So you want a revolution?

I've come across a lot of people who have felt like there's something wrong with our system and preach words of a revolution. While I'm not totally convinced that we need to over throw the government, I can see a few things that need revision. Currently there is a force that greatly influences how we act, what we believe and what we buy. This intimidating force is the media.

I personally don't read newspapers, nor watch TV and the only contact with media I have is through the Internet. While this should make me unqualified in forming an opinion on media, the very reason why I don't consume contemporary media is that I've seen how persuasive it can be in shaping the way people act and view things. Now you cannot blame the media itself,because it wasn't always like this. Over time it has rightfully shaped itself to cater to the people that consume it. People tend to follow the news of sex scandals,death and destruction because their own life is devoid of it, but too much of this drama can create negative side effects.

As previously stated, the media is a direct reflection of the society that it inhibits,but society is reflecting what the media shows, so in response our views and ideals becomes more and more skewed. That being said, most of the social problems that we have can be traced back to the influence the media has on children. When young girls are taught to behave a certain way and expect a certain thing,young boys will adapt for obvious reasons, but the lessons being taught are negative ones. It's perfectly fine for a girl to idolize a star like Miley Cyrus,but when the media inevitably diminishes her career and Miley turns into Lindsey Lohan, it will create a negative snowball effect that will dramatically change the girls that idolize her.

Now I can't tell my readers to throw out your TVs and pickup books, because that would be very hypocritical of me. But I would suggest limiting your personal intake of TV and seeing how it effects your life. Granted it will take some time, but if we stop consuming it, they will stop serving it in this fashion and that's how a realistic revolution can begin.

"I'm looking through you"

There's a significant development that most people go through while transitioning through their teenage years into adulthood. This process is taught by the real world that slowly tears at your ego and teaches you a powerful lesson that institutions simply cannot. In mid November, with the little help of a few things, I began to see things through a different spectrum of colors which I can attribute to this development.

After aimlessly wandering around for awhile, I found myself within the midst of a minuscule party. Within it, I experienced an intense flurry of thoughts and a sensation that some would call an "ego-death". I started to see everything for exactly what it is without any preconceived notions or personal interference, and not how I wanted them to be. While this was a powerful state of mind, it also had a negative side. I began to feel very, very small. I began to see myself as a small speck of dust on a rug, nothing more than an inconvenience that would eventually disappear. Then I reevaluated not only myself, but the people around me and society as a whole. As a result I crafted a mental image of people all over the world, aimlessly wandering around pretending to know what they were doing but not really knowing.

Now I discovered a lot of things within myself that night but for the sake of this blog being too long winded I've condensed it into a sentence: life chose to go through me for a reason, and it can easily go on without me.

Take from it what you will, but after this epiphany I began to notice what separates a young man from a man; and that is putting others before you, while still maintaining your priorities and happiness. It's difficult and I still have work to do..but I think i'm on the right path.