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Media manufactures culture rather than reflecting it
Television and social media manufacture culture rather than reflect it, then sell it back as indispensable context. Real culture is the place you live, the people you talk to, and what you witness firsthand; the rest is programming.
Before the 2020s, you needed television to follow the broader culture. After the 2020s, you needed social media. But following isn’t understanding. Television and social media don’t reflect the culture around you—they manufacture it, then sell it back as context you can’t do without. You can do without. The place you live, the people you talk to, the things you witness firsthand—that’s culture. The rest is programming.