The word "media" can be defined as a means of communication such as radio, television, newspapers and magazines which reach or influence people. People in today's society are affected by the media in many different ways, some of these being: what people should be doing, what they eat, and what they should wear. Those are just a few of the ways people are influenced by the media. While some of what the media portrays is positive, in my opinion, most is negative. In Neil Postman's book, "Building a Bridge to the 18th Century: Ideas From the Past That Can Improve Our Future," and Mark Edmundson's essay, "As Lite Entertainment for Bored College Students," they both seem to give arguments as to how the media has had a negative effect on the youth of our culture. They argue that the youth is so wrapped up in the social norms; and by norms I mean what society views as normal behavior. In this paper, I will argue that both Postman's book and Edmundson's essay point out that the media has had a negative effect on the youth of our culture. Both Postman's book and Edmundson's essay address the negative effects that the social media has had the growth of the youth. Young children in society can be influenced negatively and therefore: have their minds corrupted by the TV, internet, magazines, etc. As a result of that, they can become so wrapped up in the media that they do not care about living a good wholesome life, or being a good student. Postman quotes, "they (children) are markets; that is to say, consumers whose needs for products are roughly the same as the needs of adults" (pg. 125). Maybe this is why college students show little interest in their education and show more interest in the material world. If children were exposed to the media and its bad morals at an early age, it could be that when these students reach college they lose interest in their education and worry about the material world. That is how I see another connection between Edmundson's essay and Postman's article. They both have generations of people who are manipulated by the social world's norms. Postman argues that the media plays a big role in the growth of children. He offers many examples of how the media affects children through the television, internet, magazines, etc. Postman argues that there is no such thing as childhood because children and adults "have access to the same information as adults" (pg. 125). He also asks the question, "What does the a forty-year old, have to teach a twelve-year old if both of them h