter. It is far better to appreciate the media, for things you appreciate don’t control you.

I appreciate the media because it provides a unique opportunity for a nobody like me. I know I am a unique individual with worth and all that, but I am not important. I’m just a guy. And yet, through the media, I am able to see important events like the presidential inauguration. I got a front row seat, and I didn’t even have to wait in line.

It doesn’t matter if you actually like the event, it is still cool to get to see historic things. Through media, a poor person who hates sports can see the Super Bowl without any hassle. Through media, average peasants can hear the best music, see the best art, and even learn from the best experts. In the past, these were all privileges held only by the elite few. Now it is the privilege of anyone who can read, or look, or listen.

Through media, people have more opportunity for experience than ever before, and yet people love to complain about it. They complain about opportunity. I suppose they always have. I guess they always will.

The next big thing in media is Virtual reality technology. Right now it is mostly just used for games, but I’m sure one day we will see VR TV. And then there will be VR News. And then there will be- gasp- VR Fake News!

Media allows us to see worlds. Sometimes media shows us the real world, like when we watch the news. Other times it is a fake world we see, like when we watch Star Wars. A lot of times it is a combination. The media can even show us worlds that seem real, but are really quite fictional. Like those biased website that angry up your crazy friend/relative.

Media gives people the gift of vision. They should be grateful, but instead they get mad, because they don’t like what they see.

Always remember: If you don’t like something, it’s your problem.