The ways of accessing media have evolved, so has the way it affects the individuals who have access to it. When radio and television weren’t even thought of as a way of communication, most used the newspaper as their primary sources of information, and did not question where that information came from, or if it was valid or not. Media can influence the opinions of people in severe ways, both good and bad, for example government influence on media can sway the opinions of the people exposed to that specific media. As the media plays such an influential role in the lives of most Americans, we need to ask ourselves, “Are we in control of the media, or is the media in control of us?” Media’s drastic growth has lead society to become more aware of what is going on socially, economically, etc. As people become more aware about what is truly going on, and taking about it through emerging media sources and exposing themselves to many different sources of traditional media, the individual is able to find the truth and form his or her own educated opinion, and American culture holds this as a very important factor in the people’s everyday lives. Communication started with the radio from hearing news broadcast to listening to music and plays that all happened before television. The radio was very real and came to life without having the visual effects of today’s technology and still had the effect of making people feel as if they were in the play itself, radio was the first wireless form of mass communication. The next big step in mass media was television people were able to have the visual capabilities with sound and movement and quickly became popular in every home, with a big impact on American culture and throughout the world. Watching theatre, shows, news broadcast, and plays came to life right in the living room. Although development is generally a good thing, not all of the influences have been positive.