Propaganda

Propaganda 

Propaganda isn’t just a dusty word from history textbooks; it’s alive and shaping our world today. At its root, propaganda is the art of spreading biased or misleading information to sway opinions. Propaganda is often perceived as truth, when it's usually not. Think about wartime posters or viral X posts. However, peeling back the layers, it's a double-edged sword with implications that ripple through society, hitting us all differently.

Start with the positive side of it, propaganda can unify individuals and groups. During crises, like the COVID-19 pandemic, a government’s “We’re in this together” campaign can rally people to mask up or vaccinate themselves. It’s a tool for focus that cuts through the noise of many opinions to push a common goal. Historically, it’s fueled movements: civil rights marches even used it. For society, it can forge solidarity when chaos looms. But the catch is: it’s only “good” if you buy the cause.  

Now, the dark side. Propaganda thrives on manipulation. It’s the fake news headline you share without checking and the ad that scares you into buying. In 2025, it’s even more powerful by the advances of AI and social media, pumping out tailored lies faster than we can blink. When I scroll on Tiktok and Instagram, I see fake images and videos of animals or people that look very realistic. Because of this, society has to pay a price. Trust and the truth goes out the window. Look at January 6th’s aftermath. Misinformation fanned flames until reality fractured. The powerful leaders wield this tool the best. Rich elites or governments can afford slick campaigns while the poor get drowned out and stuck hearing things other than the truth.  

Who feels it most? Well, pretty much everyone. Younger folks are glued to screens and drowning in TikTok propaganda, while older generations lean on TV watching either FoxNews or CNN, which both lean to an extreme side of one political party. Gender also plays a role. Ads target women with beauty myths and men with hunter tropes. Gay or straight, majority or minority - it’s all fair game. Minority groups, like immigrants, often get swept away by campaigns who say they want to give them homes, money, cars, and jobs.

For me, it’s personal. My friends scroll on tiktok, reposting videos without a second thought. My parents are hooked on cable news and listening only to one news network, never really hearing the other side out. My generation’s caught in the crossfire of it all. They are tech-savvy to make trends and memes about situations, but not always sharp enough to understand the propaganda and tell whether it's actually true. We’re shaping a world where truth’s optional, and that really scares me.