Beginning of Essay
There are many ways that our ideas are shaped and influenced as we grow up. This process by which we develop certain ways of thinking is called . There are three main influences which change and shape us being, the family, the mass media, and formal education. ....

Middle of Essay
.... more people are spending more and more time watching television. The average grade school student spends more time watching tv than he or she does at school. The media has been called the "new parent" by some. However, the programs that would influence political opinion the most, such as the news, are rarely watched by the youth of today. The final major influence of people is their formal education or school. Countries have historically had government classes in their schools to "preach" the goodness of their particular type of government. For example, American children have been taught the virtues of capitalism and democracy for years. In ....