Twitter. Facebook. Instagram. Repeat. Living in the twenty-first century offers people many ways to connect with each other. They can learn about new events, share their opinions or talk about their day. People now depend on information to keep their lives moving with activities like work, school, travel, and other regular events. The media not only informs the general population, but also tries to persuade and shape general opinions. The media does this in different shapes and forms, such as the Internet, television, newspapers, radio, and magazines. Public opinion is known as the attitude shared by many people toward government and politics. Although it is difficult to define, the way people express their opinions is how public opinion is identified. Things like voting statistics, editorial comments on television and radio, Internet blogs, and paid advertising can be ways that people express their opinions. Elections are known to be an important and informative way to indicate public opinion because Election Day is one of the most popular days for people to express their opinions. Interest groups also measure public opinion. They are known as private organizations whose members have the same views or opinions about what the government should do about a particular issue. They use lobbyists who are people who persuade and inform all the different branches of government about their opinions and views as an interest group. Lobbyists are hired and paid by interest groups to get what they want. Interest groups also use letters, phone calls and emails. The media is also a way to measure opinion, but it also shapes it. Public opinion is also measured through opinion polls which are tools that c...... middle of paper...... the twenty-first century average in a person's life, it can be said that the media are an important part of their lives. Daily media is used to help the person get through the day. Why should one say that the media does not influence people? The use of media informs everyone about different events. Without knowing it, when you finish reading a magazine or a blog, you have already decided on a position on a certain topic. Is it bad that the media can exert this influence on people? Although a lot of propaganda is used in situations like these, the only way the population can be informed is through the media. Without it, the public could not be educated on everyday events. Works Cited Curtis, D. A. (2012). Influence of the mass media on society. Retrieved from http://www2.uncp.edu/home/acurtis/Courses/ResourcesForCourses/Media&Society/MassMediaInfluenceOnSociety.html