Over the past few decades, we have seen a series of seemingly random events leading to “A Perfect Storm”, which has created a powerful media culture. Do we have a single story arc that has emerged from today’s media? Has this story arc directly or indirectly through our mass media been institutionalized in our culture?
Business, media and culture have combined to create a unique relationship, which is based on the pursuit of consumerism. This story arc is about convincing YOU that you are more important than anything. Your wants, needs and desires are your first priority and must be met at any cost. This keeps YOU as a good consumer. Any threat to this concept will disrupt the current system.
Today’s media culture does not deny the existence of God nor does it tell us not to believe in him, but it does allow us to the opportunity to put ourselves at the center of our lives. For Christians, the media culture has helped us to create an image of God that fits into our lifestyle. By doing that, we can pursue our own goals and objectives without feeling guilty.
I fully understand this message is not new. It has been around since the fall of man. It is our basic instincts, our worst nature. What is different today is the scope and size of the massive media culture which has been created over the past few years. Its ability to focus a message with enormous power is undeniable. Not every television program or movie will directly communicate this message, but most often it will be conveyed in subtext or some other subconscious means.
Consider the following facts. The average person will have watched 18,000 hours of television and viewed 320,000 30-sec commercial ads before the age of 18. That’s compared to only 12,000 hours in the classroom. It becomes a numbers game with the right images over a long enough period of time through many different platforms, such as movies, TV, web, and advertising. The media culture will find a way to get this message across that YOU are the center of the universe, and YOU are more important than anything else, guaranteed
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