Negative Effects Of Mass Media Essay

The media have largely negative effects on people. It affects people of all ages, genders, and races. Effects are defined as a change that results when something is done or happens or a particular mood or feeling created by something. The media does this in both a positive and negative way but it’s negative effects are much worse and more numerous. Mass media does affect the way in which people think and act. Its positive influences are celebrated, but its negative effects are something not beneficial for a healthy society. The mass media negatively effects people because it shows the wrong message, people could be overloaded with information or become addicted, and it changes outlook and behavior.

Mass media is anything that has to do with the Internet, newspapers, or television. These modes of communication are used to convey messages to society. But many of the times, the message is misinterpreted by the masses. The good message might be seen positively by one part of society but there are others who take the wrong message from it. Imitation is also a negative effect of the mass media. Youth today are at a vulnerable age and usually taken advantage of through the media. They can be seen as imitating their role models through what they hear in the news. I remember when I was a little kid and a huge basketball fan. I used to play basketball by myself in the driveway and make up a whole story and season about me being the star player and sticking out like some of my idols for my favorite teams. This is just a fine example of what some television shows or music groups can do to the youth today. As teenagers, they are attracted to anything flashy and anything that can make the news.

So much mass media in today’s day and age can a...

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...re. Anyways, some people are greatly influenced by what they see in the media. Some newspapers, TV shows, and websites can be helpful, but most of it is junk and used just for the joy of entertainment.

Overall, the mass media negatively affects people on a large basis because of a wrong message, addiction and overload to certain media, and the influence media might have on behavior and the outlook of life. The key to try to avoid the negative influence of mass media is to limit your exposure and to choose what you watch. It’s impossible to avoid the effects of media completely, but we can choose what we believe and not allow the media to influence us. Using our proper judgment and taking a moment to think about the things we see in the media will put our minds in the proper perspective and allow us to inhibit the positive influences the mass media can have on us.