Part of the Casswiki article series History and Psychology
Like books and other modern media platforms, television programming and movies will impart negative, positive or neutral impressions upon the viewer.
Since the 1930’s, TV programming has often been purposely utilized to direct and alter the perceptions, behavior and desires of the unwitting viewer. This process has been documented and studied by various authors such as David Wallechinsky, Walter L Hixson, Paul Lashmar and James Oliver.
For example, in 1939, Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi Propaganda Minister, created the first propaganda-specific television station to broadcast the Nazi dictums to the German people. Short films with not-so-subtle suggestions were presented to the people with a specific aim in mind; the complete control and domination of the population’s minds, wants and fears.
In contemporary times, this mastery of deception has been finely tuned through years of studies and observation. This has been paid for in part by the giant Networks in conjunction with the elite scions of industry, commerce, banking, military and central governance.
The Networks, supported and owned by the dominant world hierarchy, can easily present skewed images of the viewer themselves; encouraging the viewer to see themselves in a false reflection that is suitable to the desires of the controlling authorities. This “programming” is embedded into your nightly TV schedule, in the guise of entertainment sitcoms, documentaries, movies or 30-second adverts.
Likewise, presented false impressions can be used to alter the viewers perception of another nation, country, or a race of people, to the benefit of government, their military endeavors and the conjoined industries.
”American children and adolescents spend 22 to 28 hours per week viewing television, more than any other activity except sleeping. By the age of 70, they will have spent 7 to 10 years of their lives watching TV.” - The Kaiser Family Foundation