Media Influences in our Society

1082 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Impact of media on individuals

Over the years media has had an intense effect on society, an effect so immense we don’t even notice its presence sometimes. Media is crucial to any society; we are all surrounded by media. Each and every day people interact with media of many forms. Media is generally defined as being a channel of communication. We as a society absorb media from a wide variety of forms such as television, radio, magazines, newspapers, billboards and the internet. These are referred to as ‘mass’ media, because they communicate to a mass audience comprised of very large numbers of people (Giddens, 2009, p.724). Mass media affects people differently because of diverse amounts of exposure and formats. It is a form of socialization, having a long-term effect on each member of society. Since numerous people use media very recurrently, it is evident to assume that it has effects on people. There are more than one theoretical dispute discussing the extent of how media influences individuals and our society. I will look at theories of media exposure and different theories such as cultivation theory, social action theory and agenda setting theory that determine and explore the effects of today’s society. Canadian media, theorist, Marshall McLuhan (1964), argued that different types of media have very different effects on society. His famous dictum is that, ‘the medium is the message’. That is to say, society is influenced much more by the type of the media than by its content, or messages, which are conveyed by it (Giddens, 2009, p.724). We live in a society that solely depends on information and communication to keep moving in the right path and do our daily performances like work, entertainment, health care, education, travelling and other things tha... ... middle of paper ... ...edia can be in forming people’s agenda. Agenda setting is very popular with prominent people as it is a prognostic power, if people are receptive to the same media they will feel the same issues are important. This can be interpreted as receivers of information need to have a structured, well-defined scheme of information. This structured, well-defined scheme of information causes the media to pick and choose information that it feels is relevant to the audience. This is where agenda setting presents itself. In conclusion the media affects us in many ways. Everything we do is a result of the media such as watching TV, reading the newspaper, surfing the internet just to mention a few. The media feeds us information and fundamentally tells us what is precise. It is the only one aspect which affects what we do in society, although it is an impressive aspect.

Show More
Related

  • Analysis Of Brooke Gladstone's The Influencing Machine

    871 Words  | 2 Pages

    Media, the plural form of medium, describes various ways in which we communicate in society. A phone call, email, radio, computer, news on TV, etc. are all forms of media. In our society today, the media plays a significantly large role in influencing society negatively, twisting one’s perspective of the truth. In author Brooke Gladstone’s, The Influencing Machine, she discusses how media is looked at as an “influencing machine,” that’s controlling the mind of its viewers. Throughout the reading, Gladstone guides her readers through perceptions of media and how it influences them to get readers to understand the truth about media and the manipulation behind it.

    Read More

  • Society (Canada): The Impact Of Mass Media In Canada

    657 Words  | 2 Pages

    The impact of mass media within the contemporary society is a process that can neither be underestimated nor presumed. The exposure to media and its subsequent influence on the life of human beings is evident in every sphere of their lives. The invention of the first printing machine to the latest discovery of mobile gadgets is proof of how this industry as revolutionized over time. In Canada, the media are solely responsible for mirroring the happenings and undertakings of its citizens. People are able to keep themselves informed on current trends, breaking news or even new discoveries through the media. At the same time, individuals also get to learn how other cities are progressing in terms of economy. There have been a lot of positive and negative impacts of the mass media within virtually all societies. This paper is a brief essay that

    Read More

  • Media Influences On American Culture

    670 Words  | 2 Pages

    Media has had many changes in the past years. Growing up I remember my mom saying that we were lucky to have color televisions now. She would say that when she was younger she would have to hear her stories and games over the radio because back then there was no televisions. Another way of getting entertained was reading stories. The newspaper and the radio was the only way of getting news back then. I thought it was funny when my mom told me that since they were one of the few families that had a television in the neighborhood, she would charge the kids 10 cents to watch television in her house. This was actually a pretty smart thing to do.

    Read More

  • Media Violence and the Captive Audience

    5192 Words  | 11 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Marshall Mcluhan's The Medium Is The Massage

    1474 Words  | 3 Pages

    Newspaper, radio, film, television. These are only a few of the various forms media can take. From the moment we open our eyes to the instant we shut them, we are surrounded by media and absorb the information it hurls at us in an osmosis-like manner. The news ranges from the latest terror attack and political scandals to supposed UFO sightings and scandals involving sandals. We as an audience tend to focus more on the message the media relays rather than on the medium in which it is presented to us. “What?” is asked more than “How?” The key claim Marshall McLuhan makes in his book, The Medium is the Massage, is that the form of media influences how the message is perceived. Let’s illustrate this with a scenario: it’s eight o’clock in the morning.

    Read More

  • Power of Media in Modern World

    1033 Words  | 3 Pages

    Media is the most powerful sector of an economy. It is a tool to maintain a balanced society which is characterized by well informed people, effective democracy and social justice. In fact, media has unparallel influence on all aspects of human life in modern times.

    Read More

  • Television and Media Effect on the Public

    4844 Words  | 10 Pages

    Television is a vital source from which most Americans receive information. News and media delegates on television have abused theirs powers over society through the airing of appealing news shows that misinform the public. Through literary research and experimentation, it has been proven that people's perception of reality has been altered by the information they receive from such programs. Manipulation, misinterpretation, word arrangement, picture placement and timing are all factors and tricks that play a major role in the case. Research, experimentation, and actual media coverage has pinpointed actual methods used for deceptive advertising. Television influences society in many ways. People are easily swayed to accept a belief that they may not normally have unless expressed on television, since many people think that everything they hear on television is true. This, however, is not always the case. It has been observed that over the past twenty to thirty years, normal social behavior, even actual life roles of men and women and media, regulatory policies have all been altered (Browne 1998). Media has changed with time, along with quality and respectability. Many Americans receive and accept false information that is merely used as an attention grabber that better the show's ratings and popularity. Many magazines and Journal reviews have periodically discussed the "muckraking" that many tabloid shows rely on to draw in their viewers. This involves sensationalizing a story to make it more interesting, therefore increasing the interest of the audience. "Along the way, all sorts of scandalous substance and goofy tricks appear, but not much mystery in the logic," (Garnson 1997). People often know that these shows aim to deceive them, but still accept the information as truth. Many times, people have strong opinions on certain topics. Yet, when they are exposed to the other side of the argument, they may be likely to agree with the opposite view. As Leon Festinger said, "If I chose to do it (or say it), I must believe in it," (Myers 1997). This is an example of Festinger's cognitive dissonance theory, which pertains to acting contrary to our beliefs. Television influences many people to change their original beliefs. It has the viewers think that the majority of other people hold the contrary idea. Once these views are presented, people have the option to hol...

    Read More

  • Agenda Setting in the Internet

    1758 Words  | 4 Pages

    Let’s begin by understanding agenda setting and its place in mass media theory. The early ideas of agenda setting have been around for decades. Lippmann made reference to the first ideas of agenda setting in his book Public Opinion. He spoke about how the information of the world is much too vast to comprehend without simplifying it (Baran 299). This can be interpreted as receivers of information need to have a structured, well-defined scheme of information. This structured, well-defined scheme of information causes the media to pick and choose information that it feels is relevant to the audience. This is where agenda setting presents itself. Agenda setting is the idea that the media choose topics that it thinks are important and focuses its broadcasts around this topic.

    Read More

  • Mass Media Influence in Shaping People's Ideas about Society

    1056 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Factors In Understanding the Media and Its Messages

    1212 Words  | 3 Pages

    Examining the history of media is the first step to understanding how people understand how “the medium is the message.” This is a quote from a noted communication scholar by the name of Marshall McLuhan. McLuhan claims that reading printed words has altered the way that people think and perceive the world around them (Pavlik 72). The presentation of material is important, because it affects how people understand that form of media co...

    Read More

  • How To Use The Media For Social Change

    970 Words  | 2 Pages

    In fact, most media content are no longer merely artistic and informational – they are meant to engage the masses thus to exert profound influence not only on individual development but also on social advancement. No one can deny that in the contemporary world, media, composed of dynamic and various platforms, is widely perceived to be the predominant means of communication. Noticeably, the term media is first used with the advent of newspaper and magazines; yet with the passage of time, the term is broadened by the inventions of radio, television, video and internet, which are all adapted as forms of media that bring the world closer to us. Indeed, media depends on its wild audience coverage, active public engagement and open, two-way communication to create a highly interactive platform through which “humanity, fully connected, collaboratively build and share a global world”(McLuhan 160).Without doubt, media presents a strong impact upon individual and society in the proc...

    Read More

  • How Media Influences Public Opinion

    1625 Words  | 4 Pages

    In our democratic society, mass media is the driving force of public opinion. Media sources such as Internet, newspaper, news-broadcasts, etc, play significant roles in shaping a person’s understanding and perception about the events occurred in our daily lives. As long as the newspapers, internet, network television, etc, continued to be easily accessible to the public, the media will continue to have an influence in shaping its opinions. Factors such as agenda-setting, framing and priming help shape the public opinions. Agenda-setting is when the media focuses their attention on selected issues on which the public will form opinion on, whereas framing allows the media to select certain aspects about the problem and then make them appear more salient. Similarly, priming works by repeatedly exposing certain issues to public. As the issues get more exposure, the individual will be more likely to recall or retain the information in their minds. This paper will discuss these three factors played out systemically by media and how our opinions are constantly being influence and shape by them.

    Read More

  • The Effects of Media on Our Lives

    1472 Words  | 3 Pages

    Social Scientists say that the average American watches too much television and plays too many video games. I would agree with this, because in high school that is all I did, but not so much for me anymore. Back when I was in high school that is all I did. Watch television, play Nintendo, hang out with my friends. However, now that I am in college, I have had to change my ways. It helps a lot that I don't have either one of those in my dorms.

    Read More

  • Impact of the Media on Society

    1589 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Role of Media in the Society

    1060 Words  | 3 Pages

    The media provides information to educate, inform or simply entertain its audience. The importance of the media is to publish the message worldwide, so that it can become popular with the public. The effects of media on our society are different some of them are even harmful. Media was one of the causes of World War I. Journalists and writers of that time tried to publish newspapers and magazines that were telling people how good nationalism was. They were advertising war and weapons.

    Read More

More about Media Influences in our Society

Open Document