Media manufactures culture rather than reflecting it

Until the 2010s, you needed television to follow the broader culture. Since then, you’ve 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.