Media Affects the Nature of the World - Essay Example

Psychology al Affiliation) Introduction Media has the potential to affect the nature of the world and play a major role in framing and shaping the perception of people. Lately, media’s influence on the society has expanded exponentially. The internet continues to be an important platform for people to engage and access media. Entertainment media is one of the major components of media that has rapidly evolved. This type of media has leaped from television producers’ hands and the big screen into YouTube, mobile phone applications, and video games (Anderson, 2010). The diversification and increasing access to media has led to less regulation of media content. The role of media in society is crucial, providing entertainment, information, and education. This paper focuses on the potential negative influences of media in the society. The paper considers the Hong Kong Toys and Games Fair, a media event happening at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The annual event involves exhibitions of toys, games, and other electronic products (HKTDC). Rationale of the Project Debate continues to rage on the extent and nature of the negative influences of some aspects of media on the society and peoples’ beliefs, values, behaviors, and attitudes. There is an increasing concern over the influence of media on public happenings such as criminal cases and international disputes. Furthermore, there is an ongoing debate on the balance between freedom of expression and control of media. Research into the impacts of media is wide, with arguments from diverse fields such as sociology, politics, and communication studies. Nevertheless, core issues of concern about the effects of media are psychological in nature (Bluemke et al.). Regardless of the wealth of psychological research, little has been done to address when and how media affects individuals and the society. This paper reviews psychological literature with the aim of appropriately recommending parties such as parents, children, regulatory bodies, broadcasters, producers and other related stakeholders. Additionally, the paper has some implications for existing literature on psychological practice and research. Video games, internet, and other newer forms of media are increasingly becoming interactive. These forms of media prompt the active engagement of users. For instance, in some games that are on exhibition at the Hong Kong Toys and Games Fair, users handle guns to kill other characters on screen and the program may praise the users for doing so. There is evidence that user identification with the characters in such violent interactive media has greater impacts than simply seeing violence on the screen (Bandura et al.). Theoretical Perspective of the effects of media on violence Media are a crucial source of social influence. Even though the relationship between exposure to media and effects is neither direct nor simple, researches spanning more than four decades suggest that internet content and video games can have a massive influence on individuals’ attitudes, feelings, and behaviors (Anderson et al., 2010; Johnson et al., 2002; Wartella et al., 1998). In both the short run and long run, exposure to media images significantly influences how people act, think, and feel, and contributes to individuals’ broader beliefs about social reality and the world. Cultivation Theory Signorielli & Morgan explain the influence of media as a source of shared messages and images about people and the world (1990). This theory argues that media cultivates beliefs and values that it portrays in children as it serves as the core source of information and entertainment for children. Social Learning Theory This theory argues that individuals develop behavioral responses such as aggression by either directly experiencing or through observing that such behavior rewards others (Bandura, 1971). For instance, a child may imitate specific aggressive behaviors that characters in a video game use to achieve desirable results (Bandura, 1971). Researchers have put forward different explanations on how the media affects individuals. The main issues of concern include the viewer, the message, and context in which users view the message. This theoretical understanding makes it easier to interpret and build on research evidence on the impacts of media on individuals and society. Effects of Violent Media on Children Research indicates that electronic media is the major source of exposure to violence. Research and scholarly works on violent media exposure have majorly focused on television violence (Johnson et al., 2002). However, recent trends in exposure to violent media indicate a shift from television to video games violence (Bushman & Huesmann, 2006). Therefore, it is not surprising that there are many concerns about violent media on societal and individual values, behaviors, and attitudes. These concerns mainly center around the impacts of violent media on children, who are susceptible to a range of undesirable consequences. These includes increased acceptance of violence as part of normal life, increases in aggressive behavior, and the induction of anxiety, fear, and inappropriate beliefs. In one of the reviews of the video games exhibited at the Hong Kong Toys and Games Fair, one child says, “I cannot forget the part where grenades are fixed under a man’s bed and explodes when the man goes to bed; I always look under my bed now.” Areas of Research Attention Research aiming to address the concerns of violent media is fraught with challenges. Firstly, researchers need to decide the effect of concern to discuss, which may be psychopathic violence, aggressive play, disturbing memories, or enjoyment of violence. Secondly, there is need for a methodology of measuring these effects. Furthermore, researchers should consider the sufficiency of exploring both the short-term and long-term effects. There is also need to identify the areas of study and the influence on the material. Conclusion For over three decades, most of the psychological research community agrees that violent on television and computer contributes to aggression and anxiety among violent media users. While the field of entertainment continues to advance with advances in technology, the psychological impacts on video game users might just be getting worse generation after the other. Psychologists’ main task is to tear down the complexity of the impacts of violent media and develop a model of remediation and improvement. References Anderson, C. (2010). Violent video game effects on aggression, empathy, and prosocial behavior in Eastern and Western countries: A meta-analytic review. Top of Form Bottom of Form Bandura, A., Ross, D., & Ross, S. (n.d.). Transmission of Aggression through Imitation of Aggressive Models. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 575-582. Top of Form Bottom of Form Bandura, A. (1971). Social learning theory. Morristown, N.J.: General Learning Press. Top of Form Bottom of Form Bluemke, M., Friedrich, M., & Zumbach, J. (n.d.). The influence of violent and nonviolent computer games on implicit measures of aggressiveness. Aggressive Behavior, 1-13. Top of Form Bottom of Form Bushman, B., & Huesmann, L. (n.d.). Short-term and Long-term Effects of Violent Media on Aggression in Children and Adults. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, (160), 348-352. Top of Form Bottom of Form HKTDC Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair. (n.d.). Retrieved January 12, 2015, from http://www.hktdc.com/fair/hktoyfair-en/HKTDC-Hong-Kong-Toys-and-Games-Fair.html Top of Form Bottom of Form Johnson, J., Cohen, P., Smailes, E., Kasen, S., & Brook, J. (n.d.). Television Viewing and Aggressive Behavior during Adolescence and Adulthood. Science, (295), 2468-2471. Top of Form Bottom of Form Signorielli, N., & Morgan, M. (1990).Cultivation analysis: New directions in media effects research. Newbury Park, Calif.: Sage Publications. Top of Form Bottom of Form Wartella, E., & Keefe, B. (n.d.). Growing up with interactive media: What we know and what we do not about the impact of new media on children. New York, NY: Markle Foundation. Read More