COMMON SENSE

I am an individual who, for most of my lifetime, was led by the things that were being said around me—the “vibe.” “C’mon man, flow with the vibe” was the phrase that I was constantly bombarded with, to the point that I had no power against it and therefore went with the flow.

Most of the understandings I had in life about marriage, friendship, fashion, love, and most importantly my purpose and identity, were twisted. I tried using my common sense to tackle life’s hardships and define my identity, but unsuccessfully. Especially my teenage years were, as many say, a “fire age,” because they made me trust and become confident in my common sense rather than heed the advice of individuals with wisdom.

Well, where do we get common sense from? My answer to that question would be, these days, TV entertainment series, films, movies, and media and music. Why not? In the name of entertainment, many young individuals are spending their time on the aforementioned mediums. For example, I used to spend a lot of time on movies and series. A school break for me was actually an entertainment break where I got to sit on a sofa and consume “content” until my eyes turned red, while listening to music or playing violent games that had no intellectual gain.

For me, all these (at a time when there were not many social apps) manipulated my emotions and molded them into something else. They fed me information and planted a seed. At first sight (and I think few get past the first sight), it does not look as if you are being fed, but rather that you are simply having a “good time” in the name of entertainment. But as we consume these things, the world and media are planting information in us, molding us into their own zombies.

“The preconscious mind is unrepressed and can be recalled to consciousness by the simple direction of attention” (Freud, Wikipedia). Watching entertainment does not seem as if we are having a learning session, but in reality we are; we are sinking in information. Information from entertainment is stored in the subconscious and preconscious mind, so the information we gain cannot easily be recalled unless special attention is given. Naturalsociety.com discusses the power of the subconscious: entertainment mediums, especially television, movies, and music, create a profound subconscious effect on the human mind that influences and dictates the choices people make to at least some degree.

For example, sex, love, and marriage are some of the things that teenagers often fail to understand in purpose-oriented terms. Especially today’s definition of love is very twisted because, in most cases, selfishness is the theme. Here is what many Hollywood movies suggest about love: “Nothing is more exciting or fulfilling than finding and pursuing your one true love. A great way to begin a relationship is to have sex” (David Boehi – Family Life). In truth, nothing should be more exciting than finding your identity in your Creator. True love is patient and seeks the happiness of the other. But instead, the love portrayed in entertainment is not about sacrifice or kindness, but about selfishness and personal gain. Love in entertainment is almost always intertwined with romance and sex, which makes our lives less conducive to a true and successful marriage.

In addition, our identity is the prime target of entertainment. The process of identity formation can be creative or destructive (Wikipedia). The problem with the entertainment industry is that it often appears designed to enslave our identity to the identity of the idols it presents on screen. That is the “pandemic” we are facing these days: teenagers trying to look like someone they do not know.

Naturalsociety.com states: “The human self-image is psychologically manipulated. When you compare yourself to a famous individual or a person who is depicted as ‘successful,’ you may subconsciously feel less valuable from the comparison.” Many people do not realize that entertainment is constantly setting up idols and feeding the mind information that dictates how we should look physically and mentally.

But why do we need to emphasize that the entertainment industry is harmful? The fabric of existence consists of the undeniable concept of time. Nothing is permanent. Nothing. We are constantly moving and changing. We cannot remain in a single moment and relive that “blissful” moment over and over again. Yet, the entertainment industry, especially at a young age, makes it seem as if we will last forever. Instead, we should spend our time seeking wisdom and discovering the truth about our identity.

Isn’t it amazing? That much of what the entertainment industry promotes goes against morality. Hollywood often promotes selfishness, sex before marriage, lust, violence, hate, and the like. But what about pure and selfless love, and peace? It is rare to find such values in our generation. I do not need any further proof to conclude that Hollywood has its tactics working on our identity. People are losing their marriages, relationships are falling apart because they are built on Hollywood expectations, and selfishness and individualism are becoming dominant because of what the entertainment industry is doing to our common sense.