Mass Media And Its Effect On Our Lives

Throughout the years the use of technology has increased, and expanded. Mass media plays a vital role in society. Mass media can be defined as any means of communication, to an extremely large group of people. Technological advancements have been extremely beneficial for prior generations, the generation we now live in, and will be for the future generations to come. Such as, providing news for the world to hear, entertainment, and much more. Some examples of media would be television, films, newspapers, and the Internet. Unfortunately along with benefits, there are disadvantages concerning gender discrimination, and sexism. Such as, women feelings forced and obligated to stay at home with their children instead of working, and the representation of beauty involving both men and women. Examples of how the media can accomplish this would be through the use of advertisements, movies, magazines, and the radio. The media has an enormous effect on people within society today.

In our society, media is constantly being used not only to communicate but also to learn about what is going around the world. The web gives the chance to share news and even lets people talk to one another. The internet spreads information and ideas quickly and reaches out too many people. Much of what our society sees and reads often come from sources provided by the internet. Based on these sources, knowledge is gained, wither it is real or fake. Constantly seeing media gives our society the idea that it is real. Videos, music, and photos are a way of spreading ideas clearly to more people. Due to this, ideas such as the end of the world sparks conversations and creates theories.

Mass media influence many aspects of people’s everyday lives. However, sometimes the impact they have can be harmful. One example is the positive correlation between media and eating disorders, especially among young children and adolescents. Because so much of what people see is focused on appearances, it can create harmful and unhealthy behaviors, or eventually,

“Media has had an increasingly negative impact” (Mokeyane 2); media affects the lives of us all negatively at some point. People are being driven to eating disorders and others by copying the behaviors of the lifestyles being projected. Teenagers are surrounded by all types of media; radios, television, magazines, and the internet. All this media will produce images in our teenagers’ brains that they need to be perfect to be accepted in society from ads with skinny supermodels. “How did this unrealistic idea of the perfection of the ‘ideal body’ get framed… open a newspaper or magazine, switch on the television or radio.” (Gupta 1). The models and dieting ads from media drive some teens to eating disorders or the thought that perfection is real. The apparent reason for our teenagers to this conclusion is media poisoning.

Mass media has an influential role in broadcasting vital information to it audience. The media has some control in the development of the general public opinion, their convictions and attitudes in addition to the relationship for social change. Crimes receive a large of scope in mass media, no matter the difference what outlet is detailing it. Broad communications choose the occasions in which they report, there are a few reports that impact the groups of onlookers' considerations in the wrong way.

Science and technology has created a comfortable and easier way of living in modern times. Media is by far the most used in all of those technologies, and it is considered as a daily essential to many of us. However, using media, not only can you look at Taylor Swift’s new posts on Facebook or text your friends, there are some corrupt people out there that could target you for cyberbullying or try to hack your personal information! Here is a closer look to how mass media impacts our society.

the 1930 's). The negativity of certain broadcasting posed as a concern, even in the

The ringtone of my phone went on for five minutes without a moment’s respite. It was my alarm clock at 6:45 am. Although my mind was still in a fog when I finally got up, I turned on my iphone, and saw two friend requests on Facebook plus three new likes on Instagram. My everyday life routinely starts with me being exposed to mass media. Indeed, in the modern society, the mass media have been vested with such an enormous power that can impact multifarious aspects of our daily life.

Amber alert can caution millions to any serious activities of child-abduction. With a touch of a finger through smartphones, this alert system activates an urgent bulletin to galvanize the community for assistance and safety. Today, mass media has undergone a significant change in terms of how they reach out to the public. During the early 19th century, the dominant form of media was the printing press through newspapers, magazines, and books. Eventually, the late 19th century throughout the 20th century, broadcast media provided easier access for entertainment, political issues, and current events gathering families around the radio. Now, TV and the Internet are the most impactful type of informer as well as an efficient way to notify the users. Mass media emphasizes a positive influence onto to the society in terms of Public Service Announcements (PSA) and trends popularizing on Facebook, Twitter, and other types of social media.

Mass media has evolved tremendously in the last century and even the last few years it has changed. Each type of mass media however functions differently in society. For example, one mass media platform is newspapers. Newspapers were the first mass news media, beginning in 1692 till 1920. When newspapers first started out, the government controlled the content that newspapers produced. This impacted significantly how this society shaped itself, and also what people thought. That quickly dissolved when newer technology evolved. In the 19th century larger audiences were able to be reached, helping people become more informed. By the 20th Century newspapers were the only source for politics culture and social issues. During this time was also when yellow journalism developed. Which created a new form of dramatized and at times untrue news that people believed in or simply bought into. Although, in 1950s television was introduced which contributed to the declining of newspaper and how society receive news. Nowadays most large corporations own newspapers but they are still losing readers showing how greatly the impact of other forms of mass media are.

Early media studies concentrated on the utilization of mass media in publicity and influence. Media personalities and scholars soon looked to behavioral sciences unveil the conceivable impact of mass communications and correspondences on society. Researchers have created various methodologies and hypotheses to make sense of this. Different researchers challenge whether examination can ever unwind the relationship of media and impacts. This paper illustrates these theories on the media 's impact on people and society.

The modern societies which we presently inhabit are constituted by every day subjects who uphold the deeply imbedded systems of power and complacency through the deeply rooted acceptance of mass media. In the words of Guy Debord, “The spectacle is not a collection of images; rather, it is a social relationship between people that is mediated by images”, where the spectacle is loosely defined as mass media. Debord is saying that mass media is more than just images and ways of communication, it’s how the interactions that happen among these people are conveyed through these images compose the visions of society. However, the definition of the spectacle is not static; it, in fact, must be seen and examined from different angles to be duly defined. “The spectacle appears at once as society itself, as a part of society and as a means of unification” per Debord, signaling that because the spectacle (loosely defined as mass media), is society itself, a mere part of society, and a way of unifying society all at once, the definition changes based on what perspective is being taken. The spectacle defines everything we know to be society as the way it is used for the primary means of communication to manipulate the vast majority of the general public. If we take a look at the TV show Black Mirror, the episode “Nosedive” presents us with a literal interpretation of the spectacle itself as a system of power involving all citizens of a modern society. As the episode continues, it becomes

Behavioral sciences play a central role in figuring out the likely effect of mass media and communication in the society. Different theories and approaches are used to figure this out. This study refers to the Uses and Gratifications, and Cultivation theories to consider the effect of the media article below on individuals. The uses and gratification theory argues that consumers of a given media uses this media to satisfy and fulfill specific desires and needs. On the other hand, cultivation theory holds that heavy exposure to a certain media can cause an individual to have an illusory perception of the life reality based on the most consistent and repetitive message that is given in this media (Fourie, 2011).

Summing up what is known about the effect of the mass media, Berelson (1948:172) in Mcquail (2000:457)submitted “that some kinds of communication, on some kinds of issues ,brought to the attention of some kinds of people, under some kinds of conditions, have some kinds of effect”.

Media has been changing definetely since it’s inception; developing with new innovation and changing the way individuals see the world. Well before current types of media happened, individuals saw media through verbal connection and compositons like newsletters. Today, media is seen in many structures: TV, radio, cell phones, web, satellites, daily papers, and more. To comprehend broad communications totally, the concentration must move toward the real improvements in the advancement of mass media in the most recent century, America’s impact from the real improvements, the significance behind media union, and the suggestions towards regular daily existence.