do we control media or media control us?

while watching frontline's making cents out of teens: merchants of cool, we noticed the marketing feedback loop. companied research teens and every aspect of their lives and then advertise their lifestyle back to teens. teens aspire to reach that lifestyle, reach it, media takes over, and it's not cool anymore. then teens find something new. then companies come flocking back. this is the everlasting cycle and the reason why trends come and go so quickly. so do we teens really control what we like? or does media tell us what to like?

before media became our main source for inspiration for clothing, beauty standards, and an overall lifestyle, people used their peers (at least that's what i think). as teens got more power and money to spend, companies took the chance of advertising for teens. as the years went on, as media played a bigger role in teen life, teens began seeing teens represented. except these teens look prettier than you! and they have expensive cars! you're not cool if you don't look like them! teenagers then change to fit these standard of living. but mainstream = not cool, so when too many people start dressing like sharpie from high school musical, it's time to move on to something different and unique. here comes disney channel again on its way to make a movie about edgy outcasts. and this whole thing restarts. it's kinda crazy how what teens want, we get.

i don't think that this feedback loop is just for companies advertising their product, but it spreads to social media like tumblr,  instagram, and pinterest. "influencers" inspire their followers by showing off their lavish lifestyle with their cars and clothing. when all people see is success in materialistic items, it is no doubt they will feel insecure that they don't have what others do. this is the same for beauty standards...people just can't help but compare their bodies to someone else's. so people would change themselves to attempt to fit these artificial standards.

i personally it's just a combination of both, but teens play a bigger role in what companies advertise.

i agree with this person's caption...