Powerful Influences

Looking at consumption, I thought it was so interesting that Dona Barbara had the power to separate an audience. The audience was so strongly connected to these fictional characters that it actually affected real life for them, and that is mind-boggling to me. Then in class today, the effect of telenovelas on people came up again when we talked about using telenovelas as mediums for social messages (like the census topic).

Telenovelas are obviously very effective in influencing the Latin population. If this is so, can't that also reinforce negative aspects? For example, if children as young as 4 years old are watching telenovelas, do they start believing in that type of "fairy tale" love story? I understand that most people use telenovelas as an escape from reality, but if these telenovelas are starting to affect reality then how is that line defined?

And why isn't something like telenovelas so prevalent in American culture? What makes a telenovela so addictive and significant in Latin American society?