Various Uses of Media - Essay Example

Introduction In today’s world, media has been playing a detrimental part to the people’s lives. Media is a short form of the term “media of communication” that is used to refer organized means of dissemination of facts, opinions, and entertainment such as newspapers, magazines, cinema films, radio, television, and the World Wide Web (Roberts, et. al. 1999). It should be noted that media is used for many different purposes. It is also used to target audiences with specific specifically age, gender, class and even ethnicity. In lieu of this, there is one common question among media practitioners: Is age enough to be considered as a useful category to analyze viewing practices? Various Uses of Media Aside from that fact that media provides a cost-effective method for reaching large audiences, the numerous other uses of media add as a factor of its becoming very prevalent. Among these different uses are: Media can be used in cases where the are only minor barriers; and this ensures substantial direct benefit One can totally rely on the media as the primary tool for bringing about the desired behavior from the receivers or audiences particularly when the barriers to adopting the behavior are relatively minor and if there is a clear and substantial direct benefit to the person making the change (Seels, et. al., 1996). Media can also be used in cases wherein there are minor barriers but there is also no direct benefit foreseen If the barriers are relatively minor and there is no clear, direct benefit to the person making the change, or if the benefit is not large enough to be taken seriously, the media is still considered as one of a few key tools for bringing about the desired behavior to the audiences (Seels, et. al., 1996). Media is essential in creating interest to program If one would want to raise awareness or provide basic information in order to promote receptivity to the program, media could be the best tool to facilitate that (Seels, et. al., 1996). This is because all the forms of media - printed (such as the news papers or magazines), heard (such as the radio advertisements) and/or seen (such as TV programs and ads) could reach even all types of audiences – from whatever age bracket and social or economic status - from most parts of the world. Media can draw people to the program If one would want to attract people to an event, or notify them of an opportunity such as home visits or incentive programs, use the media (Seels, et. al., 1996). This is why various advertisements – commercial are government-initiated ads - are being shown in the mass media. Media is also used for seasonal reminders If people are generally committed to doing the activity but have not done it for a while, a seasonal reminder through the media may prove helpful. For example, seasonal reminders can be used to promote cleanliness of one’s community (Seels, et. al., 1996). Media is good in stimulating face-face conversations A good media campaign can get people talking with one another about the issues and/or actions that the campaign is trying to promote (Seels, et. al., 1996). Through this, encouraging people to initiate an action or a response towards a certain economic or governmental issue can easily be done. This is also why surveys and people analyses are also very common in most researches because the mass media can provide the shortest bridge to access on the people. Media shows participation and results Once the program has gained participation and has started to show results, the media could provide excellent opportunities for providing group feedback, strengthening norm appeals and building motivation (Seels, et. al., 1996). Interests of Media owners, Advertisers, and the Public There is a bit big difference on the interest or purpose with respect to media owners, the advertisers and even the public. The media owners, for example, because they own the media or because they have this direct control over a media (such as one news paper publication, or one TV or radio station), they would be definitely interested in gaining something in return for their company. They would be charging anyone, any body, or any group who would want to use their media. Furthermore, the media owners will not entertain everything and anything that would put their media company to bad light. That is why only selected information or campaign could be shown in different media companies because they are protecting the image of their companies. The advertisers, on the other hand, have their own line of interests. Their very goal is to highlight their campaign, product, and program among others. They would pay any media owner to do just that. And they would want the public – the audience – to patronize or follow their campaigns, programs or products. To do this, only the benefits would be highlighted, and to some extent, the negative side or the disadvantage of the opposing campaigns or programs or products will also be given enough exposures. As for the public, their main interest is to be informed … to get as much information as what their mind could accommodate. The very goal of the public is to get the right information, at the right time and at the right place. The only problem that the public usually encounters is the idea that because the media owners and the advertisers have their own agenda, the public is sometimes being positioned to situations where they are unsure of what or whom to believe in or follow. Media Targeting by Using the Age Category Media positioning The use of media to highlight various information or campaigns could be of so many forms or styles. But most frequently, the style and form of media campaigns is dependent on the age brackets of the targeted audience. For example, highlighting the advantage of dieting. If one is to target the audience with ages ranging from 16-24, the approach would be somewhat hip, trendy or fashion – related because this is commonly the major concern of people under this age. The ad could also use various colors to attract the attention of the target audience. Moreover, the subjects or the people that will be in the ad (promoting the advantages of dieting) should also be in the same bracket as the target audience. Meanwhile, having the same topic but targeting a different audience, such as people with ages ranging from ages 45 and up, will have a totally different approach from the first one. This one does not need to be hip nor trendy. This one does not need so many colors. Because this ad will cater to a lot older and a more “serious” audience, a direct-to-the-point approach is the better choice. The people under this age are more health-conscious and they would want to know how they could remain healthy despite their growing number of age. Consumer Buying Behavior Media, especially for those companies with products and services which should be sold, is targeted to get a firm grasp of its customers’ buying behavior, hence analyzing the age of its target customers is also very important. Consumer buying behavior is the decision processes and acts of consumers involved in buying and using a product or merchandise (Brown, 1996). There are certain stages that every consumer undergoes before finally purchasing a product. This include problem recognition or being aware of the needs and wants, searching for information regarding the desired merchandise, evaluating the alternative if another product will be bought, then deciding for the purchase. Not if this purchase is done on a regular basis, the post-purchase evaluation is included which is the assessment of purchased done before. The consumer buying behavior may be affected by different factors hence many marketers and media creators are really finding ways to classify every buying behavior of the customers. Types of consumer buying behavior can be determined by (Brown, 1996): 1. Analyzing the level of involvement in purchase decision. Is it the person who will use the merchandise or is it for somebody? More so, is he deciding for himself or are there other people who should be deciding for him? 2. Knowing the buyers’ level of involvement is equivalent to being able to determine the reason why he/she is motivated to seek information about a certain products and brands but virtually ignores other merchandise. The factors affecting the buyer’s behavior includes personal, physiological, sociological and cultural factors. Personal factors refer to the buyer’s ability to decide and purchase. With this, the age, life-cycle stage, occupation, economic status and lifestyle of the buyer him/herself is very significant (Brown, 1996). Physiological factors on the other hand, involves looking after the buyer’s desires, wants and needs. With this, the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs comes in handy (Brown, 1996). Sociological factors answer the issues on how the norms of the society influenced the buyer’s buying behavior. Will he/she be buying a product that is commonly used by the people in his/her community or will he she go against the norm? Cultural factors, as the name implied, are factors that is culturally being done by the people. This tackles products that are used by the family members (which started from the grand grand parents to the youngest child in the family). It is a common practice that one member of the family will not be buying a product if it is not the usual product that is being used or bought by the family. This also goes with the whole community. What one of the neighbors uses is most often the same merchandise used by the other neighbor. Upon deeper understanding of the consumers and their buying behaviors (such as which specific age bracket would definitely decide to buy a particular product and which should be asking permission first) merchandisers and/or media advertisers can easily get a grasp on how they should position their products and their marketing or promotional ideas. They will also be able to know how to seek for their target market and eventually be in contact with that target market. Merchandisers will also be able to reach their prospective consumers, understand their needs and provide that need in a fashionable way they can. This, of course, will provide them better summary of profits. The example above is just one of the many differences of having advertisements through the use of mass media catering to various age brackets. This is why knowing the target audiences’ age is one of the most crucial parts in establishing a media campaign or an advertisement. Age in Relation to Viewing Practices It is worth noting that any forms of media campaigns may affect any of each target audience, especially the age-targeted audiences. Like for instance the children (with age ranging from 3-5 years old). A big percentage of the viewers and/or consumers are the children. They are, at most times, the ones who are glued on the TV screens, on the computes and even on most magazines and news papers. Because of this, it can just be expected that the children will be receiving the extreme impact when it comes to controversial ads being shown, aired or printed. The children are in a very vulnerable position that their psychological, emotional, sociological and intellectual states are affected with the advertisements. When considering the effect of media on children (or other age brackets for that matter), one must consider both the "immediate effect of making the audience want the advertised product and the cumulative effect of developing general habits” (Horgan, et. al., 2001 pp 10). This only means that a media output may either have a long term or a short term effect to all its age-targeted audiences, particularly the children. Impact to Health Based on records, most of the media outputs nowadays particularly those which are targeted for children, are more on foods or food products. However, most of these food products being advertised are not good to health, or are unhealthy. “The number of ads directed at children has steadily increased over the last twenty years, and has roughly doubled since the 1970s. The number of ads aired for foods such as frozen dinners, which are typically high in fat and sodium, has more than doubled in the last twenty years.” (Horgan, et. al., 2001 pp 12) Because of the increasing rates of unhealthy foods being advertised, the number of children with abnormal weight also increases. In fact, the rate of obesity in children increased up to three times during the same period when the numbers of unhealthy diet commercials were advertised. Because of this, it can be easily concluded that media ads such as this (i.e. unhealthy diet and lifestyle) can lead “lead otherwise healthy children to develop unhealthful eating habits and become overweight and already overweight children to further exacerbate their weight problem” (Horgan, et. al., 2001 pp 12). Impact to Audiences’ Materialistic Nature With the high rate of advertisements and an equally high amount of time spent by people – children or not - watching TVs, a study just disclosed that “commercials aimed at specific age groups also influence that particular age group to become more materialistic” (Horgan, et. al., 2001 pp 13). Audiences who tend to absorb more advertisements would ask and/or beg for their parents to buy them the items being advertised. The higher the frequency of ads for a certain item (such as toy, clothes, etc) the more the audiences (like the teenagers, children and even adults) would want to have such item. More so, if the parents deny their kids for such request, they tend to become upset and would be angry to their parents. Hence, media products such as product endorsements and/or advertisements not only enhance the age-targeted audiences’ (like the children) tendency to become materialistic and it also changes the behavior thereby affecting even their values. Impacts to Reinforcement of Racial Stereotypes It was noted that the advertisements which are focused to children are proven to also have significant effect on the children’s racist tendencies. "If children are repeatedly exposed to certain portrayals of an ethnic group, they may develop corresponding beliefs about the group" (Horgan, et. al., 2001 pp 13) Because there are very few advertisements that use the minority groups as the product endorsers, children are made to believe that these minority groups are not part of the “elites” and are just second-class citizen. This then cultivates the idea to children that minority groups do not deserve to receive the same attention that what other citizens are receiving, thus a clear indication of racism. Conclusion Thus, based on the reports above, viewing practices reflects not only individual preferences but also factors such as age-group viewing (i.e., the preferences of others in the viewing group), availability of shows and channels at the time the viewer is ready to watch, and the degree to which a viewer is aware of all his or her choices (Webster & Lichty, 1991). Moreover, the age of the targeted viewers is one of the most significant factor in analyzing the viewing practices as studying this specific category will provide not only the affects of the media but also the behavioral changes that media has caused on its particular age bracket. Works Cited Brown, Alex. (1996). “BUAD 301, Introduction to Marketing” [online] Horgan, K.B. et al. 2001. “Television Food Advertising: Targeting Children in a Toxic Environment,” The handbook of Children and the Media. pp 10-14 Roberts, D. F., Foehr, U., Rideout, G. V. J. and Brodie, M. 1999. Kids & the Media @ the New Millennium: A Kaiser Family Foundation Report Seels, Barbara, Berry, Louis H. and Fullerton Karen. 1996. Research on Learning from Television, in Handbook for Research on Educational Communications and Technology, David H. Jonassen (ed.), pp. 299-377, Simon & Schuster Macmillan, New York Webster, J. G., & Lichty, L. W. 1991. Ratings analysis: Theory and practice. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. Bibliography Barab, Sasha A. and Duffy, Thomas M. 2000. From Practice Fields to Communities of Practice, in Theoretical Foundations of Learning Environments, D. Jonassen and M. Land (eds.), pp. 25-56, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah, NJ. Singer, Dorothy and Singer, Jerome (eds.). 2001. Handbook of Children and the Media, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA Barwise P., & Ehrenberg, A. S. C. 1988. Television and its audience. London: Sage. Glasersfeld, Ernst von. 1995. A Way of Knowing and Learning, The Falmer Press, London, Lincoln, Y. S. and Guba, E. G. 1985. 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