Media and TV - do they lead?

Q: My kids are glued to the TV set, and seem to believe all they read in the mainstream media.  I did not raise them this way and now that they are adults I cannot control what they do.  Is it wrong to fall into mainstream thought?  The mess the world is in, I think so.  H.G.

A: The "wrong" is done when we deny our own capacity for creative thinking.  Free will is a unique gift to humankind, and we deny and slight this gift when we simply follow someone else's opinions, no matter how "right" those opinions may be.  Our thoughts may coincide with others' thoughts, but they need to originate within us, from our own observations and creative thinking.

TV programming and the mainstream media tend to bring up the rear in terms of human evolution.  They do not lead.  If people thought for themselves and developed their own creativity, the world would be a different place, lighter, freer, more interesting, and more fulfilling to the individual who is creatively fulfilling himself/herself.  We can do this without treading on the rights and creativity of others.

Control over others becomes a preoccupation of those whose own self-control is out of balance with their environment.  Those who push their worldview onto others, who overwhelm others with their own views and biases, could do better by looking inward and seeking balance within, and in their own lives.  If the rest of us do the same, we will listen less and the control exercised by the media will diminish.

Meanwhile, in terms of your adult children, no matter how old, or young, our children are, the best we can do for them is take care of ourselves, and that means living up to our own highest level of integrity.  Even if it doesn't seem to influence them now, it registers in them, and provides more options for them when they are ready to seek change in their own lives.