Effects of Media - Essay Example

Thus, media is, for better or for worse, charged with nearly sole responsibility for forming people’s ideas of themselves, their relationships with others, and their views of society at large. The other side of the debate claims that mass media has no such effect, at least not in any way that can be conclusively proven. Scientists on each side of the debate claim that the opposing side has flaws in one aspect or another of their research. Such flaws include errors in methodology, misinterpretation of data, clear biases in research, and lack of comprehensive understanding of the media being studied (Gauntlett, 1998).

The argument that contends mass media produces profoundly negative effects on those who absorb it is an aggressive one. This often comes across as foolhardy given the lack of empirical data to support the argument itself. Some individuals choose to malign media, television in particular, as being at worst an intentional design to instigate violence in viewers or at best a reckless lack of care regarding the incompetent nature of most viewers. The “at best” aspect of the argument particularly targets children.

At this point, the argument against mass media implies the belief that children are incapable of intelligently and objectively viewing various forms of media, and are given to acting something out that they have seen. This is, of course, a veritable “Monkey see; Monkey do” interpretation of children’s abilities. In Gauntlett’s words, with regards to psychology and psychology studies, “children are often considered not so much in terms of what they can do, as what they (apparently) cannot” (1998).

Such views are not necessarily appropriate, much less accurate. Chief amongst the complaints of researchers who have yet to accept any effects of mass media is, as was published in the Guardian, “as far as I can see there has been no