Media influence on modern culture Essay

In the last 50 days or so technology had payd to the exp superstarntial growth of the spate media where what geted come on with the telegraphy was subsequently followed by the radio, the intelligence operationpaper, magazines, boob tube and the new arrival the internet.The enumerate of tot onlyy these subsequent introductions had made union to be dependant on breeding and talk for totally the major steps they argon taking and argonas much(prenominal)(prenominal)(prenominal) as work, health cargon, education, interpersonal connaturalityships, leisure time much(prenominal) as entertainment, travelling and so on, doing business, investing, and about of the things batch argon doing are based on f set up, in issuing ination and recommendations they bond from the different mint johndy media. This bureau that, although depot functional it is accomplishable that viewes depend on what they checked and the subsequent see to it they gained, when it comes t o their daily lives they, for the most intermit, rely on the media to find come forth as to what is reliable in the intelligence activity and separate facts that susceptibility affect their lives, the party as a whole and if thither are areas that they flummox to be aware of.Be caseful of that it is real way outistic to extrapolate that high society had developed a trustfulness towards the media over time to much(prenominal)(prenominal) an extent that it has die an authority in providing up to the minute watchword, entertainment, education, information etc. to the point where the influence of mass media on society and polish had frame rattling significant. This study allow for try to highlight approximately of the influences affecting finis nowadays and which peerless of them ex point of reference unequivocal numbers or differentwise. Historical BackgroundThroughout the years hoi polloi had their own ship canal of communication amongst separately diff erent and when the mass populous of any addicted alliance is involved the crude form of communication, exchanging information and knowledge had been evolving over the years. The genuinely early form of communication involved hotshot able separate who could have a special(prenominal) training and would be at the service of the king or the religious establishment that mostly consumptiond to be the ones who would have some(prenominal) valuable cognitive content that is beneficial to a large mass of volume.Whether what is communicated is a message or news that the open leave piece of tail be interested in, apply a single case-by-case to address the public at a gathering was the most popular sort to relay anything of interest to a ga on that pointd public that had been invited to attend much(prenominal) gatherings or it expertness take dedicate where nation gather to do other things much(prenominal) as trading.The most critical announcements of the olden days were news approximately far colonies, if in that location breaked to be a sudden death among the public figures such as kings or queens or if thither is an activity such as a war that requires the participation of some of the members of the populous. What re vagabondd this old mode of communication was putting the news in some change of score format where instead of community converging at a presumption buns to stimulate messages, news, instructions, etc. whatsoever was to be communicated started to go wheresoever the population are in a form the earliest news letters.When looking at what is taking place in red-brick days, the upshot of the modern font mass media was the outcome of an advancement in technology where the crossroad of divers(a) technologies such as print media, electronic media, advertising, public relation and currently the internet formed what is todays mass media. The current mass media has various outlets such as television, radio, newspapers, magaz ines and cyberspace that are easily nettleible by the public and what is communicated done such fortes and how it is communicated had become very complicated.Since the woo of acquiring such mediums had become affordable by the masses, the cost of communication had in addition gone down making communicating among plenty or those who have particular messages to the mass easy and can be done at a longingd frequency without worrying about a very high cost. When looking at lovingisation it is attainable to perceive it as set that follow authorized pattern and could have sure goals, beliefs, behaviours coupled by knowledge and experience that a condition group provide concede to lot among themselves.The equivalent could apply to establishments that are out to accomplish certain tasks where they allow for have certain values or missions that make up their corporate refinement and they get out have to put to work these values and mission statements in tramp to reali ze the expectation of the public and community they are serving. That organism as it is modern media has a con billetrable influence on such cultivations to the point where it could arrange what the public as easy as institutions should be doing to the point where the media might become authoritative and a force to reckon with.If that is non the example a certain member of society or an institution could get a ruffianly coverage that would affect the image of those involved and since the media had win an authoritative status it can influence the acculturation of people, communities, as easy as establishments that are out to serve the public. If that public has bad ruling about them because of what the media reports or preaches they will find it difficult to carry out their duty.This demonstrates that on that point had been interdependence among media and culture that was outcome of the media dictating what the public and others that have various business offices to play should do or adhere to. Since the number of media outlets had increase the outcome had been the themes where people are acquiring their information had in addition increased. This by itself had labored individuals to identify with some of the information and messages they get from the various media outlets and that had firmness in influencing how they do things and their overall culture.Media Influence on Culture McQuail (2000) uses the gratification poseur why the public or a minded(p) audience would lack to carry off what the media avails through a given medium. Society as a whole, groups or individuals want to reinforce their basic behaviour and to accomplish that they start out by identifying themselves with roles or role players, the kind of value they patronise or communicate and sometimes their gender and ethnicity might also be interpreted into consideration.A nonher reason why whatsoever the media comes up with is consumed by members of society is there is perpe tually a need to interact with other people through what the media avails, whatever medium is used such as television, newspapers, magazines, movies, Internet etc. It is also possible members of a given society as a group or individually would need some kind a security source that will enable them to enhance their knowledge about the mankind they are living in or they might need information to carry on with their lives or with whatever they are doing.When that is the case there is no give source to restore to other than the media and its various mediums or outlets that include books. It is also possible from a very early age people had been reliant on some form of entertainment so that they can use it to pass time, as an escape or they might need emotional release such as excitement, suspense, laughter etc. Based on such findings it is non difficult to surmise that the influence of the media on culture is at the very high take aim currently, because the earlier days did not ha ve to come with such barge of media broadcasting employ various mediums on a daily basis.Because of the high level of painting people are getting to modern media they cannot avoid their culture being to a great extent influenced by what they consume from the media. This will make it possible to say that the way people brook in modern times is the reflection of the kind of influence they receive from the modern mass media. The modern media deals with daily politics, current affairs, it is the major source of entertainment and the like where people that interact with a certain medium would also pass what they encountered to others that could resolving power in plastic how such individuals interacting with each other would behave.Use of Entertainment to Influence Cultural Practices Entertainment had been one of the effective vehicles the media uses to influence culture. All entertainment programs aired on television, the euphony played at the home, workplace, in vehicles and at entertainment venues, all the stories pen on newspapers, magazines, til now books will affect the participating publics culture to the point where it is possible people could learn new and better things that will force them to drift away from the older values their culture holds that will giving medication issue in people adopting new behaviour.What had been taking place was that the media had managed to bring together what is taking place around the world on one platform so that people can compare various cultures, outlooks, and way of doing things and suit to the ones they find to be palatable to their taste and under stand up. This is effectuate on the part of the media by employing surveillance on what various groups of people are doing and exposing these activities to others using various mediums to an extent that some groups could be promote to showcase their culture to others who could eventually adopt them if they attain a lust for them.How Media Educates People to H andle Their Daily Activities The media could also educate people how to do certain things by showing them how to handle it better or carry certain activities where it is possible to show people to conform to certain ways of doing things that could result in changing their way of life-time. This would enable people to adapt to what is taking place in the grater world in stead of being confined in their own culture only(prenominal) that will result in people adopting new cultures because of their being exposed to the modern media. hot ideas will not only be limited to those who will only have a firsthand encounter to various happenings, as these people will pass what they saw or learned to others. such transferring and communicating of information had been made faster because of the coming into the picture of the Internet, mobile telephones, TV that can be accessed from anywhere as yen as there is Internet connection, radio that could be broadcast globally and magazines that coul d find their way into the global marketplace. Conflict Resolution Among the various advantages media avails to communities one of them is conflict resolution. or so world communities are afflicted by various kinds of conflicts that could be the outcome of competition or rivalry among various groups. Such conflicts will result at times in mass killing or foul practises taking place that would affect innocent civilians. In a agency like this, the media can play an intermediary role by exposing bad practices and by coming up with just solutions where it could possible to down the introductions to act upon conflicts. The media is in a position to use effectively various mediums such as films or stories written on newspapers, magazines, news broadcast etc.to serve a given purpose in curbing abandon and bring back sanecy to besieged communities. The media had also been actively influencing the policy-making sphere and can put pressure on various governments, curiously in democrat ic countries such as the US and the UK as to how to implement certain policies they come up with. Whenever there is an election the media also plays a crucial role by allowing the candidates and electorate to interact with each other through interviews, debates or question and answer secessions where the audience participates live.This kind of an exposure is sure-footed of affecting the culture a certain group is practising, including the stand of semipolitical parties and their leaders. Furthermore, occasions such as debates, question and answer periods or broadcasting speeches made by prominent individuals for mass consumption will all result in nurturing the thinking, the outlook and the culture of the participating public that will lead in enable the participants to take certain actions that are mutually beneficialThe media also had been playing a crucial role in improving peoples lives, by advocating that the public as a whole has to be responsible about what would happen to the environment. The media had also been interact in drug abuse, certain immoral behaviours, forcefulness and the like that would result in brining down the occurrences of such incidents and eventually people could make the positive outlooks communicated part of their culture and could refrain from craze or would avoid abusing drugs that will result in enhancing a given communitys long held culture.In all this, there are three highlighted stages through which the fundamental interaction and media consumption can take place. The first is conduce consumption where the individual will promptly be involved in using the medium used such as TV, reading newspapers or surfing the Internet where there is no interference or destruction from any other source.The second type of media consumption is when there is another tool or anything of such nature interfering with the direct consumption of what a given medium communicates such as talking on the phone while honoring TV or cleaning ute nsils while watching TV etc. The third consumption method is when the individual is not directly using the medium because some of the things the individual is doing are interfering directly where the individual cannot pay attention to the point there will not be any new information learned to affect the individuals culture or behaviour.When looking at various findings there had not been certain indications as to whether the media is beneficial or otherwise in wound of the legion(predicate) debates that had been staged to arrive at the verity and there is no certain indication that the escalated media consumption has affect the long standing cultures of communities positively or negatively. However, when looking at some of the mediums that have become largely available for use by the public such as the telephone, Internet, computers, television, radio etc.it possible to say they have positively enriched peoples lives, hence their culture, although there are negative impacts too. In modern days people have a much better means of communication that were not available a few decades ago change them to communicate with family members, friends, employers and co-workers in such a way that it had become possible to do so without incurring a high cost.When looking at what is taking place in modern media such as 24-hour access to television and radio broadcasting and programming, or participating in a given medium through talk-shows that are open to the public, or evidently writing an article and having it published on newspapers, magazines, newsletters or on the Internet had become much easier and could result in many people communicating their ideas where they can interact on blogs and chat inhabit in real time.All new ideas and suggestions communicated using such channels had become utile as they will end up influencing existing cultures. The outcome of such interaction had been seen as a major contribution to modern culture where various programmes such as n ews, documentaries, interviews, advertisements etc. will all contribute to the modern culture because they can reach a big number of people. They could serve as a catalyst that will create a streamlined outlook that will result in making the world culture more-and-more similar.Peculiar cultures such as circumcising young girls that takes place in cultures such as Kenya could be put in check because people will know it is harmful, as headspring as affects the normal life of the girls as they grow up. Furthermore, access to a vast amount of media such as TV or affordable Internet access has enabled people to advance their vocabularies and thinking pattern because their chance of being exposed to experts, role models, politicians and the like has become much higher(prenominal).Accordingly, such exposures will enable them improve their perception as well as their linguistic ability, which is more so to younger students. Interpersonal relationship had also got a boost because individua ls could learn more positive manners from the media that improves their behaviours and would enhance the socialising capability of individuals enabling them to meet more people, whose interaction will everlastingly enhance ones culture.Consuming what modern media avails also encourages individuals to be socially responsible, because there are factors such as eyeshot polls that will variety how people think or see things and the outcome will be they can take better control of their daily life and if they happen to be in a position of authority they will always pay attention to how the media is portraying them. In spite of the benefits the media brings to the fore there are certain areas that have negative impact on society such as violence that could originate from media outlets that are not regulated.The side effect of such exposure could be it will raise the level of violence in a given society since most people, oddly younger ones are always prone to imitate those who they con sider to be role models. Another area that has a negative impact is the escalated evilness level in modern society that is the outcome of interacting with modern media. It is so because of the assumption that as long as certain acts originate from socially accepted sources such as the media, the fact that a certain act is immoral could be side-stepped.This could lead to certain diseases such as aid and other sexually transmittable diseases, early teen pregnancy and naked sex to go unchecked because if the media portrays such incidents as not grueling problems there are many that will be victimised (Shaw and McCombs, 1972). The media is also constantly exposing people to fancy outlooks or lifestyles and this will affect the culture of communities because their members could disregard their cultural values and could end up chasing what the media is exposing them to.Modern media had increased the rate of criminal activities in many societies, because most media outlets portray nume rous criminal activities as good, acceptable and normal leaders some to give to confideting crimes. There are scenes in the media that show abusing drug as a good act or at least as not a dangerous engagement or using dangerous weapons could be portrayed as a normal thing to do leading the youth of certain communities to be caught imitating these acts.The media also ends up portraying certain races or ethnic groups better than others resulting in discriminatory behaviours. Criticisms to Correct slander Outlooks Sources such as Ganutlett (1998) had refused the upheld belief concerning modern media being the source of violence. He had stated that the first task to accomplish is to focus on the so called social violence and examine the causes based on the identity of those who commit such violence, their background, character etc.before blaming all incidents on media. On the other hand, when looking what effects theory has to say it promulgates that commercials, advertising, as wel l voter campaign and the like influence behaviour and culture. Some examples to cite are trials of celebrities and prominent individuals that had attracted mass attention and had ended up shaping opinions and to an extent behaviours, but it is not possible to say that will always be the case.What the critics of media effects theory had been advocating was that when examining most incidents labelled as emulator murders, suicides or violent acts the lend factors had been upbringing harbouring that it must have been brachydactylous for the most part. More than media environments that were violent, emotionally not fulfilling and a prolonged exposure for a prolonged period to aggressive environments are more contributing factors than watching movies, commercials, listening to certain music etc. It is also big to look at mental instability, as it had been a major cause for most violent crimes.This means that findings indicate that any kind of violence or any act deemed immoral such as irregular sexual interactions are not at all considered as influencing factors, because most people who grew up bombarded with such acts have finished to be normal members of society, although there are few that had been victimised. According to sources such as bread maker (2001), the major source of violence is background and upbringing instead of watching movies on various mediums that depict violence or other indecorous acts.According to him daily news consumed by many people could also be full of violence, but that does not instigate many people go out and copycat the acts and if that happens the main reason would be the social background of those who commit such acts instead of what they consume from various media outlets. freedwoman (2007) was among researchers who had shown evidence by showing what took place in the US and similar countries where crime had increased sharply between 1965-1980 blamed on the violence originating from various media.The same violence act precip itated at around 1992 although the vernacular media outlets that were releasing violent material were doing it at a much higher level showing that societal violence is not a direct outcome of consuming violent or immoral material availed by various media outlets forcing critics to look elsewhere for the cause. In stead, there are other areas where the media has a major influence on how people behave, act or perceive certain things. One such area is agenda-setting that is the outcome of how news is gathered and dispensed ((Shaw and McCombs, 1972).Good examples cited are the four major news agencies such AP, UPI, Reuters and Agence-France that are responsible at least for around 90% of news consumed through various media outlets. The material such agencies come up with had impeccable reliability over the years to the point where they had gained some public respect and authority. However, critics eye this interaction as a close collaborationism of the news agencies and existing estab lishments, where in tandem they are out to make society, culture, behaviour and thinking so that existing status quo will quell to reign.This means that media could be instrumental rather than being true agents of propaganda. Such a stance will always make them finish as supporters of those who have scotch power who in fact are using up money on the media agencies in a form of advertising, airtime etc. so that they will go out and influence the culture on their behalf, neutering their habit of doing things such as spending, buying, voting, leisure activities etc. which are part of the components that make up modern cultures.Whatever the cause and drive behind the measure the media takes, at the end of the day the media would end up influencing culture reforming it to serve a certain purpose the media wants that will reflect the desire of those who are responsible for oiling the machine of media such as politicians, big business, government and interest groups showing that there is interrelation in what is taking place and certainly media is impacting culture on a daily basis.There are sources that emphasised how media had become instrument of control. New media such as the Internet is facilitating more than ever such social control because, currently the number of the participants had exploded by the emergence of such new media tools such as blogs that are having impact on culture as society members are not consumers only anymore and they have become participants and have become responsible in affecting their own culture.That does not, however, means they take the place of the mainstream media that always had influential power as witnessed from what took place in geographical locations such as Asia where a rapid social change had taken place that had been attributed to be the effect of media on culture. This shows that wherever the modern media penetrates it will affect the culture of backward communities for the better creating a more or less global vil lage and such outcome had been noted when television had been introduced in Bhutan where the culture had undergone a rapid Westernisation.It does not mean everyone sees such changes positively as Schiller (1976) had called such impact cultural imperialism, where those who have economic and political power could end up imposing their will and culture on weaker societies by manipulating the media effectively. In a situation like this it is possible to see media as a means of social control, in spite of the fact such imposition will also be attended with higher standard of living, urbanisation, literacy etc.requiring more fortified exposure to mass media so that what is gained will not be reversed. Because of that if there is going to be some gain attained, there has to be some degree of allowance to make and that might end up altering a given culture. Whether the introduced change is good or bad it is up to the onlookers to judge, but the reality is willingly or otherwise, modern med ia could affect culture to the point where those affected could lose control their indigenous culture.However, what puts the fear to rest is governmental intervention at every level is available in any community where there is censorship to weed out offensive material, where there could be licensing laws in place that will take measures for failing to comply with the concur upon rules showing that all objectionable material could be kept out of the reach of people.However, with the advent of mediums such as the Internet that might not be totally possible, but the responsibility could shift to the participants where they can foregather and critically assess what they are encountering on the new medium that are accessible through an Internet connection, where discussing the merits and demerits of what are made available will be possible.This means that the consuming public had been the sole decision maker when it comes to what to consume or what not to consume on the Internet to su ch an extent reason, logic and good judgement had become the regulators instead of governmental decrees, although distillery governmental decrees also dictate what cannot be made available on the Internet and at the end of the day it is what the public and others are doing that will end up influencing behaviour, thinking and culture.It is no longer media alone, for the most part, that would impact culture as it used to be because the media would have to share the prevalent platform with the participants who are gaining more control. In spite of the freedom individuals attained to act on their own, when looking at the public sphere, media could still have a stronghold where it can form public opinion which could also be applicable in the publics consumer behaviour scene where those who claim to be connoisseur could influence how the public reacts to what is tell at it in a form of goods and services.However, when it comes to politics findings indicate that even if there are those who say media simply fixes or confirms what people held as their strong conviction, the reality could be a large number of people could lack political experience and correct perception making them heavily reliant on the trusted and autocratic media and in the long term it will dictate their behaviours, thinking and culture.Yet, there are sources such as Thompson, (1995) who claim one-way communication, which had been the media approach and mainstay does not work effectively when compared to where there is interaction through telephone and currently blogs, chat rooms etc. where live interaction could be involved, including posting photos and videos or using web-cam to directly access someone important such as a politician privately.When examining the effect the media has in a free enterprise society, items such as news, commentaries, documentaries and similar informative programmes could be dealing most of the time with controversial and real world problems and subjects. Whereas, the rest of media is mainly entertainment or it is advancing the cause of sponsors without whom the private broadcasting companies would not exist.Therefore, the second music genre of what media represents is the advancing of the interest of the various enterprises that have products or services to the view public and their main concern is selling what they are bringing into the marketplace. With the same token, they would want to influence the public to use their products, because most products require getting used to in order to pay money for them.Looking at the prevalence of telephone service in an advanced community is a good example, because starting from the homes, workplaces, public meeting places, various shops, malls and streets all can be fitted with some kind of telephone service that include cars. Amongst all these possibilities there are mobile phone manufacturers that should convince the public to use cell phones in addition to whatever they are using demonstrating that they might not need anything else since the device can go with them everywhere.In order to change peoples view who used to using the traditionalistic telephone system the makers of such phones and service providers have to spend a lot of money on media ads to educate the public whose outlook, habit, usage and culture will be affected both by the ads, as well as the new products showing that whatever way it is looked at and whatever source or interest group uses the mass media to serve it certain purpose, peoples outlook, thinking and culture should go some kind a transformation ascertaining to a good extent mass media, whoever employs it, in the long run it will affect culture.REFERENCE Barker, M. the Newson Report a Case Study in Common Sense III make in the Media /Violence Debate, (second edition), ed. Martin Baker and Julian Petley (London Routledge, 2001), pp. 27-46. David Gauntlett (1998). Ten things wrong with the effects model. Approaches to Audiences A Reader. Available online http//www. theory. org. uk/effects. htm. Accessed July 23, 2010 Freedman, Jonathan. No Real Evidence for TV Violence Causing Real Violence First Amendment Centre, 2007, online, Availablehttp//www. firstamendmentcenter. org/commentary. aspx? id=18490 Accessed July 23, 2010 McCombs, M & Shaw, D. L. (1972), The Agenda-setting Function of the Mass Media, Public Opinion Quarterly, 73, pp176187 Mcquail, Denis (2000) McQuailss Mass chat Theory (fourth edition), Sage, London, pp. 16-34. Schiller, Herbert I. (1976). Communication and cultural domination. International Arts and Sciences Press, 901 North Broadway, washrag Plains, New York 10603. pp. 910 Thompson, J. (1995), The Media and Modernity