Mass Media-A mind manipulator?

Mass media is designed to reach a large audience, this term was coined in the 1920s with the advent of nationwide radio networks, mass-circulation newspapers and magazines. However, some forms of mass media such as books and manuscripts had already been in use for centuries.
Mass media also includes Internet media like blogs, message boards, podcasts, and video sharing.

            Everything in this modern age is powered by media from the moment we wake up until we sleep at night. Have we ever asked ourselves how all of this affects our reasoning, our power to choose and our lifestyle?

            Growing consumerism and materialism have adversely impacted our media. News can be manipulated to influence the minds of the audiences. For example, a particular political party may manipulate reports in their favour, which would indicate the political control in the media. UnnecessTary sensationalism of an issue may project incorrect information to the public.

            Mass media has many evils like media bias, glorification of immoral and illegal behavior, sensationalizing ordinary events, invasion of privacy, promote superstitions etc .

            Children watch an average of over ten-food related ads every day ,98% of food advertisements are for products that are high in fat, sugar , or sodium and promote unhealthy eating habits.

            A large number of underage teenagers are drinking and smoking everyday... a combination of a multitude of factors... easy availability of tobacco and alcohol notwithstanding, there is also the peer pressure they must deal with... the "everyone who is 'cool' must do it syndrome". But who are the ones who made smoking and drinking 'cool'? Who defined that? Mass media. in the form of movies and TV shows.

            Unfortunately the spread of mass media has caused the spread of the "instant-gratification-culture." Everyone wants everything to move fast and to get instant results and pleasure.

            The popular mass media promotes the lowest standards and least moral behavior.  What is needed is counter-education during which schoolchildren are educated about critical ways of thinking about media. Tabloids, broadsheets and TV programs need a system that rates their typical accuracy, in a simple-to-understand way. Such new measures are required to aid in general human advancement, and resist trash culture of mainstream media. Mass media is presently the bane of human cultural evolution.