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Discuss in details the evolution of media
the role of television in our society
the role of television in our society
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Recommended: Discuss in details the evolution of media
Media and Society
Works Cited Not Included
Media is all around us. We as a society absorb media from television,
radio, magazines, billboards, and newspapers. Media has such a strong
effect on our lives that we do not even notice its presence
sometimes. Media is the central force in shaping our culture and
democracy. Media reflects and sustains the values and traditions of
our striving, but necessary democracy. We as a society can use mass
media to our advantage if we watch over the impact it has over us
(Media and Culture 35)
Let me first give some insight on how media bombards our life
everyday. In our society, television is the main source of news and
information, and the main source of entertainment as well. More than
99 percent of U.S. households have at least one television set, and
about two-thirds of them have two, three, or more sets (Nielsen 1993).
As the number of TV sets in a household has increased, family viewing
has declined, and individual program selection and so...
The media play an indispensable role in modern life, and are considered amongst the most powerful and inaccurate sources of social information, education and entertainment. Our mass media is an electronic (TV, film, video, videogames, internet) visually dominated media with print (newspaper, magazine)...
The issue of the relationship between the mass media and the popular culture has always been a controversial issue in social sciences. The political economists insist on the role of the media industry in the creation of this phenomenon of the twentieth century. Though, advocates such as John Fiske, argue that popular culture is actually the creation of the populous itself, and is independent of the capitalist production process of the communication sector. Basing his argument on the immense interpretive power of the people, Fiske believes that the audience is able to break all the indented meanings within a media message. He also believes- by giving new meanings to that specific message they can oppose the power block that is trying to impose its ideology to the public. Consequently, this anarchistic activity of the audience creates the popular culture as a defence mechanism. Even when we accept Fiske’s ideas, we can not disregard the manipulative power of the media and its effects on cultural and social life.
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 is a factor in our lives that goes way beyond the television. Through reading Media/Society: Industries, Images, and Audience, by David Croteau and William Hoynes I have come to better understand and see how the media really is a major factor in our day to day lives. Media comes in many forms, is complex and a world wide concept. Media plays a roles in our relationships, it a unique industry that is a very dog eat dog industry and we see how the media so has a negative impact on society with social inequality.
In Marie Winn’s Essay “Television: The Plug In Drug,” she states, “Television’s contribution to family life has been an equivocal one.” Winn focuses on the issue of television's influence in the lives of American families. Her emphasis is on the medium's influence on children. Although she makes a strong case for the negative influence of television, she fails to consider all of the benefits television has brought to American families. On its own, the television is neither bad nor good. It offers many benefits: awareness, entertainment, and relaxation. Depending how the television is used, it can have a positive, or negative, effect on the family.
Media, in its largest sense, hypothetically is one small page in the large "book of life". However, nineteenth century society has based an entire chapter of their lives on what happens in every medium used for communication. Through the creation of radio and of television in the late 1940's, and the modernization of newspapers and magazines, specifically, American culture has devoted themselves to a mass communications lifestyle in which they base most of their well being upon.
The media, including television programming, cartoons, film, the news, as well as literature and magazines, is a very powerful and pervasive medium for expression. It can reach a large number of people and convey ideas, cultural norms, stereotypic roles, power relationships, ethics, and values. Through these messages, the mass media may have a strong influence on individual behavior, views, and values, as well as in shaping national character and culture. Although there is a great potential for the media to have a positive and affirming effect on the public and society at large, there may be important negative consequences when the messages conveyed are harmful, destructive, or violent.
Children are exposed to the negative effects of the media every day. Shows such as Bad Girls’ Club and Real World serve as poor role models for young people. There are many steps parents and guardians can take to lessen or completely stop the influence. Parents and guardians should offer children proper supervision, plenty of play, and education to shield them from the negative effects of the media.
Perse, E. M. (2001). Media Effects and Society. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Retrieved October 26, 2010, from Questia database: http://www.questiaschool.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=106226367
Over the last 500 years, the influence of mass media has grown exponentially with the advance of technology. First there were books, then newspapers, magazines, photography, sound recordings, films, radio, television, the so-called New Media of the Internet, and now social media. Today, just about everyone depends on information and communication to keep their lives moving through daily activities like work, education, health care, leisure activities, entertainment, traveling, personal relationships, and the other stuff with which we are involved. It's not unusual to wake up, check the cell phone for messages and notifications, look at the TV or newspaper for news, commute to work, read emails, take meetings and makes phone calls, eat meals with friends and family, and make decisions based on the information that we gather from those mass media and interpersonal media ...
In today’s society, the mass media has consumed our lives from magazines to movies. As technology continues to grow, mass media expands in a variety of places. The media engages us to connect from mobile to online without being out of touch from important events. Mass media can shape a person’s opinion and even persuade someone to buy something he/she does not need. Notably, television is a primary source of media, which can influence a person positively and negatively. Television has become accessible globally giving useful information, intriguing stories, and capturing real world events. The high exposure to television shapes a person’s view on reality, such as, the images on TV can inspire people in a career field. For example, “Greater quantity of television viewing has been shown to be positively correlated with estimates of doctors, lawyers, and police officers in the real world” (Shrum 2002). For television, it can affect our viewing behavior and social attitudes. The media exaggerates reality in gender roles, the middle class unfairly represented, and a disproportion of demographics. Furthermore, television images cultivate our social attitudes in materialism, stereotypes, and violence.
Celerity gossip and entertainment news have become a significant and influential part of popular culture. As selling random bits of information about the lives of wealthy and famous characters and personas has become a full on industry, the impact that can come from it forms into a large part of our society. Looking at this impact through three major schools of sociological thought, Structural Functionalism, Conflict Theory, and Symbolic Interactionism, a better understanding of just how far these effects can go can be achieved.
Media technologies are becoming an important aspect of today’s society. Each and every day, people interact with media of many different forms. Media is commonly defined as being a channel of communication. Radio, newspapers, and television are all examples of media. It is impossible to assume that media is made up of completely unbiased information and that the media companies do not impose their own control upon the information being supplied to media users. Since many people use media very frequently, it is obvious to assume that it has affects on people. According to the text book Media Now, "media effects are changes in knowledge, attitude, or behavior that result from exposure to the mass media," (386). This leaves us with many unanswered questions about media and its influences. This paper will look at how the effects of media are determined and explore the main affects on today’s society - violence, prejudice, and sexual behavior.
How it influences your life and the lives of those around? Or have you ever wondered how the media has the power to some of the things that it does? Many people do not give these questions any thought or much less even care. The field of Mass Media is one of large speculation. Mass communications is one of the most popular media in a country, which perhaps reflects a belief in the importance of communications systems in society. The communications system, consisting of radio, television, film, newspapers and magazines, effects how we think, how we feel, and how we live. Therefore, we must ask ourselves, "Is media 'mere entertainment,' or are there serious side effects of the national preoccupation with the
The mass media has played a key role in shaping people’s lives. The modern society’s use of mass media including TV, radio, newspaper, as well as print media has largely influenced people’s ideas regarding themselves and the society at large. This is evident from their behavior towards themselves and their community as well as their treatment of the environment. While some experts believe that the media is to blame for most of the negative behavioral traits among the active members of society, the majority agree that the media makes people understand and develop a positive sense of association with their society within which they live, making it easy for them to identify and get their role in it.