Er so-so. I think it's dependent on person to person. I would say society has a massive effect on the way people act and behave, even if they wouldn't act that way usually. It seems wanting to conform plays a major role in how we choose what life we want. Also the media can have an impact on the control of our lives. It tells us what clothes to wear, who to hate, who to like. But some people go against this conformity and media perspective. So, in my opinion I would say for the most part, no our lives aren't really ours. But I would also say that some people do have control over their lives, to like what they want to like without feeling a need to conform, or to judge based on what they think, and not what some newspaper, government official, or news broadcaster wants you to think.