Armando Barlick
Student, Author
A lifetime resident of Coral Gables, and currently a senior at Ransom Everglades school, 18-year-old Armando Barlick has always been interested in how culture, politics, and society interact and influence each other. “I’ve always been very interested in this topic. It’s something that got me thinking a lot, especially in my younger years, in late middle school and early high school,” says Barlick. “It was something I knew a lot about but wanted to look more into – and when you’re in high school, that’s the time where you’re expected to come into your own and explore your interests.” So, working after school and during vacation breaks, Barlick spent more than a year – from the age of 16 to the age of 17 – researching and writing about modern American culture.
“There Is a Behind the Scenes War for Control of American Media [and] There Are a Lot of Forces That Control Popular Content. It’s Not Just the Artists…”
Accomplishments
Earlier this year, Barlick self-published “Culture Waves,” a provocative look at how popular culture, especially over the last century, has influenced the way Americans think and vote. Despite its decidedly conservative twist, the book tries to provide a balanced look at how those in control of popular media – from government censors in the early 20th century to Hollywood studios today – have tried to control the messaging which influences mass audiences. The book is available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble and ultimately may become a video documentary “to refine some of my arguments,” says Barlick, who welcomes any commentary, including different opinions.
What He Says
“It’s almost a tug of war, how society influences pop culture and the other way around. Its isn’t just a black and white, linear relationship… I learned that it is a little more complex than that,” says Barlick. “There is a behind the scenes war for control of American media [and] there are a lot of forces that control popular content. It’s not just the artists. Companies are incentivized to promote ideas that you already have. Social media is largely what we make it.” The solution? “We shouldn’t be romanticizing entertainers but instead talk to people in our communities… talking to people is more important than what you hear in media.” – J.P. Faber