Mass-media and Consumerism

It may not be apparent to a naked eye but the genesis of an idea or a topic of a discourse can always be traced back to its source. And if the source is present for a considerable amount of time then its genuineness is generally considered to be beyond doubt, originator of truth, giver of truth, source of facts. In simple words this is what mass media is! A source of information for masses, to make them know, to get their consent and at the same time instigating them to act in a desired way, organized way or peeling one more layer we can say- not exactly organized way but as organizations want them too.

If one desires to know the truth of any action, one must search for its economic process, a process which is subliminal to majority, even non-existent for many but directly or indirectly serves as a basic condition for any action in a capitalist society. No matter how many layers of relations you create, at the base there is only one relation- producers and consumers, not a radical dichotomy but a blur one where each one can behave the other way. This cycle of consumption and production makes the wheel of this economy to move which otherwise would stagnate. So you need a steady, reliable and doubtless medium to keep the need for consumption alive. And at all cost. And here is the hero of capitalist economy- Mass media, whose role is to convince, instigate and make the masses feel that things cannot be done in a better way than it is done currently and there are some extraordinary ones to think on their behalf what is good in general.

To have an understanding of how this destructively creative genius works to serve as a master propagandist for all that you consume, believe or regard as truth, you need to know how your mind works. Humans are made to desire and desire is made for them. But since the day they are born they are not sure of their desires. In fact they desire from the infused desire, not a desire to satisfy their need, to live as they like, not their own desire, not their own need but one induced in them, giving them a feeling of their own desire. What does this induced desire do? It solves two purposes, at least temporarily. One is the fulfillment of false desires, other is the moving of the wheel as I said above. But desire is a strange thing. At least false desire is very strange. To make this economy crawl somehow, at the expense of all other things- personal relations, health, health of earth, natural resources, you need a rhythmic, one having a definite pattern kind of false desire. This is the major work of mass media. As I said before, the basis is always producer and consumer. Every other relation is just a mask to promote the bottom layer, in fact to make it creep.

Keep shopping to save yourself

You see, right from your birth, an instinct develops in you to possess more and more, irrespective of utility. You are no longer bothered by use but by title. Where does this come from? Is it your real nature? No! Not at all! Your real nature is to desire utility and not possession. Where does the possession come from? Yes! You can trace the genesis of the idea? What does it lead to? It leads to mass media- your God of all knowledge. It leads to television, radio, newspapers, etc. or in an indirect way to people who themselves are influenced by this fetish medium. Unshaped mind watching hundreds of commercials a day, these strange false desires constantly thrust upon him, ultimately he accepts them as reality. Here you get your definite pattern of desire to sustain the economy, growth. A growth which no body has seen but in decay of Earth and ourselves being reduced to wage-labourers and consumers just living to produce and consume as if the world ends on consumption and production and there is no taste in it. You see a national hero urging you to buy a two wheeler to express your pride and love for your nation. How inspiring! I will just show my love right now! Do I need to talk about the bottom layer of this producer-consumer web? Next I can see God telling me to buy a pizza. Oh how can I disobey God! You do not love if you do not gift. How shameless you are! My favourite player wears that undergarment, why shouldn’t I? You don’t have an iphone then forget girls! You don’t remember to gift your mother on Mother’s Day, what type of son are you? Oh you travel by public transport and not by cars, your status does not match ours! No branded clothes mean you are unable to dress properly. And how many should I mention!

A peculiar type of imaginative categorization on the basis of commodity and consumer is the root of this staggering economy. Even the most basic of relationships have at its bottom- purchase and selling support. All this just a careful plan to somehow maintain a false, imaginative, disastrous and cancerous growth!