FREE ESSAY ON THE EDUTAINED AMERICAN

THE EDUTAINED AMERICAN

The "Edutained" American
You may try to deny it; many of us do. We are our own people, with our own thoughts,
feelings, and opinions. We are individuals, and nothing influences us without our
knowledge and
permission. Certainly not the media; we create the media, after all, and direct it with
our own
tastes and preferences. It is merely a part of our lives, a not-too pervasive part. We
say this with
absolute certainty and still know that we lie. For the media is not a part of our lives,
it is our lives. 
It directs us, moves us towards what its creators, directors and sponsors want us to see.

Everything we do is not media influenced, it is media-dictated. 
In some ways, our modern information systems are helpful. They are, after all,
informative. 
From these systems we learn, we process the information they bring on current events,
popular
culture, and every other subject known to man. But the information is tainted. It is
filtered through
the corporate sponsors and the agendas of those who bring it to us. Therefore we bow to
the
opinions of those who give us our knowledge on every subject they expose us to, from the
clothes
we buy, to the music we listen to, the films we see, books we read, politicians we vote
for, religions
we believe in. Our thoughts are not our own. What does this mean to the world in which we
live? 
How does this effect our leaders, our schools and our families? And in a society so
permeated with
media, how do we regain ourselves?
Part One: What are our influences?
For many of us who attend college now, the media has been around us since birth. The
television was a effective babysitter, and we grew up accustomed to the quick,
joke-a-minute style
of cartoons and situation comedies. With the advent of MTV in 1981, we learned to absorb
information through the two and three minute stories offered on that channel, as well as
VH1 and
BET. These channels opened to us a world that most of our parents simply didn't see as
children.
One hour of MTV's Total Request Live can show a child a re-enactment of JFK's
assassination,
done by Marylin Manson, in one of the most popular videos of the week. The words of the
song,
however true and relevant they may be, are lost in the image, in closeup and slow motion.
Vidoes
by pop bands, while less violent, are no less disturbing in their objectification of
humans and in their
motion sickness inducing, rapid-fire images. They cater to a generation that already
suffers from
shortened attention spans by providing whirling sights that can be easily understood in
the
half-second they are shown. They show a world of anger, violence and cynicism. True, they
often
reflect the feelings and actions in parts of the nation, but also bring those to the
sight of
impressionable children who would not otherwise have known of it until they were much
older. At
the same time, the video-babysitter separates child from parent and makes us reluctant to
ask what
these images meant. After all, we are led to identify with the musicians and models in
the videos,
and they often assure us that our parents do not understand and cannot be trusted. 
The information we soak up through these vignettes generally point to a distinct set of
values, at odds with those of our parents. While they ask for respect and obedience
within reason,
we learn that adults are the outsiders, the butt of jokes and objects of ridicule,
probably not very
bright either. The regular television shows that we sit down to watch, often with our
parents, are
not much better. It has become much cooler to defy and be irreverent than to listen. This
is
certainly nothing new, one need only look at the flappers of the 1920s to see that
youthful rebellion
has been around for as long as anyone still alive can remember. 
It does seem, however, that the adolescent exuberance and resistance of the Baby
Boomer generation became something very different for their children, something darker
and
dangerous. Of course, the television that they were raised with stressed old-fashioned
family
values: respect for elders, kindness to neighbors, do your homework, eat your broccoli.
The shows
that children and young adults watch now are very different. We see insults thrown left
and right,
especially in comedies, where we learn to laugh at other peoples' embarrassment and enjoy
their
discomfort, hoping to hone our own wit to be as sharp and cruel. Again, the jokes and
images
come very quickly, passing through our visual cortex and into the recesses of our brains
before we
have a chance to ponder, discuss, and dismiss them.
The reigning kings of speedy information, of course, are television advertisements. In
these, the images zoom by so quickly that we often don't realize what we have seen and
remember
only one or two images, those that impress us most and make a false connection to our
emotions. 
Advertisers count on this, of course. It is no longer enough to name the product and tell
the
consumer what it does and why they should buy it. We have seen enough of that, and our
attention spans are bored with it. Advertisers now seek to make us identify with the
actors in some
way, or cause an adrenaline surge that we will thereafter associate with their product.
This method
of connection is spilling over into the film industry, as well; one need only watch the
recent release
Fight Club to see it. The director, David Fincher, readily acknowledges the flood of
imagery with
the statement "This is not unspooling your tale. This is downloading." (Entertainment
Weekly, Nov
26 1999: 42)
What, then, are we downloading? The values of modern media are clear and easily read,
according to the students interviewed. Five of the students mentioned youth or physical
attractiveness, or both. This is easily explained; the casts of most television shows are
under forty
years old and in most cases represent the prevailing standard of beauty. Four students
noticed a
preoccupation with wealth and standards of living; many shows popular among young women
(Beverly Hills 90210, various soap operas) showcase characters obsessed with wealth, be
it their
own or someone else's. Commercials are the same: young, attractive people with middle
class or
higher incomes, showing how this product helped them reach, maintain, or enhance their
exciting
lifestyles. 
None of the students mentioned intelligence, education, or respect as values portrayed
in
television shows or commercials. Of course, it is not that the characters are
deliberately
anti-intellectual or uneducated, they simply do not hold these characteristics up to be
emulated. 
We do not respect our athletes or movie stars or even our political leaders for their
knowledge and
discernment, and only sometimes for their wit or ability to think on their feet. We know
what we
see and how we see it, the question is, how do these values, brought to us in this
rapid-fire way,
affect our society? 
Part Two: Truth and Consequences 
The great computer that is the human brain grows ever more capable of processing large
amounts of information in microseconds, and we of the younger generation are accustomed
to the
nonstop barrage of images and information that we are faced with. Have we habitualized
this
behavior to the extent that we can no longer internalize information presented in other
ways? The
evidence seems to say yes. Three of the students interviewed listed "entertaining" as one
of the
top two qualities of a good teacher, another named it as one of the most important
qualities of her
favorite PSU courses. All of these students are under the age of 30, all part of the MTV
generation. 
In fact, all four listed MTV as one of the channels they watch most. Do they feel that
our culture of
entertainment and immediate gratification contributes to their need for amusement and
lack of
interest in classes that do not provide it? Three of the four who claimed to have short
attention
spans and trouble paying attention in class say that the swift parade of visions seen in
their daily
life may be to blame. One student who does not admit to a short attention span, but
"...bores
easily" (Int.1) believes that television shows and commercials has not affected her, but
has the
younger generation.
Educators say this with more certainty. Altschuler states that his students comments 
"...attest to the pervasiveness, in colleges and universities, of the same culture,
obsessed
as it is with entertainment and celebrities, that dominates the rest of American
society." (Altschuler,
April 4 1999:sect 4A)
Sacks lays the blame even more firmly on the shoulders of the media and bemoans the
modern
students lack of ability or interest in other methods of learning. He goes on to shift
some of the
responsibility to teachers, who adapt to their student's requirements and entertain
them.
Are entertaining teachers such a bad thing? How many students, of any generation, enjoy
a professor who lectures in monotone, with no videos, slides, or other teaching aids?
Perhaps the
new breed of educator is, in fact, good for our nation; GPAs are, after all, higher than
ever in high
schools and colleges. Possibly these teachers are exactly what we need; they reach the
students,
and if they make learning easier, then students must be learning more, correct?
Unfortunately, this is not the case. While grade point averages may be higher now, it is
not
the result of better teaching or more capable students, but of instructors willing to
lower standards
and cater to student whims. This is shown by the abysmally low scores of US students in
standardized tests, from the SAT to the 3rd International Mathematics and Science Study,
a test of
twelfth graders, where "...no other country marked lower than the US in student
performance in
advanced math and science." (Christian Science Monitor, Feb 25 1998:1) Educators no
longer
challenge students. They accommodate our preference for entertaining lessons and
information
that can be boiled down to Cliffs Notes. As a result, we are no longer competitive with
students
from other nations.
By far the worst result of this devaluing of education, however, is the difficulties our
nation
will face when the reins of leadership need to be passed on. Will this generation be
ready? 
Pronouncements by the media indicate that this generation is, at best, unconcerned with
politics,
and at worst, incapable of the critical thinking needed to make political decisions.
Students who
display a lack of interest in their own education and are constantly reminded that
intellectual ability
is not valued in popular culture can hardly be expected to develop the skills necessary
to
participate in government in any informed manner. An early indication of our students
shortage of
concern for politics can be found in the similar disinterest in schoolwork and learning.
Laurence
Steinberg, as reported in the Kansas City Star, says that the student's failure to learn
is by their
own choice. "...it is a problem of attitude and effort, not ability." (KC Star, Sept 1
1996:A-18)
This deficiency in desire for knowledge can be traced back to the values that students
see
in the media. Again, the images of intelligence are not flattering. Smart characters on
such shows
as Married...With Children are often unattractive and the object of ridicule. Even on
those shows
where all of the characters are supposedly educated and of at least average intelligence,
those that
actively pursue higher learning and critical or theoretical thinking are odd, not a part
of the main,
admired pack. All of the students interviewed, regardless of age, recognized this trend
and see its
application in everyday life. One of the students had this to say:
"Curiosity is not encouraged by your peers; if you ask questions or know the answers
you're a freak. Maybe it isn't so bad in college, but by now we're programmed not to
excel if we
want to be popular." (Int 6)
Another student acknowledged that he dislikes students who ask questions in class and
does want
discussions to be prolonged, but would rather "...get it over with." (Int 3)
These students are the future of our nation. One wants to learn, but has been
discouraged, the other seems to actively avoid difficult concepts and extra work. What
kind of
decision-making skills have these students acquired, and what difference will this make
to our
system of government? It may be safe to say that the latter will not seek out information
and will
instead allow himself to be fed his opinions by the prevailing wind in the media. It
seems that this
student is indicative of the majority of American youth, if we are to believe the numbers
quoted in
the Christian Science Monitor of Sept 8, 1998, which demonstrate how little US students
know
about our government and history.
In addition to lacking the skills to make informed political decisions, the pervasiveness
of
the media and its effects on our learning abilities and values make our economic future
bleak. 
When students are so accustomed to advertisements blaring in their ears that they no
longer notice
them, they become susceptible to the imagery in many ads. Unless they have cultivated the
ability
to think analytically, there is nothing to stop sponsors from pulling consumers in
whatever direction
they want them to go. They will not have the intellectual means to stop corporations from
telling
them what they want and what is best for them.
This mindless consumerism is a direct threat to democracy. As Barber states:
"...capitalism seeks consumers susceptible to the shaping of their needs and the
manipulation of their wants while democracy needs citizens autonomous in their thoughts
and independent in their deliberative judgments." (Barber, 1996:15)
Where will students learn autonomous thought if they refuse to learn anything that is not
presented
in a song-and-dance routine, which is, after all, what they are conditioned to respond
to?
Part Three: Regaining Ourselves
What the evidence does not show is this: most students want to learn. It is not
surprising
that surface research often does not indicate this, and test scores and teacher
evaluations do not
reflect it, for students have learned nothing form the media if not how to mask their
true selves. Of
the students interviewed, four believe that a B would be a reasonable average grade,
rather than
the traditional C average. Four students also concede that one of the top two qualities
of a good
teacher is the willingness to accommodate learning styles and abilities, indicating a
willingness to
learn within those abilities and a need for teachers who connect and work with them. The
students
all exhibit a preference for teachers who are helpful and who "wanted to impart
knowledge" (Int 4). 
How do we take this hidden thirst for knowledge and bring it to the forefront? First, we
must counteract the principles shown in the media. It may be too much to ask that student
quit
watching television, listening to music, or reading magazines, but we can teach them to
watch with
a critical mind. We know that children begin to develop their own ethical codes very
early, shaped
by family and teachers. We must acknowledge, then, that the media also has the power to
influence people, and start teaching children to observe and question as early as
possible. If we
can ingrain in the young a sense of their own intelligence and give them both the tools
to
distinguish fact from fiction and the empowerment to assert themselves and stand by
their
observations, they will grow up able to find their own path without undue influence from
the media
corporate America.
For those students already past childhood, we must decrease the stigma attached to
intellectual curiosity. These students must be allowed to recognize their own potential
and the
need that they have to achieve it. These students can also be taught to keep a critical
eye on the
world around them, and the advertisements they see. To this end, some teachers are
turning
corporate sponsor's teaching aids against them. Ms. Beccera, a teacher in the Seattle
school
district, uses Hershey's "The Chocolate Dream Machine" to demonstrate "...the art of
seeing behind
the image being presented" (New York Times, Jan 5 1997:30). Her students will learn to
question
the motives and truthfulness of corporations that provide these types of aids, and, by
learning to be
fact-suspect, will not be so easily swayed by commercialism in the future.
Young adults and the children now coming up may have been raised in an environment
permeated with harmful images, but we can learn to tune these images out. Teachers and
parents
need only to set an example by questioning the media themselves, and showing students
that
independent thought is far more valuable than any popularity promised by advertisements
or wealth
touted in television shows. The youth of America are absolutely capable of regaining our
liberty
from indifference and materialism. We can develop ideas unconstrained by the media. We
have
the tools to do so, we only need to be shown them.
Bibliography
work sited (not MLA standard)
Altschulter, Glenn C. "Let Me Edutain You"
Barber, Benjamin R. "Jihad vs. McWorld: How Globalism and Tribalism are Reshaping
the World
Christian Science Monitor, "US 12th Graders Miss the Mark"
Entertainment Weekly "1999 The Year that Changed Movies"
Kansas City Star " US Teens Losing Drive to Excel"