The Effect of the News on Our Daily Lives

Have you ever stopped to think what the world would be like if the news did not exist? Most of us depend on the news to give us a sense of hope or understanding. Whether we read it in the newspaper, see it on television, or even listen to it on the radio. The news gives us the chance to form our on opinions about the world we live in. Some people take it for granted, while others embrace it as an opportunity to become more informed about our world. The question I ask you is, what impact does the news have on your life and the way you live it?

Most people don't realize that the news has a significant impact on their lives. I have found that teenagers are the ones who usually don't see the news as an opportunity, but rather they see it as something that merely exists. I interviewed Katie Singleton, a sixteen-year-old high school student from upstate New York, on what she thought of the news. Katie says, "I think the news is only meant for people who are in politics or interested in politics. I don't think we, as the younger generation, have much of a say in anything, so why should we pay any attention to what the world has to say?" After listening to her answer, and seeing the reaction of her friends, I realized that her opinion is shared by many other individuals in her age group. Katie's view of the news, while close-minded, is not surprising for someone of her age. It is safe to say that young people should be more aware of what is going on in the world, that way when the time comes for them to go out into the "real world", certain events or issues won't come as such a shock to them.

After interviewing Katie, it became obvious to me that teens are not as interested in our world as adults are. Perhaps this is because adults have a better understanding of the world we live in. I interviewed Raymond Crowe, a 38-year-old Con Edison employee, to see what he, as an adult, thought about the news. Crowe says, " The news serves as a link to the places in the world where we can't be, but are affected by. I think the news is raw and real, the way it should be. Violence in the news should not be censored. Violence is real, whether it be right, wrong, or indifferent, it is the closest thing to reality that we can get." Most adults would agree with Crowe's opinion on the news, because they have more experience with reality than teens do.