Then:
The media has had an
effect on the masses ever since the printed word came on the scene. Newspapers
were a way to inform the people of what was going on in the world around them.
Newspapers described everything from politics and crime to scandals and social
or economic problems. The government realized that informing the masses meant
that they could control their beliefs to some effect. If they had a gullible
audience, information could easily be manipulated to convince anyone of
anything. War time, especially the World Wars, provides the biggest example of
the media testing its effect on an audience. The government attempted to
promote America with figures like Rosy the Riveter and Uncle Sam. They were
prime examples of pro-America. Newspapers were also flooded with pro-war
articles. When radio was developed, it used the same techniques to persuade an
audience into believing in a cause.
In the 1960s, media had
an opposite effect on the masses. This time was a time of civil unrest. People
did not feel equal and the newspapers, radio and television stations made sure
to highlight the inequality of the nation. The government was no longer all
mighty or inspiring. It was believed that they had too much control and that
they regulated people to the point of snuffing out ideas. The media started to focus on showing real time footage of events around the nation as proof to back up their statements. This time was most important because it demonstrated how much the American people value the truth.
Now:
Media today has a large effect on how millennials behave
in everyday life. This media influence is seen in anything from Barbie dolls,
video games, movies, to the internet and so on. Teenagers base their style and
the way they dress off of what the media shows to be “in”. If celebrities can
wear it, it is a must have for most teens so that they can follow the status
quo. Barbie dolls, movies, and models portray the “perfect girl”. It is meant
to be believed that if you don’t have the correct body shape with a thin waist
and long legs than you are not the ideal women and most men will reject you. That
seems absurd, but a lot of females believe this because that is what the media
portrays and males don’t help to deny that stereotype. Video games come in
various genres, but the most popular ones are considered first person shooters.
These are games in which you travel around a virtual world shooting things,
most of the time people. A vast majority of scholars believe that these video
games are the cause of the spike in violent acts in our nation. The mentality is,
“If it’s so easy and okay to do it in a game, why can’t I do it in real life?”
Kids are growing up with a mixed view of right and
wrong because the media is supposed to tell the truth. When you search for
information on the internet you expect to get a truthful answer, right? This isn’t
always the case. Anyone can make a webpage and put false information out there
for people to find. People are spending immense amounts of time online and if
the media they are subjected to is opinionated or false, audiences are more
likely to be effected by the media in a negative way.
Later:
I have already covered that media has a large effect
on the way people live their lives. Studies have even shown that obesity and
the time spent on the internet or watching television have a correlation. I
want to focus more on believing in things that aren’t real. I am speaking in
part of the multiple life aspect involved in most video games. If children
continue to grow up and play video games they will grow accustomed to having
more than one life to complete their tasks. In real life, there is only one
chance. You don’t just re-spawn and kids who aren’t aware of where real life and
a video game differ could get themselves into some real trouble. I also speak
of songs. Audio media is one of the worst kinds of influences on an audience.
Rhyming words are catchy and easy to remember, so their meanings are always in
the back of our minds. Most songs talk about living a life of no regrets and experiencing
crazy things. In reality, successful regular people don’t go out and daily do what
is said in a song. Those people don’t live too long to talk about their
experiences.
Media doesn’t always have to have a negative effect on
its audience. It keeps the world connected so we can help out around the world.
When the media advertises starving children in Africa it uses techniques that
make you feel bad and want to donate to the cause. When France was affected by
terror attacks social media platforms of all kinds showed their support. It
keeps the world sympathetic of one another. I fear that in the near future with
virtual reality becoming such a popular form of viewing media and with a
growing number of false webpages advertisers will take advantage of the new
technology to manipulate people into believing something that isn’t true.
People may funnel their money into someone’s pocket rather than to a good
cause.
