Media, in every sense of the word, means the “main method of mass communication regarded collectively,” such as the television, radio, newspapers & the Internet.

Translated into our terms, media is like a school clique, particularly the We’re-Popular-and-You’re-Not one. The rich ones, the pretty ones, the jocks, the cheerleaders, etcetera. They’ll tell you who’re cool (them) and who aren’t (you), and that’s that. They make the rules; you were just made to follow them. They’re better at sports, they’re better-looking and therefore, they’re better than you. You’ll just have to accept it and move on with your life being one of the “losers.”

            And of course, no one wants to be just a “loser.” And so, they change themselves in order to fit in with the rest. What the media says is what the people do. Subconsciously, the media feeds everything into your brain. And in media, the ones that affect us the most are the celebrities. Some realize it, some don’t. Those who don’t are the ones who end up doing everything necessary to be just like them --- the celebrities, and in a way, the popular kids. They’re thin, you have to be thin. She’s blonde, you have to be blonde. He’s buff, you start working on those biceps.

 Yes, the media does have its benefits. Yes, the media can be used for important news, spreading awareness and the like. But as the pros outweigh the cons, the media does more bad than good. The people should control the media and not let it control them. If the Nerds+, Punks, Drama Kids, Sk8rbois, and all the other cliques never thought that they were anything less than the Populars, they would never have power over us. They are what we make of them, and media is what the people make of it. •