Julianna's Thoughts on Family, Media and Future Career Choices

Isn't it amazing how much one's family influences the choices that person makes in terms of what they view, listen to or read. I am truly a product of both of my parents media interests. My parents consume news like its their job. I recall as a child being placed in front of the TV to watch PBS's "The McLaughlin Group" every Friday night. (For those of you who do not know what the McLaughlin Group is it is a group of political analysts who discus the weeks political events and occasionally get into shouting matches). This is not typical programming for elementary school children, but in my household it was a Friday night staple. Surprisingly, I grew into the show that I watched religiously while living at home (even though it was by force as a youngster). Now, when I am at home with my family on Friday nights, we still watch the show together. If it had not been for my parents forcing for many years I would have never developed an appreciation and later a fondness for the show. This brings me to another thought--if someone is exposed to a certain form of media over an extended period of time is it normal to develop an appreciation for it? It could be argued in my case that this exposure to news programming contributed to my choice of study in college (political science). Because I was made to watch the news against my will, I eventually realized I should make the best of it and then decided to enjoy it. Is this the case with other people? Are children who are forced to watch the history channels later in life historians? Are children who are made to watch star trek astronauts later in life? Can the media have a direct affect on future career choices? ~Julianna Smith