The influence of the mass media on youth culture1 . . . IntroductionWhat are mass media?The dictionary tells us that they are:"those means of communication which reach and influence large numbers of people."(Collins Pocket English Dictionary, 1981 edition)For many people, however, it is something much more sinister - a monster who seeks to manipulate and control public opinion. A wave of highly entertaining novels and films are based on the idea of ​​a tyrannical government secretly controlling zombie-like citizens, using the mass media as a weapon. Paradoxically, these conspiracy novels and films are simply another aspect of the media. But perhaps, especially now, when we are more exposed to forms of mass media than any previous generation, the apparent fantasies are not as fantastical as we might think. Certainly times have changed significantly since George Orwell first wrote his chilling novel, 1984. For example, Hitler's government demonstrated that it was possible to persuade an entire nation to ignore – or even condone – horrific acts of inhuman cruelty on a large scale. This has only been possible because of the recent expansion of mass media to include radio, film and television, meaning there are now more potential ways to influence the general public. And by making the most of these countless propaganda campaigns, it proved frighteningly easy to control what was considered a sophisticated and intelligent population. . . HypothesisThe question I was asked is: "Do the mass media influence youth culture?"Through a series of questionnaires, surveys, and... half of a sheet... I quote the one below - on which I believe it is appropriate to conclude this investigation , which reminds us once again of the enormous power that the mass media have and the way in which they can influence ordinary people, especially young people, and impact normal lives. the United States was killed for its famous tennis shoes; tennis shoes that his mother had cleaned the floors to pay for. Less prestigious tennis shoe manufacturers cost a fraction of the more than $100 she paid for her son's tennis shoes, and they probably would have been as much. Well. But in his son's mind he must have had this particular (widely advertised) brand of tennis shoe because of the status attached to it - status that in the minds of other kids was important enough to kill." (www.cybercollege.com, 2004)