Each and every person on this Earth is subject to being categorized by these 4 “modes of inequality”. These classifications serve to create separation and division among the population. The primary source of the tension caused by these divisions stems from commonly-held beliefs or assumptions placed on any given subset of these modes. For example, Gender is divided into two categories, Male and Female. Each of these subsets has a certain ideal behavior to which it is supposed to conform; this ideal behavior is generated by the media. Although we may not realize it, the media is our go-to source for knowledge about the world around us. With technology evolving at the exponential rate that it is, it shouldn’t be much of a surprise to see more and more people growing attached to their devices, inseparable even. Never will you find a millennial without their iPhone; a device that is always sitting patiently in their pocket, ready to pull up applications like Instagram or Facebook at a moment’s notice. Young people have become dependent on technology, so much so, in fact, that you’ll probably see them looking at their phones more often then not. There are far greater implications for this then the fact that you may have have a conversation with the top of a student’s head because he’s too busy playing Candy Crush to look up at you; the time we spend on our devices robs us of the time we should be spending observing the world around us. Instead of watching the landscapes flitter by as you sit in the passenger seat on the way to your destination, you may sift through an endless collection of apps or maybe instead choose to read some “articles” on BuzzFeed, nearly all of which have less intellectual content than a Dr. Seuss book. Technological advancements have divided us as a species; the more time we spend in our own little virtual worlds, the less capable we are of interacting with real people in the real world in which we actually live. Along with our deteriorating social skills, we are also handicapped by the views we have of the world, which are subconsciously pushed on us through the media, or, rather, what we are exposed to on our technological devices. What we observe through media has a significant impact on how we look at the world. It should be understood though, that this principle is not limited to the time we spend on our phones but also any form of media: television, movies, music, etc. Even the Disney movies I grew up with have subliminal messages;  I realized the influence such movies had in the development of my views on gender roles, sexuality, social class, and race. I have come to accept that my views on these topics are not actually my own opinion, but rather a lens; a lens fabricated by the media to make me think how they want me to think. Really, all these stereotypes and assumptions that we have regarding someone from another race, gender, sexuality or social class have no substance to them. They mean nothing. Facilitated by the media, we have assisted in creating a world where everyone is labeled, judged, and compared to an unattainable standard, resulting in a divided populous filled with misdirected hate and confusion.

People are learning more from technology and media than any other institution. This affects the way we view politics, our language, and the esteem we have for not only ourselves but for others as well. Women are worth just that, whatever you see. Appearance is the driving force behind women in the media. Big media capitalizes on women and creates a perception in which socializing boys into beleieving being a man means being powerful and in control. This is all learned behavior and it starts with young children!- As soon as they can watch TV or read a tabloid, etc: Voices can't be heard and this is exactly how the puppet master needs it. "You can't be what you can't see."