How Mass Media Has Changed American Culture

Effects of Mass Media

Luis A Hernandez

HUM186

September 14, 2015

Allyson Wells

Effects of Mass Media

The developments of the twentieth century changed how mass media is distributed, accessed and consumed by utilizing media convergence which changed American culture forever. The electronic and digital eras changed mass media because of the inventions that were released to the general public during the twentieth century. The general public was able to share multiple type’s media across the Internet and no longer had to worry about being filtered by a gatekeeper. With media convergence, they were able to get all the shared media across platforms and over one means of distribution.

The electronic and digital eras evolved the way that

mass media is distributed, accessed and consumed forever. Television, Personal Computers, Satellite Radio, Cable Television, Cellphones and the Internet can be considered some of the major developments that caused drastic changes in mass media in the twentieth century. First, mass media advanced to the electronic era where media could be distributed across air via microwave frequencies and/or satellite. Later in the century mass media changed drastically once again during the digital era. Mass media could be distributed via the Internet across copper wire which enabled the general public to distribute media with one click across the world. The invention of social media which includes YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and let’s not forget Myspace (which started the social media trend) changed the way that media was accessed, distributed and consumed in the twentieth century. Social media enabled its users to share many types of media such as music, pictures, videos, written ideas and opinions across multiple platforms in regards to multiple topics or genres. All these major developments mention how mass media evolved in the last century.

Each and every single development from the twentieth century effected the American culture.

Americans were used to gathering their media via newspaper and television sets that were encased in stylish wood. Information had to be filtered through a gatekeeper who usually had an agenda for what could be released to the general public. Now, unfiltered information can be consumed in multiple ways across mobile devices. Some people are worried about the amount of information that is available and the messages that is being conveyed from them. Campbell, Martin, and Fabos (2015) said “Too many talk shows exploit personal problems for commercial gain, reality shows often glamorize outlandish behavior and sometimes dangerous stunts, and television research continues to document a connection between aggression in children and violent entertainment programs or video games”. Over 80 percent of Americans utilize electronics to view media. Media across the internet is unfiltered and no longer requires a gatekeeper. There is no agenda and there is misleading and inaccurate information everywhere. The American culture has experienced pros and cons to the developments in the twentieth century. The pros can include the freedom of accessing information from anywhere in the world in a matter of seconds but this also falls in the cons as some of that information can be unreliable and untrustworthy. Once of the pros of the major developments is that it is also unfiltered. Television and newspaper continues to be filtered by a gatekeeper and therefor, important information is not released to the general public. Some of this information can only be found through the internet being shared by conspiracy theorists who search for real and trustworthy information about current

developments.

Media convergence refers to the utilization and distribution of similar media content available across platforms which affect everyone on day to day basis. A movie, song, television episodes, and book are available across platforms which include computers, tablets, phones, ereaders, television, gaming consoles and others which have not been included in this list. An individual can find a song on iTunes on an IOS or OSX device while another individual can find the same song on Google Music Play, Android OS or Television. The same movie that can be found on Apple TV that can be found on Microsoft Video. Media convergence also refers to the form that media distribution is consolidated. For example, Time Warner Cable can deliver Internet, Phone and Cable through one means of communication to utilize less resources and maximize profits or revenue.

The electronic and digital eras changed the way that mass media was accessed, distributed, and consumed in the twentieth centuries with the development of personal computers, cellphones and social media sites across multiple platforms using media convergence. These eras allowed users to share multiple types of media across the world in a matter of second with one click. All major developments affected American culture. There are pros and cons to how major developments affected American culture but most seem to be as cons to multiple people. The way that mass media is distributed is a pro as we can share media and access it across the world in a matter of seconds. Media convergence affects everyone on day to day basis on the way they access information across platforms and how they receive multiple services at home or business. Media literacy is important to understand credible resources and messengers in order to successfully utilize the mass media developments of the twentieth century. Consuming inaccurate or unreliable information is a waste of time which can be bypassed by understanding media literacy.

References:
Campbell, R., Martin, C. R., & Fabos, B. (2015). Media & Culture (9th ed.) Bedford/St. Martin's