We all get manipulated by the media. All small nudges of information we see, are stored in our mind. Even when we are convinced that it doesn’t affect us, it still does. That is what advertisers and spin doctors know, and what they don’t want you to know.
Think of that annoying commercial jingle that keeps playing in your head, or that shocking story you saw on tv. You’ll forgot how it exactly went, but you still clearly remember the punchline.
I believe that it is important to become aware of how media manipulation works, so we can become more consciously aware of how we are affected by it, and minimize the effects on our mind.
👉 After all, your attention is your most valuable asset, and everyone wants to take it from you. Don’t give it away too easily!
Once I became consciously aware of the impact my media intake had on my life, I decided to become extremely selective with it. This has really helped me to create the change that I wanted in my life.
I did some research, and here is what I found out about how media manipulation works + some things you can do minimize the impact for yourself! ⬇️
What Consumes Your Mind Controls Your Life
First of all, the most important thing to realize is that, every day again, it’s YOU who decides what you feed your mind with.
Know that ALL media you consume plays a part in what your life looks like. All of it.
After all, where your attention goes, will be what grows!
[Read that again..☝️]
Ask yourself: is your media intake (news, tv, social media etc) supporting your goals? Does the media you are consuming serve your mind in the best way possible?
➡️ Your mind is your most powerful asset. You are able to control it and learn to use it in your favor, but unfortunately, many of us never learn how to do that.
In my experience, learning to control my mind is quite the process (that I’m very much in the middle of) but it is worth every step..!
It is actually the MOST important step to take if you want to feel in control of your life. And carefully selecting your media intake is an important part of this process.
After all, your thoughts create your emotions, your emotions determine your actions, your actions shape your life!
5 Media Manipulation Techniques
We live in very chaotic times and we are in the middle of a huge shift of energy in the world. Not surprising that we see this reflected in the media as well.
In times of change, it is normal that people try to influence the situation toward an outcome of their liking, and there is no stronger tool to do that with, than the media.
No wonder that, in the past years, there has been such a surge in polarisation, framing and censorship in the media and on most social platforms.
More than ever, it is vital to be extra selective with your media intake, and become aware of manipulation techniques so you are able to recognize them timely.
These are 5 media manipulation techniques to be aware of. If you know of any more, let me know in the comments!
Media manipulation technique #1: The Sleeper Effect & Dissociation
The sleeper effect is one of the best-kept secrets by the advertising industry. It is also very well-known by politicians trying to influence your opinion.
When you see an ad for a cereal, a medical product or a political party, there is no expectation that by seeing the ad you will immediately change your mind.
But what experts know is that the magic word is repetition, repetition, repetition.
Even when you dismiss an ad or message time and time again, after you have seen it many times, it will still subconsciously impact the way you think.
Even when an ad contains a so-called ‘discounting cue’, such as This product can cause cancer or This political message was funded by the opponent you will initially dismiss it, but over time it will not matter.
Our brain naturally seperates the message of the ad from the message of the discounting cue..!
That means that over time, a message that you clearly dismissed as being false, you will come to believe to be the truth. The more often you see it, the greater its effect.
If you’re human, you are effected by this! Isn’t that crazy? 😱
Media manipulation technique #2: Deflecting An Answer Through Attack
Another thing we are noticing more and more, is that debates and conversations are no longer really about the topic they supposedly are about, leaving us feeling empty and uninformed.
Seeing someone trying to deflect the topic or question at hand, should be a clear warning.. 🚩 Don’t be the person that gets distracted by the dangling carrot.
When someone is trying to push a certain opinion, it is not only about what is being said. It is even more about what is NOT being said.
Directing a conversation toward a different topic, is a great way to distract you from the subject that it was initially about.
For example, when a journalist asks someone a difficult question, and the person responding feels the need to dodge this question, the easiest way to do so would be by redirecting the attention to something different (an ´enemy´??).
Preferably even something controversial which will make people feel strong emotions. When you get emotional, you will no longer be able to focus on the subject at hand.
For example, by deflecting the answer to a question by picking a target, or demonizing the person who is asking the question, a strong frame is created that puts stress on the other party to defend themselves.
👉 Next time you watch a debate, pay attention to this. Leave your emotions at the door, and try to solely focus on the information that is being exchanged. Is it on topic?
Media manipulation technique #3: Tribal Psychology
This is probably the most important human tendancy that influencers can use to their advantage.
We are all tribal beings. We need each other to survive. We need connection, and we need to feel accepted by a group or tribe.
To make people feel as if their opinion will exclude them from the ‘tribe’, is instilling such a deep sense of fear in people, that a big part of the group will automatically we persuaded by this fact alone 🥕
There is a reason that many people prefer to have a clear enemy, rather than dig for the truth. It is biologically the easiest, and safest, thing to do.
“Many people prefer to have a clear enemy, rather than dig for the truth”
Media manipulation technique #4: Understanding Your Need To Preserve Energy
In nature, everything is an exchange of energy. This is why all living creatures will always do what they can to preserve their energy.
After all, burning energy unnecessarily (also by unnecessary thoughts) will only cause the need to waste more energy to find food.
This is another reason why repeating short, clear messages (even if they are wrong) will have a greater effect on more people than actual in-depth content.
When you are bombarded with so much information that you don’t know what to believe anymore, you will always need to look for a way to preserve your energy. You will need to rely on other people to do the in-depth research for you, and decide to believe that costs you the least amount of energy.
👉 Often the choice will be to go with what the tribe thinks is best, but that might not necessarily mean it is the best choice for you..!
Media manipulation technique #5: Preying On Your Sense Of Disconnect
The more disconnected a person feels from the world and from other people, the more easy it is for media to influence their mind. After all, there are not many voices to counter the ideas.
When you feel disconnected, you may already feel it’s you against ‘them’. If this is already your belief, you are more susceptible to seeing an enemy in a certain group of people.
Don’t fall for this ‘enemization’ of others. It won’t serve you in any way, it will only eat away at your mind and stop you from building something constructive instead.
👉 The best way to counter this, is by working on repairing your sense of disconnect. Have a spiritual practice, go out into nature, severly limit your media intake, make sure you stay grounded.
For more ideas, check out my Guide for Reconnecting with Nature 🌿 and my Guide to Meditation 🙏
The Solution & Deciding What To Trust
Fortunately, there are several things we can do to keep media manipulation to a minimum:
1. Realize That We Are All Biased
The world is not as black and white as our minds are sometimes trying to make us believe. Things are complex, which makes it impossible to oversee everything that impacts a certain situation.
We are ALL biased. There are 2 sides to EVERY story, and our conscious minds are just not capable of overseeing everything.
Becoming aware of our bias is probably the most important thing we can do. By doing so, we can keep our mind more open to individual stories, rather than categorizing them too fast.
It is fine to admit that you don’t know something, and leaving it at that.
2. Realize That We Live In A Disconnected World
Because of the time we spend on screens (myself included) we are more and more disconnected from nature and ourselves than ever before.
In many parts of the world, success is measured by your achievements, possessions, relationships, money etc. This limits the idea of success to being a measurable standard in the material world, while what we are lacking the most, is a sense of belonging to something greater than ourselves.
We are lacking the realization that we are more than just our physical body and that we are actual spiritual beings.
It is important to realize that this spiritual deprivation is the cause of a lot of misery in the world. The only way to fix this, is to work on restoring our connection with nature and with ourselves first.
–> Read more on that here.
3. Tune In To Your Intuition
I love the following quote by Albert Einstein, because this explain exactly what the problem is:
“The intuitive mind [the heart] is a sacred gift and the rational mind [the ego] is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.”
– Albert Einstein
Our society only knows how to value the rational mind. It does not value our intuitive powers enough.
This is a serious problem, and the root cause of many mental health issues. Especially in a world of information overload, where the only thing we can really trust is our intuition.
What a shame that many of us have never learned to develop our intuition to its full capabilities. We are basically ignoring our greatest power! 🧭 SHOCKING!
If you are not already doing this, now is the time to start to develop your intuition. You are going to need it when times get tough (thank me later!).
4. Be Brutally Honest With Yourself
Have I considered the information from different sources seriously (based on the content, not on a frame)?
This is something we constantly need to ask ourselves. Did I actually consider all sides of the story?
Often we choose to believe what is easiest so we can move on with our day, but taking the time to make these observations is necessary if you are interested in the truth and your own best interest.
5. Consider All Sides Of The Story
Listen to the critical questions and try to understand them on a factual level.
Keep an open mind. Know that there are ALWAYS two sides to a story. Know that people often act based on fear. Be empathetic.
6. Decide To Look Beyond The Personal Attacks
Be wary of personal attacks toward anyone. As soon as you notice that certain individuals or certain groups of people are being demonized: STOP.
This is where we are missing the other side of the story.
This is where we need to be wary and consider the other point of view the most!
7. Decide With Your Heart
If you are unsure of what to think, tune into your heart.
The heart always knows 🤍
A great way to practice this, is by working with your heart chakra, or doing the below meditation for heart activation:
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