How does media affect your preception of reality.

The media is very influential.  To me, although I am able to keep my head clear and my wits about me in relation to what is real and what isn't, I can still get lost from a matter of minutes to a couple of hours.  It certainly depends on what I am tuning into. For example, I can get lost in a gardening magazine dreaming about all the great ideas for my garden this spring.  Although, I have no intetion of brick walkways, fountains or fish ponds with waterfalls, I get consumed with dreaming and the potential "what ifs."  When is comes to tv, I am less apt to get involved, however, during an episode of Friends its really hard not to imagine having a body like Jennifer Anniston and living in a great apartment with my best friends across the hall. Back to reality.....its Shrove Tuesday and I have yet to figure out what I am serving my family along with the traditional pancakes with money in them.  I guess I'd better round up some coins for supper.