The article “Too Much Media”, written by Pat Aufderheide has surely caused deep resonance among the population of the United States because it focuses on the issues that have always been of profound interest to sociologists and psychologists. According to the author, the present-day mass media are oversaturated with information, which is very often unreliable. Moreover, Pat Aufderheide believes that some restrictions should be put on “Big Media” because it has more and more power over us.
Naturally, the impact that mass media have on human consciousness, has often been discussed, because they have practically become our guides and advisors. The majority of people, raised by media, usually make decisions or some moral choices, relying on what see on television or listen to the radio. The main problem is that people who influence our decisions through media pursue their own mercenary ends. Certainly, there are some exceptions, and there are people, who believe that television is just a pursuit of profit, however, the exception only proves the rule. Sociologists and psychologists have been literally crying about it for a very long time, but we just prefer to disregard them.
The author stresses the idea that we are living in the world of “too much media”. Science-fiction writers believed that virtual reality would appear only in the distant future; it seems they were mistaken. The question arises, whether it is really so bad. On the one hand, this immense ocean of information gives us the opportunity to choose, but on the other hand, we do not know where to find the information we need. These are the two sides of this coin.
The most controversial issue, which Pat Aufderheide touches upon, is the necessity to impose some restrictions on mass media. In fact, the author uses the euphemism “media reform”. It stands to reason that people reassess their views about television. Nevertheless, is it necessary to put limits on “Big Media”? Protectors of free speech would say that such “reform” contradicts the First Amendment of the US Constitution and that it is a blatant violation of human rights. In their opinion, such restriction will eventually lead to censorship. It is worth mentioning that censorship is some kind of filter, which refines what we watch and listen to, without it mass media will collapse into a state of total chaos. Thus, we can say that censorship cannot be entirely abolished. Yet, it is also a powerful means of control. Who has the right to decide what we should or should not see? What are the major criteria for selection? The point is that people who set the rules for mass media may have intentions, which are far from good. History can give many examples, proving this statement. This is the main danger of censorship and it is extremely difficult to keep the sense of proportion if we speak about this issue. Probably, it is a matter of personal choice and we should not blame media for all our troubles, because, in fact, they reflect our own desires and ambitions.
Therefore, we may arrive at the conclusion that the article “Too Much Media” has raised many important questions concerning the role of mass media in our society. However, we can say that they still require a great deal of discussion, because the conflict of freedom and necessity remains unresolved.
Bibliography
Pat Aufderheide. “Too Much Media” In These Times, 2005