Mass Media and the Manipulation of Mass Consciousness

Rapidly developing processes in modern society affect all aspects of our lives, which force us to acknowledge that these processes have great influence on the consciousness of people, their communication, interaction and relationships. Nowadays, mass media have a huge psychological impact on our consciousness. The reality we are offered by today's media is certainly mediated by someone's opinion, it is simplified and doesn’t offer reflection or analysis. In some cases, this information can be dangerous, since a person accepts it in ready form without hesitation and a lot can be instilled into him. Therefore, it is often easier for us to plunge into the flow of information than to take it critically. Mass media realize the possibility of influencing the mass consciousness so intensely, that a number of researchers consider manipulative influence as one of the most important functions of mass media. We depend on the media, and without noticing it, we have become a part of the world of mass media and live according to its laws. The information that is transmitted to us by the media affects us in such way that a person accepts it ready without thinking about it.