The Politically Correct*, who I like to call the Thought Police, are still with us for the time being. However, the very means they used to indoctrinate so many people for more than a generation, the Media, is the same one that is already working to finally free us from their printed and electronic tyranny.
Whether we are children at school, people at work, or even during our leisure time, an incessant barrage of words, has followed us throughout our day 24/7 for more than a generation now.
Unfortunately, no one, especially in the public eye, has dared for a very long time to ignore them completely. Anyone who tried to stand up to them also, risked censure, their reputation or even loss of their livelihood.
Whether we are children at school, people at work, or even during our leisure time, an incessant barrage of words, has followed us throughout our day 24/7 for more than a generation now.
Every mainstream media source around us, insinuated itself into our lives with some earnest message, seeking to tell us what we should change about ourselves. We were usually scolded and were to be shamed or forced, into changing ourselves into supposedly less judgemental and more tolerant people. It seemed our ideas and speech were wrong. They were also, among other things, intolerant, racist, sexist and ageist.
Unfortunately, no one, especially in the public eye, has dared for a very long time to ignore them completely. Anyone who tried to stand up to them also, risked censure, their reputation or even loss of their livelihood.
For at least a generation now, the majority of us had little recourse except to ignore or avoid their largely irrelevant and absurd pronouncements. This, however, was of limited effectiveness when only a few alternatives for news and entertainment were available.
However, today, greater choices of communication and self expression have become available. These have made it possible to circumvent traditional media and their limited lifestyle choices. There are newer ways to stay informed and get our news and share ideas.
The nature of the Internet and social media such as you tube and various other means of instant communication, has transformed communication and made a world of information available to us anywhere in the world. Personal communication has already changed beyond the limited choices we were willing to tolerate and accept even a few years ago.
While this cornucopia of choice sometimes puts even the most spurious rubbish out into the mainstream around the world faster than ever; it also prevents a few networks from controlling what we see and hear about the world around us.
We are gradually, I am happy to say, getting back more freedom of choice and ways of expressing our own ideas. More options, gives us reduced exposure to the would-be surrogate parents and media models, determined to enlighten us. As a result, their ability to influence us has dwindled considerably.
The nature of the Internet and social media such as you tube and various other means of instant communication, has transformed communication and made a world of information available to us anywhere in the world. Personal communication has already changed beyond the limited choices we were willing to tolerate and accept even a few years ago.
While this cornucopia of choice sometimes puts even the most spurious rubbish out into the mainstream around the world faster than ever; it also prevents a few networks from controlling what we see and hear about the world around us.
We are gradually, I am happy to say, getting back more freedom of choice and ways of expressing our own ideas. More options, gives us reduced exposure to the would-be surrogate parents and media models, determined to enlighten us. As a result, their ability to influence us has dwindled considerably.
Today, although Academia continues to speak and publish its arcane and unique language, it seems to mainly do this for itself. Meanwhile, many print newspapers and the television news are rapidly declining in importance to most people's lives. Most of these, have instead jumped onto the celebrity news bandwagon to try and hold some viewers/readers interest for a little longer.
The older forms of media, with their promotion of many ridiculous social engineering experiments, are becoming remnants of a time when limited choice and few alternative outlets gave unwarranted and totally ridiculous credibility to the foolish and ridiculous power to a small minority of know-it-alls.
We now have enough options that we can usually avoid the 'mainstream' media and finally express and hear other points of view other than those the 'old media' offered.
The older forms of media, with their promotion of many ridiculous social engineering experiments, are becoming remnants of a time when limited choice and few alternative outlets gave unwarranted and totally ridiculous credibility to the foolish and ridiculous power to a small minority of know-it-alls.
We now have enough options that we can usually avoid the 'mainstream' media and finally express and hear other points of view other than those the 'old media' offered.
Like the child commenting on 'the emperor's new clothes' it only took a few new options to begin the 'old medias' well deserved descent toward oblivion and reveal its insignificance and irrelevance to the real lives, the rest of the world was living despite them.
*Political
correctness (or PC for short) means using words or behaviour which will not offend any group of people. Most
people think it is important for everyone to be treated equally, fairly and
with dignity.
Some words have been used for a long time that are unkind to some people.
Sometimes these words have now been replaced by other words that are not
offensive. Such words are described as politically
correct. The term is often used in a mocking sense when attempts at
avoiding offense are seen to go too far. Politically correct words or terms are
used to show differences between people or groups in a non-offensive way. This
difference may be because of race, gender, beliefs, religion, sexual
orientation, or because
they have a mental or physical disability, or any difference from what is considered the norm.
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