The Role of Mass Media and Its Effect on Society - Coursework Example

The Role of Mass Media and its Effect on Society The paper seeks to show the impacts of adoption of mass media to the society. It will take an analytical and informative view of various media such as radio, internet, video, newspaper, books and TV. The paper will explore the qualitative and quantitative effects and effectiveness of the various objects of mass media on varied societal groups while still highlighting effects on the general public. It will also give recommendations on how the effect and effectiveness can be boosted to further reach out for more people in ethical premises. Introduction Incessant questions about the effects of mass communication have been asked in the past. As a matter of fact, not only are the questions legitimate but are also permissible considering the amount of time and resources injected in order to come up with good production and distribution quality. Some people claim that the question of the mass media effect is an unfair one. So much so because in rare cases are institutions such as religious, legal and educational questions yet they carry out their own communication to their people and countries in their own ways. The mass media are very diverse and each will have different effects to given societies and organizations. It is therefore important to distinguish the question of effect and effectiveness. While effect refers to any consequences of mass media operations, whether intended or coincidental, effectiveness defines or gauges the capacity of the medium to achieve stipulated goals or objectives, be they attracting a large audience or influencing opinions and behavior. We also need to consider when these effects happen. Commonly referred to as the time parameter, mass media can have effects on the present and future. Sometimes, the past applies as papers are shown to have influenced changes in a given society. The levels on which effects occur are also factored. Is it at the individual level? Group? Institution? The whole society? In a bid to specify the levels accurately, it is important to name the phenomena on which influence may be exerted. Looking at a case of politics, an example of how mass media can influence a collective and unanimous opinion can be drawn. Now, beliefs and opinions are highly individual and varied. The mass media has shown how these beliefs can evolve as well as how political opinions can be built and changed. As sociologists observe, changes in society occur slowly, gradually and persistently. The changes on individuals occur quickly, are easy to demonstrate and attribute to a given media and less easy to assess in terms of significance and performance. History of Effects of Mass Media The paper adopts a three phase evolutionary perspective of the mass media and its effects for clarity. The first phase features in the beginning of the century to the 1930s. The forms of media were then developed in the United States as well as Europe. Here, thanks to mass media, opinions and beliefs were changed and new political systems imposed albeit resistance. It should be noted that the radical changes did not necessarily have scientific backing. The significance of media power was identified and exploited by propagandists during the First World War, the advertisers and newspaper proprietors during this time (Deaux 12). The second stage, greatly shaped by the intensive research and growth of mass communication in the United States, extended from 1940 to the 1960s. During this time, social-psychological effects of film and other media on crime aggression, racial prejudice and general political attitudes were explained. There was seen to be subservience and ineffectiveness of the mass media, notably radio, film or print as a direct link to changes in opinions and crime rates. Flash forward to date, where the third phase still continues (Klapper 15). While it is evident to all and sundry that the media has mushroomed, research shows that the effects are almost the same. Discussed below are the individual media in existence and their different effects. Print media One of the oldest forms of mass media, it is arguably one of the most effective forms of communication. The article dwells more on newspapers and magazines. Examples of notable newspapers include New York Times in the United States, The Guardian in the United Kingdom among others. While the advantage of print media is seen a lot in being easily and largely available to many people, it is also known to incorporate sections for almost all ages. Of course literacy and reception levels among the various members of a society are considered. Research shows that in most developing as opposed to developed countries, newspapers remain the main form of mass media. So, what are the effects of newspapers? In the recent past, newspapers have been known to run investigative pieces on the societal evils. A good example is when The New York Times ran a media expose on the McWane steel manufacturing plant. This instigated a public uproar among US citizens and environmentalists which had a positive effect not only on the people highlighted but on the players in the industry. This can be said to show the effect and effectiveness of the mass media combined. Notable magazines are such as the Vogue. These publications can be categorized into health, fitness, educational, political, travel, and legal among others. They have been known to highlight societal issues such as dietary and lifestyle problems among citizens. When they provide rectifying suggestions to the people, they are also informative on the causative and preventive agents to the problems. There are those that identify with fashion. One can see that these have had tremendous effects on the way fashion has metamorphosed from one age group to another as well as in varied social classes. Perhaps what inhibits their effectiveness is literacy, circulation process, the time parameter (whereby information or response is not timely) and prices. Also, the up and coming generation has a negative perception towards the print media and views it as cumbersome (Fourier 10). Television and video Commonly called the TV, it is the most accessible mass media in America and therefore the most impactful. The mode has its share of both positive and negative social effects. The Media Awareness Network, in its article, The Good Things about Television, cited the educational benefits of television. The article further claims that TV can boost family ties, help young people discover their place in society and help them learn and understand the intricacies of communication. Among different societal groups, TV has been seen to have different effects (Deaux 10). TV is used to reach a great number of people as well as deliver the information as scheduled and as desired. It is possible to have instant effects and responses as live events are shown. What are the negative effects of this medium? A study conducted by University of Maryland’s, John Robinson and Steve Martin in 2008, proposes that people who are dissatisfied with their lives spend 30% more time watching TV as compared to their happy counterparts. Complaints about the social effect of television have been voiced by the U.S judicial system. Dubbed as “the CSI Syndrome”, they claim that the increase in viewership of the CSI has jeopardized how the cases are handled by some attorneys who sometimes totally disregard testimony, evidence and motive as they are not as impressive and dazzling. The pleasurable effects of watching TV have also been likened to an addiction. Another negative effect has been seen to be physical. Studies show that the rate of obese cases among the American public has been exponential in the recent past (Deaux 12). While this can be blamed on poor dieting, statistical evidence supports that the occurrence of obesity cases has been witnessed more among children and people who spend most of their time watching the television. Another negative effect is that spending most of the time seated inhibits the motor and sensory development among children. It is for this reason that The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggested that parents should not allow children less than two years of age to watch television and those above two years to watch for less than two hours (Klapper 20). Aggressiveness among the youth, foul language and general disobedience can be attributed to unregulated video shows and movies. Some of them promote explicit pornography, violence and misconduct. This therefore has a negative effect on the society especially the adolescent youth. With children, the effects range from having panic attacks when provided with the pictures as well as having a distorted personality growing up. Internet Perhaps the greatest inventions of all times, the internet are the most accessible among people from all divides of life. It has slowly infiltrated to the social lives of virtually anyone including children, the youth and their parents, government officials, business people etc. while it bridges the distance gap of its predecessors, it also creates a pseudo presence among its users. Let us highlight its effects in depth. First, computer mediated communication (CMC), unlike interviews do not employ the facial expressions, tonal variations, physical touch which will be good for any reliable communication. Cummings et al. found that emails were as reliable and socially effective as the traditional face-to-face communications. It should be remembered that the internet is presented in its forms such as Facebook, twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Flickr among others. The internet definitely has a resounding effect of social aspects such as relationships. Two studies conducted independently by Kraut et al (1998) and Nie & ERbring (2000) showed that the internet had detrimental effects on existing physical relationships. Several other surveys saw that internet users are less likely to entertain the traditional paradigm of visitors and calling as compared to non-users. Other studies actually show the importance of embracing the internet by showing how its helps in acquiring new friends while keeping in touch with the old ones. The internet has however been seen to fuel rumor, propaganda and political opinions among users. Among marketers, it is the most effective means of generating sales when it is available to the target market. Conclusion While there are both negative and positive effects of mass media to the society, it is clear that this can be drawn from their effectiveness. To increase positive mass media influence, it is recommended that there exist strict regulatory policies, responsible content and parenting. This will mitigate the dangers involved such as sexual promiscuity, violence, lifestyle diseases and racism debates commonly found in the internet. Pornography websites should be banned. There should be guidelines to marry the various media to reach more people with a positive and more socially appealing message. References Cummings JN, Butler B, Kraut R. The quality of online social relationships. Communications .ACM 45 (July): 103-108.2002. Print8 Deaux K.. Reconstructing social identity. Personal social identity. Personal. Soc. Psychol. Bull. 19: 4-12, 1993. Fourie, J Pieter. Media Studies: Media history, media and society. Juta and Company Press, Cape Town: 2008 Klapper, Joseph T. The Effects of Mass Communication. Free Press,1960. www.saaurya.wordpress.com.. Mass media and its importance, 2012. Read More