8 Strategies to help you avoid being manipulated

Gabriel Wilensky

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f you are concerned with being manipulated or misled by the news media, by what you read or see on TV, the movies or the Internet, or by smooth-talking politicians, then this article is for you.

I’m going to show you how to carefully choose the ideas you take from the Internet, the movies, television and from advertising. The focus is on identifying and overcoming the manipulation you are subjected to from the news media, the movies, TV, the Internet, advertising and smooth-talking politicians.

So, let’s take a look at how we are being influenced by what we read or watch on television, the movies, and the Internet. We need to start by understanding and acknowledging that social conventions spread and are ingrained in our minds through their dissemination via mainstream television programs, movies, ads and information we find online on the Internet.

Social conventions spread and are ingrained in our minds through their dissemination via mainstream television programs, movies, ads and information we find online on the Internet.

If you feel you are immune to this, if you feel you can and do maintain a high standard of objectivity and detachment from the influences of everything you read and watch, well, in that case you are likely very naïve or you are subjecting yourself to a heavy dose of self-deception. All of us are influenced by our historic environment, by our social group, by our friends and family, and of course by the messages the media bombards us with day in and day out every single day of our lives.

You may feel television can be educational, and certainly a tiny fraction of it is. But most of what we watch on television is superficial material intended to amuse and entertain us, not to educate us. Almost none of it is intended to challenge our minds, our assumptions, or our ideas. No, most of what we are exposed to is intentional, subliminal messages seeking to manipulate or influence our minds. If you analyze the content of what you watch on ads, movies or TV you’ll see that most of it is designed to attract us by feeding us with simplistic emotional beliefs designed to flatter our infantile minds, or by stimulating our primitive drives for sexual gratification or violent revenge, or both.

Think of the time you spend every day surfing the Internet, reading inane things people share on social media, visiting websites or watching videos on YouTube. There’s no doubt that some of the material out there is pretty good, accurate and a good source of information. But it’s certainly also true that some of it is inaccurate, misleading and possibly even dangerous. The Internet in general and social media in particular has become a recruiting base for mindless individuals who easily fall prey to clever manipulators that know exactly how to ensnare people with narrow-minded views.

So, what can you do to stay above all this? You can start by carefully looking at your own actions and habits. Look at how long you spend watching television. Think of the implications of watching this stuff every day. Think of how you might use that time instead. What other programs could you watch? What books could you read? Look at the type of content you watch. Realize that most content on TV is aimed at the intellectual level of a 12 year old. What are the messages you are hearing on these programs? Pay attention and you’ll notice how many of these messages are meant to steer you in a particular direction, without of course ever explicitly telling you they are doing so. How many of them promote a particular sociocentric or ethnic view? Are these messages making you more tribal? Are you becoming less tolerant of other countries, ethnicities or societies? Are they making you less tolerant of the views of people with different religious beliefs or sexual orientation?

Most of what we are exposed to is intentional, subliminal messages seeking to manipulate or influence our minds.

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Pay attention to how certain cultural norms are promoted or encouraged, while others may be discouraged. What taboos are being discouraged? Ask yourself whether there’s any merit in any of this. Take a look at the programs or media you consume and observe what types of behavior are being sensationalized by them. What about violence? Are the shows you watch exposing you to violence? Try to estimate how many acts of violence you watch every day. How is this affecting you? Are you being desensitized to it?

Carefully observe the advertising you are exposed to. Advertising is, by definition, trying to persuade you to do something. They may want you to buy a product, or perhaps they want you to vote for a political candidate or cause. Think about how advertisers see you, the consumer. Pay attention to the ads you see. How are products pitched to you? Are they presenting you with an unbiased, objective view of the product, or are the products always portrayed in the best possible light?

There is no question the Internet is one of the 20th century greatest inventions. It has democratized information in a way the ramifications of which we still haven’t entirely grasped. I love the Internet, but you must realize there’s a dark side to it too. This is because there are no editorial standards that regulate it, and therefore it’s like an informational Wild West where anything goes. Sure, the Internet presence of established media outlets such as the New York Times or the BBC continue to have strong editorial (albeit biased) guidelines that apply to their online editions as well.

But this is not the case with many websites on the web. Look at the phenomenon of fake news. This means that when you browse a website, you must determine whether the source can be trusted. This is easier said than done, and most people are gullible uncritical thinkers. Many websites are carefully crafted and can be very effective at deceiving you. Like in everything else, you must put your critical thinker hat on and pay close attention to things like the goals behind a website. You should determine whether the website has a one-sided agenda, and see if the content they put out is distorted or skewed to fit within this view. Ask yourself how that content might be balanced by a different viewpoint or perspective.

If you raise your awareness level when you consume information and put your critical thinking hat on, you will notice a sharp decrease in the negative influence television, movies, ads and Internet websites may have on you.

So, let me give you 8 different strategies for evaluating what you read or see on television shows, movies, ads and Internet websites, or making better decisions on how you consume that information.