Daniel Seizer
Schmidt
English 10HP, Period 4
22 October 2015 A simple online search of the latest news headlines gives you a long list of demoralizing phrases: shark attacks, displaced refugees, brutal beatings, police chases, foreign shootings, war, and many more. Fahrenheit 451, a dystopian novel written in 1953, was based on predictions of the future made by author Ray Bradbury. Fahrenheit 451 is a rendering of how society would look if things continued in the same manner as they had. The novel is full of the negative effects of the media, often without the characters even being aware. Bradbury creates lives that are utterly consumed in the media and highlights the real dangers that this poses. Fahrenheit 451 predicts a world so harmed …show more content…
Guy Montag’s wife, Mildred is a prime example of how media can affect an individual, “No matter when he came in, the walls were always talking to Mildred” (Bradbury 42). Mildred is completely attached to the walls; they consume each other. She is a reflection of what occurs on the parlor walls, because she changes herself. Mildred begs Montag for a fourth wall because she wants to complete her fantasy, and alter herself to match what she sees. In modern times, “Young people often imitate their role models blindly” (Influence Guide). At this point the dangers of media have become physical, “…showcase this lifestyle [of having an eating disorder] as [a] fun activity despite their negative effect on health. Media hypes the acceptability of vices” (Influence Guide). In this instance, the media has created a physical illness in the viewer. A young person who is watching television can easily develop an eating disorder for the same reason that Millie wants a fourth wall: to complete their fantasy. That young boy or girl wants to make themselves match what they see on the screen. There are mental effects as well, one example being the supposed link between vaccines and autism that the media propagated (Menghrajani). The media whirlwind that formed an imaginary link between vaccines and autism is a clear example of the massive mental changes that the press can cause. We hear time and time again that we …show more content…
First and foremost, the media is a business and they focus on that. In Fahrenheit 451, Montag is able to watch the media capture someone else and pretend that that is Montag, “’They didn’t show the man’s face in focus. Did you notice? Even your best friends couldn’t tell if it was you. They scrambled it just enough to let the imagination take over. Hell,’ he whispered. ‘Hell’” (Bradbury 143). Granger, at the hobo camp, explains to Montag how and why the press did this. The show must go on. Instead of doing what they would consider the right thing, they chose to do what they knew would keep the consumer involved and keep their power intact. In today’s age, “…not surprisingly, war and terrorism have consistently ranked at the top of the stack…” (Williams). Our society’s craving for bad news is quite clear, there are 17 “bad” news stories for every “good” story. There is also an argument made that the media is only responding to our society’s views, that they adapt to us and therefore should not be blamed. However, “Robinson implies that on a national scale changes in coverage tend to mold public interest rather than vice versa” (Williams). The data shows that the media affects the public’s mind more than vice versa. The argument that the media is adapting to society is a cop out, with no real solution. Along the lines of bad news, “The average North American witnesses five
Schmidt
English 10HP, Period 4
22 October 2015 A simple online search of the latest news headlines gives you a long list of demoralizing phrases: shark attacks, displaced refugees, brutal beatings, police chases, foreign shootings, war, and many more. Fahrenheit 451, a dystopian novel written in 1953, was based on predictions of the future made by author Ray Bradbury. Fahrenheit 451 is a rendering of how society would look if things continued in the same manner as they had. The novel is full of the negative effects of the media, often without the characters even being aware. Bradbury creates lives that are utterly consumed in the media and highlights the real dangers that this poses. Fahrenheit 451 predicts a world so harmed …show more content…
Guy Montag’s wife, Mildred is a prime example of how media can affect an individual, “No matter when he came in, the walls were always talking to Mildred” (Bradbury 42). Mildred is completely attached to the walls; they consume each other. She is a reflection of what occurs on the parlor walls, because she changes herself. Mildred begs Montag for a fourth wall because she wants to complete her fantasy, and alter herself to match what she sees. In modern times, “Young people often imitate their role models blindly” (Influence Guide). At this point the dangers of media have become physical, “…showcase this lifestyle [of having an eating disorder] as [a] fun activity despite their negative effect on health. Media hypes the acceptability of vices” (Influence Guide). In this instance, the media has created a physical illness in the viewer. A young person who is watching television can easily develop an eating disorder for the same reason that Millie wants a fourth wall: to complete their fantasy. That young boy or girl wants to make themselves match what they see on the screen. There are mental effects as well, one example being the supposed link between vaccines and autism that the media propagated (Menghrajani). The media whirlwind that formed an imaginary link between vaccines and autism is a clear example of the massive mental changes that the press can cause. We hear time and time again that we …show more content…
First and foremost, the media is a business and they focus on that. In Fahrenheit 451, Montag is able to watch the media capture someone else and pretend that that is Montag, “’They didn’t show the man’s face in focus. Did you notice? Even your best friends couldn’t tell if it was you. They scrambled it just enough to let the imagination take over. Hell,’ he whispered. ‘Hell’” (Bradbury 143). Granger, at the hobo camp, explains to Montag how and why the press did this. The show must go on. Instead of doing what they would consider the right thing, they chose to do what they knew would keep the consumer involved and keep their power intact. In today’s age, “…not surprisingly, war and terrorism have consistently ranked at the top of the stack…” (Williams). Our society’s craving for bad news is quite clear, there are 17 “bad” news stories for every “good” story. There is also an argument made that the media is only responding to our society’s views, that they adapt to us and therefore should not be blamed. However, “Robinson implies that on a national scale changes in coverage tend to mold public interest rather than vice versa” (Williams). The data shows that the media affects the public’s mind more than vice versa. The argument that the media is adapting to society is a cop out, with no real solution. Along the lines of bad news, “The average North American witnesses five