Thursday, November 29, 2018

Extra Blog Post 4: Mass media does not help us out of the intellectual minority


In this blog post I will argue that the mass media does not help us out of the intellectual minority. To get out of the intellectual minority it is required the effort to think for yourselves, that is, to be free. For the understanding nothing is required but freedom. So if man is not free, he can not be autonomous and independent. The mass media does not provide thought for itself and, holding back control over information, it extinguished the freedom of individual thought. In this way, the mass media does not help us out of the intellectual minority.

The mass media are energy networks that transmit information, (mass culture, internet and telecommunications). They are known as media, and are extremely important in building social life in contemporary society. Scientific and technological development culminated the emergence of networks that connect the world. These networks have long ceased to be just entertainment spaces; today, these communication media have their essence in the information, and have obtained an undeniable power of force with the society. It is not by chance that they are called as the fourth power. This is a way of saying that after the executive, legislative and judiciary, the media would be the fourth highest instance of power in the nation.

With the technological development, transmissions have become more efficient, especially through the use of satellites. With globalization, such media contributed to distribute in the world the way of thinking of great holders of media power. After all, the media is always controlling large economic or state groups, keeping the viewer in the position of passive information agent, often without even being aware of it.

Theodor W. Adorno (1903-1969), in his book "Cultural Industry: Enlightenment as a Mystification of the Masses", asserts that the goal of mass "media" is not to produce critical thinkers, on the contrary, the intention is to reproduce the values ​​and ideologies of social groups that manipulate the messages, influencing habits, expressions and customs of the present time. These productions are always well accepted by the general public who, without objection or analysis, always reproduce these same ideas, replacing the consciousness of the people with a uniformity, thus reducing the frequency and probability of the formation of autonomous, independent individuals capable of judging and make decisions consciously.

In Brazil, this phenomenon can be identified in the enormous influence that television networks (Globo, Band, SBT, Record) have on the customs, values, and way of life of the Brazilian citizen. Especially when the function of social media is to "bombard" people's minds with useless and alienating information with unnecessary occupations. Whoever controls information is not the receiver but the transmitter, which in turn has ideological and financial interests, because it is linked to economic groups that move billions of dollars a year in the production of programs, advertisements and films, turning communication into a business.

According to Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), in his text "Answer to the question: What is 'Enlightenment'?" Enlightenment is a process of intellectual emancipation, overcoming ignorance and laziness to think for oneself. It is the quest for autonomy, for the majority; is the effort to get out of the minority and for this you need to have the boldness to make use of your own understanding. Thus, for him, the concept of autonomy is directly linked to the capacity for self-determination to which every rational subject is capable. That is, to be master of his actions, his actions, of himself, of not being determined by any external interest to his will while thinking and acting autonomously.

Now, only through enlightenment can man become more human and therefore emancipated, freer. If the aim of the mass media is to control / coordinate information, soon those same means of communication will not lead the human being to enlightenment, they will not help us out of the minority, because this clarification presupposes intellectual freedom. Thus, the mass media destroy individual personality, enlightened reasoning and lead the human being to continue in the smallness of the intellectual minority.

For you, how does mass media affect intellectual minority? What is the effect of mass media on our students nowadays ? Do you think  students have lost their critical thinking due to mass media?


Sources:
[1] KANT Immanuel. “Resposta à pergunta: Que é ‘esclarecimento’?” (Aufklärung). In. Textos Seletos. Petrópolis, RJ: Vozes, 2005, p.63-71.
[2] https://direitoufma2010.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/a-industria-cultural.pdf


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