Americans are becoming progressively more conscious of the products they consume. From purchasing healthier foods to adding exercise into their daily regiment, Americans are making great strides to track the health of their bodies. Why not do the same with our brains? Most scientists refer to the human brain as the most amazing and intricate object in the universe. The environment and information to which we expose ourselves shape who we are by creating changes in our brains. With this information at hand, mainstream news organizations impose misleading information on Americans that attempt to manipulate the workings of the brain through a phenomenon called brain synchronization.
According to neuroscientist Dr. Uri Hasson, humans naturally crave acceptance with other like-minded individuals. Dr. Hasson states, “The stronger the similarity between the listener’s brain and the speaker’s brain, the better the communication.” In other words, if the brains of those we associate with are similar to that of our own, brain synchronization may occur.
Though it may seem like the stuff of sci-fi novels, brain synchronization, also called neural entrainment, is a very real phenomenon in which individuals begin to agree with the views of those with similar neural responses. For example, the brains of those who regularly follow and agree with partisan media outlets will show synchrony in the activity of “higher order” areas of their brains, including the frontal and parietal cortex. Frequently, individuals will become somewhat brainwashed to agree with partisan news anchors, as holding coinciding views leads to feelings of acceptance and increased brain synchrony. Dr. Hasson notes:
And if one sentence is enough to make your brain similar to people that think like you and very different than people that think differently than you, think how this effect is going to be amplified in real life, when we are all listening to the exact same news item after being exposed day after day after day to different media channels… And we have to be really worried as a society if we lose this common ground and our ability to speak with people that are slightly different than us because we let a few very strong media channels take control of the mic, and manipulate and control the way we all think.
Who exactly is at risk of brainwash from fake news media outlets? Well, certainly all Americans are in jeopardy. Without citizens properly discussing and thinking through critical issues facing society, the mainstream media is very well adept at manipulating how individuals perceive issues in the body politic.
Thankfully, the majority of Americans are skeptical of the mainstream media. According to a study by the Pew Research Center, only about one in ten conservative Republicans state that they are trusting of reports from the media. However, about one in three liberal Democrats are trusting of information from the mainstream media. What a surprise… The study also found that an increasing number of Americans, especially millennials, are turning away from national media outlets. However, partisan cable television programs remain the most popular news sources for the majority of Americans.
To defend against brain synchronization imposed by mainstream media outlets, citizens must use dialogue to effectively share and discuss their views on critical issues facing the nation. Also, Americans must turn to more reliable news sources for information and analysis. At Liberty Nation, we are devoted to being a source of intelligent, insightful and honest news analysis and commentary. In fact, our mission is to become the go-to resource for any intellectually honest reader who seeks to navigate the treacherous waters of today’s biased media offerings in search of truth. By delivering reliable news and offering dialogue with readers, Liberty Nation is a cutting-edge news and commentary source designed to end the brainwash imposed by the fake news mainstream media outlets.
Through competition with misleading media sources, we hope to change mainstream news to reliable broadcast. And America will be all the better for it.
