The Dark Shadow Shrine

embrace the darkness; that you may see the light nestled within it......

Thursday, May 23, 2019

Silver tsunami? Not really

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The phrase conveys a vivid imagery of a sudden overwhelming destructive force....Words have power and how they are used matter because they frame one's perception of things.
By choosing the phrase "silver tsunami", it influences others to think about seniors in a certain way...Specifically, the phrase strongly suggests that an ageing population is a burden to the economy and is as destructive to the nation as a tsunami. 
So you see, the media can create certain stereotypes that influence the way we perceive certain groups of people and our attitudes towards them.....Of course, the rebuttal is that sometimes, it is not the media, but politicians (or others) who are the ones who came up with the offensive coinages; but then, we can still argue that the media, while absolve of the crime of creating the stereotype, is still guilty of PERPETUATING it, due to its extensive reach....in fact, the more offensive/controversial the label, the more the media will want to spread it as it will generate interest among the people, hence higher viewership.


Qns:
1. To what extent does the media influence our perception of the world?
2. Can prejudice ever be eliminated? (Cam. 2011)