If you want to discover just how easy it is to brainwash people and convince them of something that is 100% WRONG, look no further than telling time on digital media.
Despite modern delusion, 12:00 Noon was, is, and will always be 12:00AM, and 12:00 Midnight was, is, and will always be 12:00PM. Unfortunately, modern digital media reversed these and 99% of people have been none the wiser to it. They apparently forgot how they were taught to tell time in school. People today think Noon is 12:00PM; that you start counting with 12 and then go to 1 and 2 and 3... How retarded is that? Who counts this way?!?!?
One second after midnight was always the start of the new day (even with the 24-hour clock). For Noon, old clocks either displayed 12:00AM until the first minute after, changing to 12:01PM, or they displayed AM until 1:00, changing to PM.
Each number from 1 through 12 is the top of the hour. What this means is that when the clock turns 10:00, the 10th hour has arrived. 10:01 belongs to the 11th hour. If your brain is not able to comprehend this, think about your birthday. From the day you are born until you turn 1 is your 1st year. The first day after you turn 1 is part of your 2nd year, which culminates when you turn 2. Everything after you turn 1 is not part of your first year. Understand now?
It is the same in understanding centuries. The 1900s are referred to as the 20th century. Why? Because from 1901 until 2000 is the 20th century. From year 1 until year 100 was the first century. Are you beginning to understand?
Modern digital media royally screws this up. They have each 12-hour period start counting with 12:00, moving to 1, then 2, then 3... Who counts this way?!?!? They attempt to begin with the top of the hour rather than to end with it. When stores say they're open until 12:00PM (mistakenly thinking this means Noon), they are actually saying they are open until Midnight!
Think of the 24-hour clock. From Midnight on is 00:## until the top of the hour, when it changes to 01:00. This tells you how many hours have passed since the start of the day. Modern digital media wants us to believe that 12:00 Noon begins the 13th hour culminating with 1:00 (or 13:00 on the 24-hour clock). It is called AFTER-Noon for a reason. Noon is the culmination of the 12-hour count from the beginning of the day. Ergo, as it has always been, Noon is 12:00AM!!! 12:01 belongs to the first hour of the afternoon, which culminates with 1:00PM. Midnight is the top of the hour for the 12th hour of the afternoon, which means that as it has always been, Midnight is 12:00PM!!!
12:00 Noon has always been 12:00AM. The top of the first afternoon hour culminates with 1:00PM. We start counting with 1, not with 12!!!
Even Paul Brians' 'Common Errors in English Usage' acknowledges this modern error in the ability to tell time correctly:
"AM/PM
"AM" stands for the Latin phrase Ante Meridiem—which means "before noon"—and "PM" stands for Post Meridiem: "after noon." Although digital clocks routinely label noon "12:00 PM" you should avoid this expression not only because it is incorrect, but because many people will imagine you are talking about midnight instead. The same goes for "12:00 AM." you can say or write "twelve noon," "noon sharp," or "exactly at noon" when you want to designate a precise time.
It is now rare to see periods placed after these abbreviations: "A.M.," but in formal writing it is still preferable to capitalize them, though the lower-case "am" and "pm" are now so popular they are not likely to get you into trouble.
Occasionally computer programs encourage you to write "AM" and "PM" without a space before them, but others will misread your data if you omit the space. The nonstandard habit of omitting the space is spreading rapidly, and should be avoided in formal writing."