Having culture as part of your life is very important in the world. A culture can determine who an individual is. There are many cultures around the world that define who each individual is. One of the main ways culture is exposed to the world is through the media. The media has certainly changed over time. Advances in media have shown how adaptable different cultures can be. According to an essay written by Gerard Jones, a 13-year-old boy was sheltered from American culture because his parents were worried about the “violent world.” But as he grew up he came across Hulk magazines. This magazine opened his eyes to a whole new world of American culture that he enjoyed. He discovered how he was able to release all negative emotions through a "violent" plot. This young man, on his own, got a little taste of what American culture is all about through a magazine. But as technology advances, media changes too. The representation of American culture appears in other platforms. Social media is one of the largest platforms people use to showcase American culture. Not only that, but the media also has the power to shape the way people think about American culture. The media has always had different platforms where it can represent this culture. The three main ones have eaten up television, social media and newspapers. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The media has the power to shape or change the way you think. Persuasion plays a huge role in helping people develop an opinion on a certain topic. Be it politics, economic issues or certain rights; the media is currently shaping the way people think. Today people are extremely focused on their phones. Cell phones have had a huge impact on the world. But if we focus on America, cell phones have become part of people's daily lives. Makeila Heisler, author of “Mass Media and its Influence on American Culture,” states that “the first thing most Americans do when they wake up in the morning, when they get out of the car, or when they finish work… they check their cell phones (Heisler, 2013). Cell phones have been one of the greatest technological advancements to impact Americans. Americans rely on their cell phones most of the time for news, social affairs and other personal interests. Social media plays a huge role in your cell phone usage. According to Social Media Week staff, “48% of U.S. adults participating in our survey, conducted before the Facebook congressional hearings, believe that social media and technology have a negative effect on democracy in the United States (Staff, 2018 ). America is known for its democratic and republican government. The fact that social media is influencing Americans on which side to take is no surprise. The amount of information released on these platforms is remarkable. The information is material to the point that none of the information presented is accurate. Some information may just be rumors with no hard evidence to support a claim. One must be careful in agreeing or believing what is presented in social media. As for the Democratic Party, the Staff recently conducted a study showing how social media negatively affects them. About half of the study population showed that social media had a negative effect on the Democratic Party. Since 1900,when television was invented, American culture took a big turn. Whether it's the worst or the best, no one really knows. But as time passed, the advances of television were finally implemented into American culture. In the first decades of television's existence, the effect of broadcast shows had an effect on American culture. Thomson Gale wrote an article about the impact American culture has had since the invention of television. It focuses on the shows that were shown and the fact that minorities were not given as many roles. He goes on to say that: “Until the 1970s, most people who appeared on American television programs were Caucasian (white). Being white was presented as normal on all types of programming, including news, sports, entertainment, and advertising. The few minorities that appeared on television programs tended to be presented as stereotypes” (Gale, 2007). This shows how advanced television has become. In American history, Caucasians were the majority and people of color were the minority. Television was no exception. Although there were some roles that minorities could play on television, their roles were stereotypical, as Thomas mentioned, and were even a bit degrading. The roles assigned to minorities were also very limited, which shows how "important" they were in American society. But as the years have passed, more and more roles have opened up to minorities. Talk shows, television series, and even cartoons have seen people of color play an important role. This progress, that is, the greater opening of roles for minorities, shows how television has positively influenced American culture. For many years people have had a vision of minorities represented on television. Ever since television became the biggest influencer, what was shown on TV was what people believed to be true. In more recent years, television has made the role of both the minority and the majority more or less the same. Whether it's gender or body shape, television is still influencing how people view American culture. People sometimes rely primarily on information provided on television and believe how others are portrayed in certain programs. News is also a part of television because it is where people focus the most. The information released on news channels is what informs people about what is happening across the country. Newspapers have been around for a long time. Newspapers have been around since the 19th century. Although news is not as popular as it was in the 19th century, newspapers still play an important role in the effects of American culture. The article “History of Newspapers in American,” written by Robert McNamara, states that “At the turn of the century, newspapers, generally in larger cities and towns, tended to be affiliated with particular political factions or politicians. Newspapers were the talk of the town when they first came out. They were mainly used for political information that the government wanted to release. Newspapers are still used in the present. They are very relevant and still present valuable political and event information about what is happening in your city. The information presented by the editor in the newspaper has a great effect on American culture. Information can help develop ideas on certain policy topics and make us aware of what is happening around us. Pew Research works to study whether newspapers still have an impact in the present. Their conclusion is:.