Mass Media Influence On American Culture

Mass Media

Danielle Beauchamp Crone

HUM 186

Allyson Wells

Mass Media

This paper will show my point of view on significant developments in the evolution of mass media in the last century, how it influenced American culture, what is meant by the term media convergence and how it has affected everyday life.

What were the major developments in the evolution of mass media during the last century?

First the printing era China was the first to create block printing in around the 100 c.e. and 1045, however, modern printing wasn't developed till the middle of the fifteenth century. (Media & Culture, 2016, pg 7) Do to the fact the printing press was so new it was only available to people of high society. Once the printing press updated

These technology advances provide a quick and straightforward way for today's society to be informed of the latest media in little to no time. Social media websites allow for us to voice our opinion and hear others voices. Whether it is turning on your tv, radio or even sending an email, you can simultaneously gather media at a touch of a button. (Campbell, Martin, & Fabos, 2016, p. 7)

How did each development influence American culture?

Every era played its part in the development of changing the American culture. With the printing press, American culture could read and educated from others findings. The Electronic or Information era brought us the Telegraph which allowed us to communicate miles away without the wait of a coach, ship or pony express. Fortunately, the Telegraph lead to newer technologies that allowed us to communicate quicker and more efficiently but result in its demise. (Campbell, Martin, & Fabos, 2016, p. 7)

What is meant by the term media convergence, and how has it affected everyday

The internet and social media have changed the way we learn and participate in today's media culture. We can watch a tv show with a few clicks of a mouse or read the latest news through our social media accounts such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and more. Using social media site, we can talk to our friends ask for their opinion or just read what they have been up too. We deal with mass media every day throughout our lives in our daily tasks. We don't have to go out of our way to buy a newspaper if we don't want to because we can grab our phone, tablet, or computer, type in what we want and hit go your request is pull up in a matter of seconds. I feel that mass media significantly affects how we gather information, it also helps mold us into who we are today. (Campbell, Martin, & Fabos, 2016, p.