Media and Its Effect on Society - Essay Example

Media and Its Effect on Society Today the role of mass media cannot be underestimated, for it isimpossible to imagine any sphere of our life without a kind of information relations. Modern communication takes place not only in society as interpersonal conversation, but through the Internet, television, radio, newspapers, magazines and other media. Every user of Internet, for example, can not only find the necessary data and read about the latest world events, but also experience more useful things for personal development. Naturally, it is a peculiar feature of almost any type of mass media. In addition it has a significant influence on the formation of people’s consciousness. Therefore electronic and printed media are a groundbreaking part of the cultural and spiritual life of mankind. From different reference sources people derive knowledge, which is always relevant to society. During a direct using of media as well as after absorbing of its all useful information, people become active participants in the communication process, especially nowadays, when there are more ways for such an essential option than ever. Modern world’s pace of life imposes a quick adaptation for it. As we can see, everything has accelerated its progress or rather passed to run in the development. Media is not an exception in this respect. It confirms its reputation of “…the most powerful means of communication” (Charlie). It has moved from almost passive phase of interaction with its audience into an active one. Finally, mass media has reached its initial value, that is, “…media is derived from the Latin word for middle. This signifies the media is in the middle of a communication process, specifically, in between the sender and the receiver of a message” (Stone 287). So its active nature with effect from communication within media and following by media role as a stimulator of interpersonal converse just meets the demands of human society. Besides, the possibility of a feedback from the media audience to its authors has appeared. At the end of the last century participation in talk shows, writing letters to columns of newspapers and magazines, or phoning the air of a radio station was the very maximum of readers, listeners or viewers’ response to particular information being presented by mass media. And today there is another reality with an active role of the electronic media with its mobility and immediate reaction to the world events, which has been added to the list of media achievements. The power of media affects society in the most direct way, providing a timely opportunity to plunge into news across the globe through a direct or indirect contact with information itself or with other representatives of a numerous audience from almost any country in the world. It is of no doubt that a key place among popular media kinds pertains to Internet with its availability and vast range of useful functions for communication of all types. “Media consumers are no longer simply an “audience,” but are now “users” – heralding a new era of active consumption” (CommGAP). The possibilities of communication are really great in our time due to a new capability, which ties almost every human being of the universe and bears the name of International Network. It comes without saying that Internet takes leading position in the hierarchy of mass media types, as the vast majority of data mining and communication is realized via its spaces. As a matter of fact, “The World Wide Web is probably the most unified and far reaching media channel to date” (RanXero). It is that particular device which has expanded people’s intercourse beyond a single home, city and even a country. Nowadays it is not a problem anymore to get in contact with a person you need or to get knew required facts. Internet has discovered new horizons for humans’ intercommunion all over the world. It is well-known that the first and the basic function of Internet as media lies in its many volumes of useful information about the world, by acquiring which users practice communication through the exchange of knowledge. In this regard the way of data acquisition can be just of an informational nature, or a communicational one in the case of immediate two-way feedback by people through various blocks and forums. The second and recently more preferable role of Internet (especially after development of social networks and different internet apps, such as, Skype, What’s Up and Viber) lies in its availability as a primary way of communication. All these ways of Internet connection are combined under the name of social media, as they fulfill a function of humans’ interaction within social environment. “Social media is at least a two-way conversation, and often a multidimensional conversation” (Maggiani) due to one of its capabilities of webcast creating for simultaneous communication of many people. Naturally, men may use the above mentioned means of Internet communion for some educational, work or other purposes, but still even in such a context its key point is entertainment and chatting, which has become one of the most important attributes of the modern people. Internet communication has penetrated into everyday life of users and changed it radically. This aspect is extremely useful for maintenance and evolution of the relationship with people. But sometimes it bears totally negative effect to the extent that Internet chatting may even replace or push out the communication in real life. Such a phenomenon is termed as Internet addiction disorder and characterized by putting virtual interaction above a face-to-face contact. Within such a context Internet space leaves no time or energy, or desire for something else except chatting. And this is the reverse side of the coin of communication advantages given by Internet as a type of mass media. Fortunately, a number of positive media effects on communication within society is far beyond than negative ones. In most cases mass media serves as a ground for the following continuation of a communication process, which has been started with the help of interaction by any of media types. The question is about a mechanism activated by one-sided interest and probably fortified by common desire of enquiring something new and useful through entertaining communion with people of similar favors. “Media effects are typically defined as social or psychological responses occurring in individuals, dyads, small groups, organizations, or communities as a result of exposure to or processing of or otherwise acting on media messages” (Tsfati). Such a media message finds a fertile ground in humans’ need to prolong the exchange of ideas, which is comfortable for them. For that matter television, Internet, newspapers and magazines, radio, video games and other media are the basis for people’s grouping according to their interests. Again it is a capability of numerous mass media sources to provide such unions with necessary means for communication. It is an unsurprising image for modern people when a person simultaneously chats with other users in some social network, plays an online video game with app of verbal coordination of game strategy with his co-players via online kin of phone connection. In fact, this is a usual and apparent example of practical use of mass media for communication or an aftereffect of media influence on society. As a result there are frequent cases of succeeding intercourse even in real life, as Internet chatting can probably outgrow into friendship or just a joint pursuit on the adorable occupation. It is difficult to escape the conclusion that mass media has become an extremely active part of our life due to its informative and communicational functions, which appear to be so demanded by adaptation to fast changing conditions of modern info media. Different types of media have penetrated into almost every sphere of society. Moreover, the constant process of people’s consciousness changing is brought into action, for the nature of mass media has a direct effect on mankind. In this respect a brightly expressed advantage of media for modern humans is in availability of numerous media means for purposes of all types of communication all over the world. Media of a new generation has opened beneficial horizons for maintenance and development of relations between people of different religious views and from different angles of the globe. Such a factor of our present days gives the necessary power for the communication administration by means of mass media. Works Cited Charlie S. Effects of Mass Media on Society. Buzzle, 28 Sep. 2011. Retrieved Apr. 24 from: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/mass-media-effects.html CommGAP. Media Effects. Retrieved Apr. 24 from: http://siteresources.worldbank.org/EXTGOVACC/Resources/MediaEffectsweb.pdf Maggiani, Rich. Social Media and Its Effect on Communication. Solari. Retrieved Apr. 24 from: http://www.solari.net/documents/position-papers/Solari-Social-Media-and-Communication.pdf RanXerO. Mass Media and Its Influence on Society. Hub Pages, 26 Aug. 2012. Retrieved Apr. 24 from: http://ranxer0.hubpages.com/hub/Mass-Media-and-its-Influence-on-Society Stone, Ryan. Media Technology. Retrieved Apr. 24 from: http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/40857_9.pdf Tsfati, Yariv. Media Effects. Oxford Bibliographies, 23 Feb. 2011. Retrieved Apr. 24 from: http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199756841/obo-9780199756841-0081.xml Read More