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23 · Friday, March 5, 2010 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.oakvillebeaver.com People establish societal values n By Sarah Mirenzi GR. 12, HOLY TRINITY H.S. T he purpose of the media is to raise public awareness of current events and encourage action. Centuries ago, the newspaper was the only source of media needed as it informed readers on local issues. Though today the newspaper continues to be one of the most reliable sources of news, through technological advances and a desire for global awareness, the media has undergone a drastic transformation. Magazines, TV and the Internet have dominated the Western world. Propaganda has poisoned the news and advertisements have brainwashed consumers. How is it possible that the evolution of the media has resulted in a society more ignorant than ever? We know too much and too little at the same time. We have been programmed to believe what is breaking news today is history tomorrow. We feed off 24-hour tragedies. We form opinions based on facts as reliable as elastic bands. How can we aim for world peace when we don't even know the origins of current wars? How can we insist beauty is skin deep when we are bombarded with advertisements that scream we aren't good enough? The role of the media has been altered. Television and tabloids aren't just for communicating news. They create the pop culture we live in. Shouldn't it scare us that we can become consumed by the trashiest programs on TV within minutes? Reality TV takes us into a world so far from our reality that we become addicted to the lives of other people. Most of these shows reinforce the stereotypes that the past battled to overcome. Magazines can have a detrimental effect on modern teenagers. Females feel the need to look like the air brushed supermodels they see as they flip through fashion magazines. Males are pressured to be tall, athletic and "macho." Eating disorders and steroid use among teenagers will increase as the media continues to pick away our self-esteem one pound at a time. Advertisements are rarely relevant to the product being promoted. Sex sells and for some reason we are okay with that. It is time to rescue the youth from this media monster. We must make changes that will better ourselves and future generations by using our judgment to separate positive media from negative media. Magazines and TV do not dictate what is acceptable in our society, we do. It is time to gain control over pop culture and raise awareness in a way that will inspire us to take action. European Engineering Combined With Traditional Workmanship "Building on the Brightest Ideas Around Glass" 905.849.0266 THIS WEEK ONLY! Happy 50th Birthday! While Display Models Last! Quilting for Haiti The Oakville Quilters' Guild is holding a Play Date for Haiti workshop for its members to make small quilts for the children at the Grace Children's Hospital in Port-auPrince. The members will be sewing these quilts at the Oakville Museum on Saturday, March 27. "The children of Haiti have nothing right now and we want to give as many children as possible the gift of a hug from Oakville, because that's what a quilt is really, something that lets you know someone cares," said workshop co-ordinator Bev Andersen. "This is our way of making a small difference to the lives of these children. Everyone is donating their time, fabrics and the Oakville Museum is donating the rooms for us to sew in and we are very grateful to it for that." "MASONRY & FIREPLACE DESIGN SPECIALISTS" w w w. c o b b l e s t o n e m b e r s . c a 406 SPEERS RD., OAKVILLE ACROSS FROM RONA LANSING 905-337-2066 * FREE DAILY SERVICE Morning and afternoon departures to Fallsview Casino *After $10 Casino Rebate Government Photo ID required #1 In Oakville and #1 In Our Hearts WILMA FOURNIER Love from your kids Kirk, Holly & Charlie!* *Just remember to focus on this surprise ad and not the surprise credit card bill Morning & Afternoon From Hopedale Mall WEDNESDAY & NOW SATURDAY EVERY From Carpool Lot Guelph Line, North Service Rd EVERY SUN, TUES, THURS, FRI & SAT Minimum 5- hour stay required. Valid government-issued photo identification and Players Advantage Club Card required to redeem offers. Offers subject to change without notice. Offers cannot be combined/substituted. Must be 19 years of age or older to board coaches for casino. Void where prohibited. 1 -800-8381789 T.I.C.O. #50007535 OMCA Member FOR RESERV ATIONS CALL Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd., Brokerage WILMA FOURNIER 905-399-9544 sales representative 905-845-4267 www.casinocoach.ca · www.frontlinetours.ca 168 CLARENCE ST., PORT COLBORNE, L3K 3G5