Many of us are aware that Facebook has become the number one social networking sharing site on the web. It’s almost unreal at how quick information transmitted and readily available through social media. One of the things that I often see my Facebook news flooded with, is celebrity and entertainment news. If it’s not celebrity news topics that are trending, then it’s the happenings in the world of reality television that most people are discussing. I’m seeing less people discussing political topics, or addressing any of the many problems America is facing now. Topics that deal with any sort of substance seem to have become obsolete. It appears that more people are concerned with what’s going on in the entertainment world, rather than the more important issues that we are facing as a society.
Yesterday while browsing around on Facebook, I noticed an article written about Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s relationship. It seems that these two are constantly mentioned in headlines as of late. I personally didn’t take the time to read the article, but the headline itself was enough for me to know that I didn’t have any real interest in the contents of the article. However, I did decide to read through a few of the comments left by other Facebook users. There were quite a few individuals that seemed to take a personal interest in whatever the article discussed. Quite frankly, many of the comments I read confirmed a belief that I’ve had for quite sometime; Americans are brainwashed by entertainment. It’s no wonder why the United States worldwide education ranking has dropped over the years, or why obesity statistics are predicted to grow in the coming years. With the best possible option to buy instagram followers, it is no longer reality. It’s what we dictate by our media accounts.
I’m in no saying that entertainment shouldn’t be enjoyed. I myself watch certain television shows, and I’m a movie lover myself. However, I feel that we as a people over-consume ourselves with media and entertainment related news. This is one of the reasons why I feel that so many people aren’t aware of, engaged, or concerned with the real issues our country are facing. For example, I sometimes may bring up something that is currently happening in the news to others. It may be something that refers to the huge budget deficit that the United States government has run up, or the healthcare law that was recently passed. Some people have open discussions and conversations with me about these topics. However, I find that you ask the average person about what reality shows are popular, they can throw out several names of various shows. Maybe it’s just me, but this logic seems a bit backwards to me. Shouldn’t be be investing more time into better ourselves?
The real issues facing this country seem to take a backseat when it comes to celeb and reality television news. There are some people who believe that there are higher powers that are behind the constant flooding of entertainment on television and the Internet. Some view it as a way to keep us as people brainless — which in turn means that they can enact whatever plans or policies they choose on the American people with little or no resistance. Whether or not these claims are true or not, the fact remains that we as a people need to wake up and start paying attention to the real problems in the United States. If you really think about it, paying attention to people like Kanye West and Kim Kardashian isn’t helping the average person much. Again, I’m not saying there is nothing wrong with enjoying entertainment, I just feel that the consumption of it needs to be scaled back a bit. Celebrities and reality stars thrive off of attention, and they receive more than enough of it. Thanks for reading.
Bailey Hudson is a creative content writer from Texas USA. He graduated in 2012 at the Hult University with a degree in Mass Communication. He created Bailey Doest Bark in 2015 and is currently the managing editor of the online portal.
