The rise of media in our society has many effects on media consumers. Many ask the question: does this media make us stupider? Today there are many more forms of media available to people. Through media such as television and news, the Internet, user-generated content, and social media, people have many options for where to receive their media. Overall, the mass media dulls society, trying to keep up with the changing times and reach large masses of people. It is up to the media consumer to decide which type they want to participate in. How does the media compete in such an environment? The only way to compete is to follow it. To become one and help him. New forms of mass media are emerging, they will happen and they will not stop because we are a constantly changing society. The media seeks to put a new spin on media that combines old media techniques with a new, more advanced form of media that attempts to reach all of society. While they are effective in reaching crowds of viewers and people who may have never engaged with issues, they demean society by limiting the completeness of the information presented. Dumbbelling is usually applied as a derogatory term that refers to the simplification of a topic towards the lowest common denominator. Americans consume large amounts of media. The average American spends half the day watching television or listening to some type of mass media. According to Shachtman, author of The Inarticulate Society: Eloquence and Culture in America, “most Americans watch thirty hours of television a week, or 1,550 hours a year, listen to the radio 1,160 hours a year, spend 180 hours a year reading some books. part of a ne...... half of the document ......al_media_stats_kagan_fisch_mcleodCarr, N. (2008, July - August). Is Google making us stupid?. The Atlantic, 1. Retrieved February 14, 2012, from http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/07/is-google-making-us-stupid/6868/Shachtman, T. (1995). Extracurricular educators. The inarticulate society: Eloquence and culture in America (pp. 95-142). New York: Free Press. Sommerville, C. J. (1999). How News Makes Us Mute: The Death of Wisdom in the Information Society. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press.Wolf, M. (2007). Proust and the squid, history and science of the reading brain. New York, NY: Harpercollins.YDSTIE, J. (2007, June 16). Does the Internet undermine culture? : NPR. NPR: National Public Radio: News & Analysis, World, US, Music & Arts: NPR. Retrieved February 10, 2012, from http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11131872