Impact of the Media on Society
Media technologies are becoming an important aspect of today’s society. Each and every day, people interact with media of many different forms. Media is commonly defined as being a channel of communication. Radio, newspapers, and television are all examples of media. It is impossible to assume that media is made up of completely unbiased information and that the media companies do not impose their own control upon the information being supplied to media users. Since many people use media very frequently, it is obvious to assume that it has affects on people. According to the text book Media Now, "media effects are changes in knowledge, attitude, or behavior that result from exposure to the mass media," (386). This leaves us with many unanswered questions about media and its influences. This paper will look at how the effects of media are determined and explore the main affects on today’s society - violence, prejudice, and sexual behavior.
In order to understand how media can affect society or individuals, it is first necessary to look at different approaches that can be taken to analyze the media. According to the book Media Now, there are two main approaches that are used: the deductive approach and the inductive approach. The deductive approach is when a social scientist first comes up with theories or predictions through systematic observations of the media, and then uses the results of their research to support the theory or prove it false. An inductive approach is slightly opposite because this method looks first at peoples interactions with media and with each other, and then creates theories from the real-life situational research. The inductive approach tends to be used more frequently because its theories are based off real instances. Another difference in the ways to approach researching the effects of media is how some social scientists are interested in quantitative information while others are more interested in qualitative information. Quantitative information is when the desired results are as many as possible, while qualitative information is when the desired results are made up of the best, most useful information. All of these approaches and methods of research influence how social scientists determine the ways that media effects society and individuals. The kinds of studies done by these social scientists create detailed profiles of media and its content, and identify trends overtime. For example, one study found that exposure to alcohol advertising and television programming has been shown to be associated with positive beliefs about drinking and alcohol consumption (Austin 2).
Animal rights have become a very serious issue here in the United States over the last few decades. One issue that has been discussed is whether or not zoos serve a good purpose or are they just a torture chamber for the animals. Locked up in small cages so people can yell at them and stare. Or are zoos the key to save our species in an ever growing human population. Rachel Lu, a philosophy teacher and senior columnist, writes the article, “Let’s Keep Zoos: Learning stewardship is a good thing.”, published April 18, 2014, argues that zoos are worth keeping. Rachel Lu uses her personal experiences to appeal to her audience that zoos are valuable to people especially young children because it gives them a perspective on nature.
Peoples Trust has provided me with an extreme amount of information on why zoos are beneficial through their “Zoos & Conservation article.” Peoples Trust has pointed out that not every zoo mistreats their animals, but never took into consideration how the animals themselves may undergo, and what is being taken away from them.
The media influences many aspects of American society. Media affects sexuality, gender roles, and family structure. The images of gender projected through the media correlates with gender norms held in society. The media demonstrates a misogynistic view towards women. Women, statistically, interact with media more than men and are exposed to the images the media promotes. Media distorts how women should look, their role in society, and sexuality. Despite the negative images presented in the media, these beliefs can change.
South Sudanese independence thus far has been quite detrimental than beneficial to the people of South Sudan. On July 9, 2011, the 54th African state was born. Independence was fought to fight challenges that, as part of Sudan it endured for 56 years; however its current state has brought about challenges from within . This essay will discuss a brief history of Sudan and South Sudan and then analyse President Salva kiir’s speech in contrast to Former Nelson Mandelas’.
The media, including television programming, cartoons, film, the news, as well as literature and magazines, is a very powerful and pervasive medium for expression. It can reach a large number of people and convey ideas, cultural norms, stereotypic roles, power relationships, ethics, and values. Through these messages, the mass media may have a strong influence on individual behavior, views, and values, as well as in shaping national character and culture. Although there is a great potential for the media to have a positive and affirming effect on the public and society at large, there may be important negative consequences when the messages conveyed are harmful, destructive, or violent.
There is an association between the development of mass media and social change, although the degree and direction of this association is still debated upon even after years of study into media influence. Many of the consequences, either detrimental or beneficial, which have been attributed to the mass media, are almost undoubtedly due to other tendencies within society. Few sociologists would refute the importance of the mass media, and mass communications as a whole, as being a major factor in the construction and circulation of social understanding and social imagery in modern societies. Therefore it is argued that the mass media is used as “an instrument”, both more powerful and more flexible than anything in previous existence, for influencing people into certain modes of belief and understanding within society.
The effects of mass media have been a hot topic for scholars over thepast century. According to a study done by Ballard (2011), “with the rise of film and radio in the early part of the 1900’s,communication researchers began to study what effects media messages have on thosewho receive them.”
The media has changed significantly over the past decades. Technology has modified our abilities to expand our communication network, and it allows companies to spread their commercials over many different continents. Research done by Roberts (1993) shows that adolescent and children are often very influenced by media that involves sexual or violent conduct. This research is based on media involving children and adolescents, however this does not eliminate the effect media has on adults (Singer & Singer, 2001, p. 269).
Zoos today say that one of their main goals is to conserve endangered species and eventually reintroduce them back into the wild. However, Benjamin Beck, former associate director of biological programs at the National Zoo in Washington, found that over the past century only 16 of 145 reintroduction programs worldwide ever actually restored any of the animals back to the wild (qtd. in Fravel). He also found that a majority was carried out by the government and not the actual programs themselves. Beck noted that the billions of dollars the zoos were receiving were going towards hi-tech exhibits and marketing strategies to get people to go to the zoos. So which zoos are actually attempting to save the lives they claim to be? According to David Hancocks, a former zoo director with 30 years’ experience, many zoos that are not affiliated with the AZA do not spend hardly any of their fu...
The electrostatic precipitator (ESP) is a machine used in factories, to clean out the waste solid particle, for example ash from the exhaust gas, allowing clean exhaust gas exit through the chimney. The electrostatic precipitator functions by using first allow the exhaust gas with the waste solid particles pass through the Nozzle as shown in the diagram below. Then the exhaust gas passes through inlet gas distribution, which evenly distributes the gas as shown below in a turquoise color, and starts going through the Discharge electrodes and the collector plates, which is shown in the diagram red and blue respectively. The discharge electrodes, which are powered by high voltage direct current, ionize the gas along with the other solid waste particles negatively. The collector plates are also charged with high voltage electricity, but it is positively charged, therefore attracting the negatively charged solid particle, because oppositely charged particles attract. This allows the clean exhaust gas pass through the other end, while the solid waste particles are trapped in the collector plates. Eventually when there are enough solid waste particles collected on the collector plates, the collect plates shakes off the collected waste, where it drops to the bottom of the shaft as shown in the diagram as “Hopper”.
... and trying to make them cooperate was the biggest flaw of the British colonialism. Then when that didn’t work out, the British developed the North far more than the South, thus creating resentment in the South. With the end of colonialism the British left a nation that was unstable politically and culturally. The region, culture, language, and historical differences between the South and North leads to two civil wars for independence. Which further leads into an ethnic conflict in South Sudan. If no action is taken to bring peace between the two. There is a threat of those ethnicity fighting over resources, which could then potentially lead into a territorial conflict. And if South Sudan further divides there could be a possibility of a power vacuum happening, creating more chaos. All it takes is a single spark to trigger a series of unfortunate events.
Some people may argue that zoos protect animals and species under this polluted world, however, do animals in zoos really need our “help”? Yes, but surely not that many. According to Captive Animals Protection Society (CAPS), 79% of animals in United Kingdom zoos and over 70% of elephants in European zoos are wild-caught. It seems that zoos need them rather than they need zoos.
Supporters of zoos argue that they help to conserve endangered species, but in fact they are not very good at this. Even the world famous panda-breeding programme has been very costly and unsuccessful. Also, zoo life does not prepare animals for the challenges of life in the wild. For example, two rare lynxes released into the wild in Colorado died from starvation even though the area was full of hares, which are a lynx’s natural prey.
Unquestionably the media being newspapers, internet, radio and television, influence society. They can affect, have affected and will continue to affect the progression of life in this nation and around the world, as electronic technology continues to be the chosen mode of communication for a whole generation, offering direct, often anonymous influential information.
The mass media has played a key role in shaping people’s lives. The modern society’s use of mass media including TV, radio, newspaper, as well as print media has largely influenced people’s ideas regarding themselves and the society at large. This is evident from their behavior towards themselves and their community as well as their treatment of the environment. While some experts believe that the media is to blame for most of the negative behavioral traits among the active members of society, the majority agree that the media makes people understand and develop a positive sense of association with their society within which they live, making it easy for them to identify and get their role in it.