Why do so many people in the US believe media propaganda instead of thinking for themselves?

Question

Friendlybro79 · Accepted Answer

This isn't an exclusive things for Americans by the way. The fact is people in many countries are not media literate. Or they're not given options like in places like Russia and China they can't even see anything other than what their government tells them (I'm pretty sure about this. If I'm wrong please correct me).

If you're media savvy and a critical thinker yourself you must know the answer to this or at least some reasons as to why this happens hopefully... Am I correct?

For avg Americans you have to consume media somehow right? Older folks ( on avg) trust tv because before corporations really took a hold of every news source, it was almost zero op ed and just general reporting what happened today and then you could discuss your own opinions. Now opinion news is presented as facts and it's confusing people. They're being taken advantage of by corporations with extreme bias.

The older generation is still a big percentage of the population. Then for the rest of us, social media with all the misinformation is bombarding us left and right that even intelligent people are having to literally do hours of work to decipher if what you're reading or watching is legit, AI, or a bot. After working all day this is difficult for avg people to do. The most literate folks are the people that turn careers into independent media channels. Many are on the Internet and if you were to tell someone 20 years ago where do you get your news from someone on YouTube you'd be called an idiot for trusting it.

Times are changing and the only way to escape corporate media is for independent individuals to start their own channels that aren't beholden to corporate funding or advertisers. That's hard to create a following and not everyone knows who to trust.

Ask this group which is a legit news source and no one will agree except that everything is biased and that means it's bad.

If you think you're savvy enough to decipher propaganda from non propaganda I would post something to help educate others and then share your steps on how to think for themselves.

Seriously though asking people (especially Americans) who you think struggle with this, why they're like this, isn't going to give you a thought out answer because they clearly can't.

Cyfris · Accepted Answer

Because we are taught to be sheep from a young age in schools and to do as we are told and to follow the rules and to conform to the norms. It is nearly impossible to think for yourself because if your thoughts don't align with those who have the most time to waste on social media you will be ostracized and punished.

Tiptoetamm · Accepted Answer

your guess is as good as mine!! not enough people educate themselves on things before they speak on it and defend it. I can't speak for all Americans but for myself I was raised to believe and trust our government and the media because most of our parents believed it so yeah it just goes on and on. I realized in my 20s I really need to start educating myself more on things. to ask questions when I didn't understand something. make sure they are credible sites and or make sure the person I'm listening to has a similar process of educating themselves. unless people start doing that not much is going to change.

purplepoppy · Accepted Answer

Most people haven't the time or resources to do proper research. They pick media that reflects what they want to hear and that makes them happy, it doesn't matter if it's true.

The other problem is 99% of the time when we're told to ignore mainstream news we get directed to some amateur unaccountable YouTube channel that's even more biased than the real news places.

OlderAndWiser · Answer

Public schools indoctrinate children in sheep mentality.

MisterWack · Answer

It is easier to take everything at face value than it is to research both sides, analyze quotes and phrasing to see if it matches what was said, hear from a primary source (audio/video) than a secondary report.

A lot of people have a predetermined notion or view and aren’t open to anything that may counter it, this works in the opposite way too. I’ve seen lots of people citing AI as a source when it is false then they’ll go “but it is a truth shown to us via AI Generation” which doesn’t make it okay since you are spreading what you know is misinformation to hopefully get others on your side without substance.

I stand by looking at the facts laid out, investigating whether or not their claims are accurate, and reaching a conclusion. Granted, you don’t have to subscribe to the side presented however you do have to go, “I was wrong, they’re right in this instance” once new information comes forth.

As I said, this takes time and most don’t care especially if it doesn’t come at the cost of their perceived notions. Thank you.

BadApple69 · Answer

That’s a darn good question. My thoughts are that most people are lazy. When you get news media repeating the same thing over and over again people assume it’s truth…. What they should do is research it and see if it’s true.
As an example: on the news now I’ve heard dozens of times that gas prices have spiked. It’s true. Gas has gone up in my area to $3.35 BUT it’s still not as high as gas prices under Biden when it was $4+ a gallon the news never talked about it.
What we need to understand is that news media is the enemy of the people.

SamIam96 · Answer

Conservatives thrive in an environment where their followers are uninformed. Fox and the like feed them lies to keep them angry, coming back for more and more dopamine hits. An educated public sees through the BS. That's why they demonize education as "indoctrination" when it's really building critical thinking skills that weaken their ability to control their base.

Kaneki05 · Answer

Every country propaganda's for the elitists, that's how they can pretend capitalism is a great thing for you or how something else is a great thing for you but in reality it's good for those in power.
Then sometimes what's good for them is also actually good for us. Thus everyone cascades into what is and isn't, while not really solving anything.

msc545 · Answer

Assume it's because so many people are just naive, and so many people would rather believe the media than go to the effort of thinking for themselves.

Shiprex · Answer

They are worked to the stage in their mental capacity is unable to have the energy to do much else apart from work and absorb. No time to process and consider

ohsheeT · Answer

Kelly I wish you would ask this question once a week twice a week oh my God you are so right I say this every day quit following and Lead

RandomGirl42 · Answer

I don't really now. Like if I look out my window right now I see nice, peaceful woods. If there wasn't news I would never know there was anything bad going on in the world and I would believe I live in a happy place. That's what I would think for myself. Am I wrong?

Maybe_Maybe_not · Answer

There's no such problem in Antarctica so I'm not sure.

What I know is that our school program makes us study media, regularly, starting at 15yo. In order for us to understand what media is, how does it work, what communication tactics are used, to what end and for which audience. If that isn't part of any federal US school program then kids must rely on parents to teach that, except I doubt majority of parents would do that on their own.

CaptainObivous · Answer

Most people these days lack critical thinking, and I partly blame social media and our less then stellar education system. Whether people are willing to admit it, people on both sides of the political spectrum fall for media propaganda. The worst part is when the media straight up lies, there are people that are dead set on believing it and no amount of actual facts will change their mind. It's not just media propaganda, government propaganda is also a problem.

Sevenpointfive · Answer

i think it's convenient for those people. my parents grew up watching the news on t. v. my mom still watches it religiously. i usually have to explain to them what's going on because i don't just stop at the story. i dig away the bias and do the journalists job. find the truth in the stories.

so we'll both know the stories but the information behind hers is usually wrong and one-sided. she doesn't like talking politics with me, but she does like politics.

slatyb · Answer

What sort of media propaganda? I believe some media are credible, but not merely because of reputation. I believe them because their reporting is consistent with other sources, current and past, and with my general knowledge of the world.

Grond21 · Answer

It's a world-wide issue. Part of it is because those who are telling the lies are really good at telling them. Part of it is because we need to trust someone, and we don't always pick the right one. Part of it is because we don't have the time or the expertise to parse to the truth. And part of it is because we like hearing things that confirm our own biases.

All of that together makes a heady cocktail for those who are seeking to control and manipulate.

FunkyMonkee · Answer

It's how they were taught to "think". 'It's in the newspaper and they wouldn't print it if it wasn't true!" Really? Wouldn't they?
Also, because a lot of people CAN'T think! Or, at least, refuse to! Youve heard of people that have trouble hearing being cale, "The hard of hearing"? I call those that can't or won't think, The hard of thinking!

Sirenboobzilla · Answer

Without having to type up a whole essay, I'll narrow it down to this: It is incredibly easy to trust what sounds plausible without verifying the evidence.

MikeMcMansion · Answer

Thats just propaganda, numerologists all concur that direct and constant mind-control is still decades away technologically speaking, however women are more prone to herd-mentality/group think as it is an instinctual survival mechanism for them.

Hispanic-Cool-Guy · Answer

Its not just the U. S. A. most people are intellectually lazy and its much easier to hear what someone else says and follow the crowd or what has been passed down from previous generations.

Humans by nature are followers and like to follow trends or keep conservatism because they have a strong sense and desire to be accepted and apart of something so that's why its easy to manipulate and trick most people if done with creativity and consistency through propaganda.

Telekinetic-Potato · Answer

It's because of over corperateization of our economy making people dumber because success in many of those spaces hinges more on playing politics than it does coming up with creative and intelligent solutions to problems

midnightmoon05 · Answer

They are trained to be sheeps.  eat the same, dress the same etc.

electromagnetic · Answer

Dumb leader lead dumb people. That’s what I’ve learned from the US.

MissSunshine2 · Answer

Maybe people are scared to think for themselves, not quite brave enough.

AviatorTom · Answer

The media used to be reliable, legitimate journalism. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case. It's easier to believe what someone in apparent authority tells you, rather than think for yourself.

Avicenna · Answer

Well, "thinking for yourself" may include a lot of bias informed by media propaganda. Perspectives vary, and so will opinions, even when genuinely thinking for oneself.

Anonymous · Answer

We like to trust statistics, surveys, studies, polls etc but too often those are propoganda and not trustworthy

exitseven · Answer

it is a lot easier and after a while when you get brainwashed by the fake news you find that your position is so absurd that it cannot be defended and their whole belief system blows up.

darkcloud1945 · Answer

They just cannot think for themselves, so they listen to the idiots pushing fake news!

Keyboardkat · Answer

Because for some, thinking is hard work. It's easier to let someone else do your thinking for you!

loveladies1 · Answer

That's because they are the low information sheep crowd.

Likes2drive · Answer

I don’t, there’s too much fake news out there, look at everything they say about Trump and the war

MidnightRivers · Answer

I believe it's a lack of time or motivation to read into things more, at least a lack of time is the excuse used

Mike_Hum · Answer

The leftist indoctrination takes place for the entirety of people's education.

beefcakebradybatson · Answer

They're brainwashed to hate brainy people and to follow righty propaganda which tells them whom to loathe.

LiamS95 · Answer

Probably because they're weak sheep and not leaders.

Bklynbadboy12 · Answer

Thats not just people in the US that people everywhere. I dont care what country your in people believe media propaganda

Jeff51 · Answer

I watch channel 6 news. Its more balanced. Media sucks a lot.

dougeats · Answer

Because they are naive. I as an US citizen do not fall into that crap

Anonymous · Answer

It's not just US, some countries in Europe too.

AgentG111 · Answer

Only those who are fools do.

jahaims · Answer

Most humans are stupid

blackeagle007 · Answer

Because we are true suckers, Fact

Amur8711 · Answer

Haha, thats the whole world honey. Not just the US

Why do so many people in the US believe media propaganda instead of thinking for themselves?

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