Are American Value's Shaped by the Mass Media?

After reading Issue One, Are American Value's Shaped by the Media Mass, I have picked a side. I am strongly for yes; the media has definitely affected Americans. The media has affected Americans in so many ways; I don't know where to start. Once the media manipulates us, our social arrangement's are unconsidered. People today don't want to face the truth in life, so we look ahead into reality. These are the transmissions that send signals and messages across to us.
The media becomes so persuasive, it makes is hard for Americans to believe that they don't have important affect on us. But many people don't want to admit the truth that the media has an observable impact on their everyday lives, and even others around them. Therefore I believe the media has influenced people to buy products, such as clothes, toys, furniture, cars, and etc. When the product is displayed, it's put out as of a product that you have to have. They display it as the best product you can buy, and that it is better then it looks. They will have people smiling in the commercials having the greatest time with the product , and that you will be happy forever with it. But in reality, the media is shaping the attitudes of individuals in the society. It is making someone form an opinion and illusion of what they want, in order to win them over.
Herbert Schiller outlines five myths that forms and structures the manipulation of media on the Americans. These five myths maintain social powers over individuals, and repeat the same thing over and over untill they agree with them. Even though the technology is increasing over the years, Schiller argues that the advertisments ideological core of media still remains the same. I know that the media is so persuasive; it is affecting millions of people in a negative cause. No on can think on their own anymore. It is as if we are being trained as robots, and doing what they tell us to do.
On the other hand, I dont entirely agree with James Cary's ideas. He stresses the view of communications as a process of negotiation on images and issues. He argues that people just commit themselves and time to the mdeia, which is how they get attached. They want to make themselves think they are getting taken over. But in reality, they are torturing themselves. The transmission model of communications has focused our attention on the issues of power, and control. He thinks that people are being affected by others who are affected by the media. Where I don't think that is entirely true. Everyone at least does one of the following; watches TV, reads the newspaper, reads magazines, or listens to the radio. They have to form opinions or hear what they media has to say. We have something to value.
Either way, television is persuasive to Americans, and always will be. Either it is the cultral approach to communication or the mind managers, the media is still geting their products or items out there on advetisement, and they are selling worldwide. Even if the commercial is persuasive or not, they are being successful. This is changing the nature of public discourse. All this persuasion is negatively affecting Americans, because they can't have a mind of their own. We can't believe what is right and wrong because others are being affected too. If we think on our own, then other people who are being affected will think we are crazy for our own thoughts. It is a cycle, everyone is manipulation each other.