The Negative Influences of Media on Society

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Imagine what the world would be like if when people came home from school or work, they were not able to sit in front of their television and watch their favorite shows. This would be hard to think about considering that not a day goes by that people don’t use some form of media. Media is used to obtain information and watch entertainment. There are many forms of this, and some include newspapers, the Internet, television, and so much more. While there are obviously many great benefits to the growth of media, there are some undeniable and harsh downsides. “In a study on fifth graders, 10 year old girls and boys told researchers they were dissatisfied with their own bodies after watching a music video by Britney Spears or a clip from the TV show “Friends”" (Sanders). This is only one of the many disturbing statistics about the effects that media can have on people. An extensive amount of research and studies have been done over this topic, and it is very evident that media influence has greatly affected society and its peoples’ behaviors in a negative way. Media has a very long history. The first method of communication was developed by the Roman Catholic Church, and this system made it so that messages could be transmitted all throughout Europe. The first forms of writing first came about in the Middle East at around 3500 B.C. (Hanson). These writings were obviously very simple, but throughout time, they evolved to be much more complex. Paper was eventually invented, and later, books could be written, although they were not able to be distributed very easily. Many forms of communication started to be developed during the 19th century. Due to the invention of the printing press and the increasing literacy rates, books, new... ... middle of paper ... ... Communication: Living in a Media World, 3rd Ed. Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. Hiebert, Ray E. "Impact of the Mass Media." Impact of the Mass Media. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Jaslow, Ryan. "Violent Video Games and Mass Violence: A Complex Link." CBSNews. CBS Interactive, n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. "Mass Media: Scholastic." Scholastic. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. "Negative Effects of Media on Young Girls." Statistics. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. "The Role and Influence of Mass Media." The Role and Influence of Mass Media. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. Sanders, Erica L. "Undergraduate Research Journal for the Human Sciences." Undergraduate Research Journal for the Human Sciences. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. "Statistics." Violence in the Media. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. "Teen Health and the Media." Teen Health and the Media. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2013.

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