The Medias influence on health

2689 Words6 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Impacts of mass media in society

The mass media (including everything from television and music to popular novels and fan cultures), creates an endless and accessible flow of information. “What we know about the world beyond out immediate surroundings comes to us via the media (Yates 1999).” The technology of electronic media and the art of advertising have combined to create very powerful tools of influence. These tools are capable of shaping the attitudes, values and behaviors of large numbers of people (Walsh.) By identifying and examining the various forms of health information contained in the media, problems arise because the media does not present it’s messages in a neutral and straightforward way. Because the media distorts reality, the public must become more conscious and critical of various medias in order to protect their mental and physical heath.
Emotion focuses attention, determines what is remembered, shapes attitudes, motivates, and moves one to act. Considering this, its no surprise that the emotional centers of the brain are the primary target for marketers and advertisers. “The art of advertising is difficult to master and it takes a great deal of skill and creativity to achieve proficiency (Walsh 1999.) However, the underlying psychological principles are quite simple. Once the desired emotional state is achieved in the viewer, the product or message becomes mentally linked to the state. For example, viewers seeing a television ad for the first time may not know what the product is until the very last seconds of the ad. The first 28 seconds of the 30-second ad are used to create the mood. Once the mood is set, then the product is introduced and the emotional association is made. The most effective ads are not informational, but emotional. In some cases, the feelings evoked by the ad may have no logical connection to the product whatsoever. As long as the desired emotion is linked with the product, the mission has been accomplished (Walsh.)
The media creates emotion using messaging techniques. Certain filming techniques are used to gear viewers towards the desired emotions, including the use of camera angles, selective editing, framing, reaction shots, sound effects, quick cuts, lighting tricks, computer graphics and music. These techniques focus attention, and create mental shortc...

... middle of paper ...

... org/about_us/press/articles/press_relea se_american_parents.php.
DeGrandpre, Richard. “Comfortably Numb.” ADBUSTERS magazine Sept/Oct 2004.
““Health Behavior Models.” Retrieved May 1998 from http://www3.doh.wa.gov/ here/howto/images/Behavior.html
“The Role of Media in Childhood Obesity.” Issue Brief Feb. 2004. Kaiser Family Foundation.
“Walsh, David. “Slipping Under the Radar: Advertising and the Mind.” Retrieved Feb. 2005 from http://www.psychology.iastate.edu/faculty/dgentile/ Walsh_Gentile_WHO.pdf
Willis, J. and Okunade, A. “The influence of TV, Movies, and the Internet on Health Perceptions.” Reporting on risks: The practice and ethics of health and safety communication. 1997.
Yates, B.L. “Media Literacy: A Health Education Perspective.” Media and Health Journal of Health Education, 30 (3), 183-187. Retrieved May 2003 from http://www.westga.edu/~byates/mediaand.htm.

Show More
Related

  • Analysis of Film The Ad and the Ego

    347 Words  | 1 Pages

    emotions. Sut Jhally describes ads as "the dream life of our culture" and explains the persuasive

    Read More

  • Pathos, Logos, and Ethos in Advertising

    632 Words  | 2 Pages

    What captures the attention of people when they view an advertisement, commercial or poster? Is it the colors, a captivating phrase or the people pictured? While these are some of the elements often employed in advertising, we can look deeper and analyze the types of appeals that are utilized to draw attention to certain advertisements. The persuasive methods used can be classified into three modes. These modes are pathos, logos, and ethos. Pathos makes an appeal to emotions, logos appeals to logic or reason and ethos makes an appeal of character or credibility. Each appeal can give support to the message that is being promoted.

    Read More

  • Media Violence and the Captive Audience

    5192 Words  | 11 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Crime and the Media

    2225 Words  | 5 Pages

    The media play an indispensable role in modern life, and are considered amongst the most powerful and inaccurate sources of social information, education and entertainment. Our mass media is an electronic (TV, film, video, videogames, internet) visually dominated media with print (newspaper, magazine)...

    Read More

  • The Effect of Sex in the Media

    1092 Words  | 3 Pages

    Strasburger, V., M.D. (2010). Children, Adolescents, and the Media: Seven Key Issues. Pediatric Annals, 39(9), 556-64. Doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3928/00904481-20100825-06

    Read More

  • Television Influence Essay

    1124 Words  | 3 Pages

    While watching the video “Video Killed the Radio Star”, I utilized a variety of these skills but two particularly stood alone. The video encoded a message that can only be decoded by close observation, the music paired with the slideshow of events that have occurred over the past century, demands an ability of high understanding to comprehend. The message this video offers is that times have changed as technology progresses, new strides and events will continue to make history. Some of the scenes portrayed in the video require an ability to critically think about the media message and what it was say. When the video introduces a family at the beginning of the video it is paired with a song that explains the changing in history due to the invention of video. Understanding the content and being able to think critically about what the video is saying allows me to dissect the meaning of what the video is trying to get across to the viewer. By learning different skills and developing on these skills we as people can better understand the meaning of what is portrayed through

    Read More

  • Media Consumption and its Impact on Society

    1312 Words  | 3 Pages

    In today’s society individuals in the United States are bombarded with media and its advertisements. There are various forms in which you can be exposed to media including the television, radio, movies, magazines, billboards, newspapers, and even your computer. On a daily basis individuals are being exposed and consuming an average of ten hours and seventeen minutes of media and about three thousand advertisements a day. In those ten hours we are exposed to things such as the unrealistic beauty standards from cosmetic, and fashion advertisements, as well as violence from television shows and video games. Our country has created a culture that is obsessed with looks and possessions; they have created a false reality and happiness for individuals,

    Read More

  • Scopophilia

    1464 Words  | 3 Pages

    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).

    Read More

  • Media’s Influence on Children and Adolescents

    562 Words  | 2 Pages

    Nunez-Smith, M., Wolf, E., Huang, H., Emanuel, E., & Gross, C. (2008). Media and child and adolescent health: a systematic review. San Francisco CA Common Sense Media. Retrieved from http://www.aeforum.org/aeforum.nsf/d5335c270a1f94d380256ef3004240f2/b768d6128ed9446180257569005d08d5/$FILE/Common%20Sense%20Media%20Report%201.pdf

    Read More

  • Television and Media Effect on the Public

    4844 Words  | 10 Pages

    Television is a vital source from which most Americans receive information. News and media delegates on television have abused theirs powers over society through the airing of appealing news shows that misinform the public. Through literary research and experimentation, it has been proven that people's perception of reality has been altered by the information they receive from such programs. Manipulation, misinterpretation, word arrangement, picture placement and timing are all factors and tricks that play a major role in the case. Research, experimentation, and actual media coverage has pinpointed actual methods used for deceptive advertising. Television influences society in many ways. People are easily swayed to accept a belief that they may not normally have unless expressed on television, since many people think that everything they hear on television is true. This, however, is not always the case. It has been observed that over the past twenty to thirty years, normal social behavior, even actual life roles of men and women and media, regulatory policies have all been altered (Browne 1998). Media has changed with time, along with quality and respectability. Many Americans receive and accept false information that is merely used as an attention grabber that better the show's ratings and popularity. Many magazines and Journal reviews have periodically discussed the "muckraking" that many tabloid shows rely on to draw in their viewers. This involves sensationalizing a story to make it more interesting, therefore increasing the interest of the audience. "Along the way, all sorts of scandalous substance and goofy tricks appear, but not much mystery in the logic," (Garnson 1997). People often know that these shows aim to deceive them, but still accept the information as truth. Many times, people have strong opinions on certain topics. Yet, when they are exposed to the other side of the argument, they may be likely to agree with the opposite view. As Leon Festinger said, "If I chose to do it (or say it), I must believe in it," (Myers 1997). This is an example of Festinger's cognitive dissonance theory, which pertains to acting contrary to our beliefs. Television influences many people to change their original beliefs. It has the viewers think that the majority of other people hold the contrary idea. Once these views are presented, people have the option to hol...

    Read More

  • Advertisements and Its Effect on The Teen Self Image

    1034 Words  | 3 Pages

    Limpinnian, Danielle. "Portrayal of Men and Women in Ads." Aberystwyth University. Aberystwyth University, 2002. Web. 16 May 2014.

    Read More

  • Sex, Young Adults, and The Media

    604 Words  | 2 Pages

    The media plays a very big role in the lives of young adults today. Whether it is watching Access Hollywood, checking Perez Hilton’s blog religiously or watching fictitious TV shows and movies every night. All of the media in today’s society must add up to some influence on the teens of America. The media today mostly has lust and sex selling us products on television commercials or provocative ads in magazines, or the media just entertains us for hours on end. The media rarely has a positive influence, as it does not put sexual health messages in it’s television shows, movies, music lyrics, and magazines.

    Read More

  • The Effects of Media on Our Lives

    1472 Words  | 3 Pages

    Social Scientists say that the average American watches too much television and plays too many video games. I would agree with this, because in high school that is all I did, but not so much for me anymore. Back when I was in high school that is all I did. Watch television, play Nintendo, hang out with my friends. However, now that I am in college, I have had to change my ways. It helps a lot that I don't have either one of those in my dorms.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Media Literacy

    1315 Words  | 3 Pages

    Media has grown drastically over the last 100 years, and we have become accustomed to it being a part of our everyday lives. Media is such an influential part of our society that we forget that not all media is created equally. Media has become so widespread that we might be oblivious to the messages right in front of our faces. Media such as television, newspaper, radio, Internet, social media, and billboards have created an information epidemic that has the ability to influence a person’s thoughts and ideas. Media literacy is a tool that allows people to take information and evaluate it so they can form their own thoughts and ideas about the information presented to them. Media literacy allows people to decipher information that is opinionated,

    Read More

  • Impact of the Media on Society

    1589 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

More about The Medias influence on health

Open Document