and its affect on us

Media comes from the Latin meaning middle or “go-between” is information and entertainment

What constitutes media?

Inform To give form to To fill with a certain quality The media changes the form of our thinking The media is powerful

How does the media inform us?

Who controls the message? Media conglomerates According to Fortune 500, the top five are: 1. 2. News Corporation - FOX News 3. Time Warner 4. CBS Corporation 5. Viacom

These companies have merged over the years to become larger companies They run ads, sold by people we trust The companies are run by white men over age 40

Entertain To make us laugh and to forget our troubles for a while Questions to ask: Is something okay because its funny and gets a laugh? Is it crude? excessively violent? Does it show “real life”? Reality shows Half hour/one hour shows where problems are solved by the end of the segment

Where do we look for happiness?

In the past the church steeple was the tallest construction in the area and it pointed to a higher power. Since fewer people attend religious services, the world has become our church

Themes in media

1. Instant Pleasure do what you want to do if it feels right, it is good Party on the weekends and get wasted Just have a good time Need to have fun to get away from pressures / problems

2. Sexual relationships

Glorifies having sex with multiple partners (promiscuity) Do it now to enter paradise

Glorifies men using women for their pleasure and then never seeing them again No respect for women or men

Gang rape Peeping toms Brutal rapes and murders

What are some of the effects of casual sexual relations? Message in the media is that everyone is doing it

Pregnancy and abortion Despair Empty relationships Feelings of self loathing Fear – alone in the world - devastation and hurt

Media does not show these things

3. Drugs Pleasurable feelings Cigarettes and alcohol To mask problems

4. Beautiful People and Beautiful Clothes Look better Judged by our appearance Accepted or rejected by our looks Need to have great hair and bodies to be in

Media affects body image http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6XfMtaw8aU How media affects girls and women

Body Image: Media vs Mind http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24Xa1Nw8eJY

Dove evolution commercials http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhCn0jf46U http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=an notation_3280203671&feature=iv&src_vid=iYhCn 0jf46U&v=17j5QzF3kqE First is the face and second is the body http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_I17cK1ltY for men

11 Facts about Body Image http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31Ajvix6DXs

anorexia are nationwide problems Teenage obesity and anorexia are nationwide problems Advertisements for junk food Advertisements for diets and diet aids

5. Conformity Media says we all need to look the same, to own the same things, and to have the same goals We believe our life is inferior and inadequate

KIA ad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEwdI58kufY

People need to have a sense of who they are, of what is important to them, and what they want from life Not let media derail these goals

6. Success is what you own More you own the more successful you are Own everything materially but may lose your soul

A study by the Kaiser Family Foundation in 2010 showed: Kids spend more time with media than their parents Kids who spend less time with media are happier with their lives, get into less trouble and have better grades GenerationM2:Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-year-olds (January 2010)

7. Violence Aggressive behaviour Brutality and rape in movies/songs/TV Blood and hurt are normal

8. Trapped in life World has no meaning or hope Destruction and fear Fantasy and illusion

Qualities not addressed Integrity, trust, sincerity Volunteering, altruism or sacrifice Positive rights of passage Driver’s license Moving out for university/college/work

What is Success and/or Happiness in a Christian or faith-filled context?

The Greek philosopher Aristotle said, "Happiness is the meaning and purpose of life, the aim and end of human existence."

Happiness Defined by Greg Laurie Christian Post Contributor "Psychology Today pointed out that in 2000, there were 50 books written on happiness, but just eight years later, there were 4,000 books written on the topic."

The Bible talks about happiness as well, but it defines it in an altogether different way than our culture does. When we read the word "happiness" in the Bible, it is speaking of something that is self-contained. In other words, you can experience happiness regardless of your circumstances. The happiness the Bible advocates does not come from what you have. It isn't dependent on whether things are going well. It comes from who you know. And the "who" I am referring to is the Lord himself. A really happy person is hungry for the things of God. You go and you have a good meal of Bible study and worship. You dig in and are satisfied. But you are hungry afterward and want to do it again. That is a good sign, you see. That is a sign of a happy person-a person who is walking with God.“ http://www.christianpost.com/news/happiness-defined-46921/

when good things happen when we are wealthy culture says: when good things happen when we are wealthy "But sometimes the things people wish for actually could be more of a curse than a blessing." http://www.wnd.com/2010/05/159741/#B2urB8vzkgvGG9gC.99

"Consider the story of Juan Rodriguez, a New York parking-lot attendant who won $149 million in the lottery two days after filing for bankruptcy. His big win seemed only to bring him a whole lot of trouble. In addition to being besieged by friends and relatives who were seeking handouts, his wife, Iris, filed for divorce 10 days after his win and demanded half the jackpot. Relatives say he was much happier when he was bankrupt. His story is proof there are two sources of unhappiness in life: not getting what you want and getting it. There are some things money can buy, and there are other things it can’t buy. Money can buy you a bed, but it can’t buy you a good night’s sleep. It can buy you books, but it can’t buy you brains. It can buy you a house, but it can’t buy you a home. It can buy you medicine, but it cannot buy you health. Money can buy you amusement, but it cannot buy you happiness. And in the words of Paul, John, George and Ringo, money can’t buy you love."

Jesus reiterated this teaching in the New Testament when He declared which is the greatest commandment: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these" (Mark 12:30-31). By obeying God, we gain freedom from the curses of this world—hate, jealousy, addictions, confusion, inferiority complexes, sadness without reason, anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, selfishness and more. http://www.gotquestions.org/success-Bible.html#ixzz2uIDNn0bl

When you have Jesus in your life, you are no longer trying to be a success; you are a success! http://www.charismamag.com/spirit/spiritual-growth/17978-god-s-definition-of-success Charisma Magazine

Success To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; To appreciate beauty; To find the best in others; To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived; This is to have succeeded. Attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson but more likely by Bessie Stanley “What Constitutes Success” (1905)

Third Commandment Remember to keep holy the Lord's Day need for "down time" sit on a beach listening to the waves take a walk in the forest sit on your porch at the cottage lay on the ground and marvel at the stars come face-to-face with a plant and look at it closely

We NEED time to reflect