INFLUENCE OF MEDIA ON TODAYS SOCIETY

THE REAL IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON TODAYS SOCIETY

                      The media is a powerful force in contemporary society, which determines our actions and identities. With reference to relevant sociological theory and evidence, discuss media effects.

Society relies a great deal on technology for news, entertainment and education. Mass media is seen as one of the greatest influential factors on the opinions and viewpoints of society in the modern world. Media includes a range of sources, for example, Magazines; Internet; Television; Books and Radio. All of these sources are what contribute to the beliefs of what society believe life and culture to be, which is sometimes heightened to unrealistic standards. Although media provides speedy access to various forms of communication, as with anything else, negative ones closely follow its positive attri

Socialisation and society is one of the main features in partnership with mass media. As seen in the contemporary society, norms; values; and way of life have changed to a great extent in comparison to the generations gone past. A crucial aspect that a large media society has embraced is that it brings to the surface great awareness of the world around us. The media has exposed individuals of all ages to different aspects of the world that previous generation had no exposure to. This vast revelation has educated the youth, thus making them more aware and resourceful about the world today. Media delivers messages 'across the globe' in a matter of minutes, providing us with information about the most current events around the world. Media is actively transmitted on a day-to-day basis via millions of people and their access to resources.

An example is in the fashion world: it is media that creates the trends and genres of different types of clothing, also considered as 'identity'. _The fashion world markets their clothing to society through the media_ (Crane, 2012) using various sources such as, television, Internet, and print sources like newspaper and Magazines. Today's society faces constant debate about women's body image. Size 'zero' has become not only a fad in the world of high-end fashion modeling but also a fad in smaller castings of modeling. The size zero topic has caused a revolution with women around the world trying to enter the modeling industry, harming their bodies in countless ways in order to achieve the "ideal" body image

Today's world has stereotypes made from different forms of media. Stereotypes have been created on different ethnicities and cultures. As individuals growing to a more open-minded mentality, we see distinct relations between the two. When we see a particular ethnicity portrayed in a certain way, judgments tend to be established and therefore we then relate them to an entire culture of people

Analyses of media in modern and post-modern societies have concluded that media are the society's storytellers, repeatedly confirming and modifying the society's image of itself (Anderson, 1991; Condor, 1988, Fairclough, 1995; Hall, 2001). In and through those stories, whether in the factual or fictional genres, we get to meet and 'know' our fellow citizens and, consequently, consistently distorted depictions stigmatise those so portrayed (Nairn, 1999; van Dijk, 1993).

 Eventually many individuals tend to conform to those stereotypes, thus following the self-fulfilling prophecy. This can be dangerous as people's self-esteems can ultimately be affected, not forgetting this activity can be harmful to society. For example, many African American people are portrayed as criminals and, therefore, displayed as "dangerous" people in the media and its various forms; many fear them as they are known for causing harm and disruption. As this stereotype changes the view of this particular ethnicity, they tend to act the way they are seen in the media as society already believes that they are that particular stereotype.

The hypodermic syringe theory states that the media feeds society what they want and society accepts it without any questioning; it is a medium of the message that can cause changes within a time span of a few minutes. The results can be drastic and cause massive changes in society, as adolescents may apply these standards and values in their adult lives. Mass media is a fast growing field; the commercial world has experienced immense amounts of developments in this sector due to rapidly increasing demand.

 Theorists have various, different and conflicting ideas on the effects that mass media has on contemporary society. Functionalist believes that each part of society has a function that they are to perform in order for society to function to its full potential, and there are particular functions society has to reach in order to maximum capacity(Giddens, A., Duneier, M., & Appelbaum, R. P. (1996). Functionalists believe that society conforms to a lot that they see in the media by enforcing laws and regulations, which keep order and control in society. Functionalists believe that Conformity is what reinforces the norms and values of society. Therefore, this is what teaches the e new generation how to adapt to society.

                                    IMPACT OF MEDIA IN THE SOCIETY

       POSITIVE IMPACTS

• Easy trade                                           
• keep updated
• online business
• Entertainment
• Help in education

      NEGATIVE IMPACTS

• False advertisement
• hacking of account
• lack of privacy
• physiological
• Affecting minds of children

                                                                /-   A BLOG BY SATYA NIKITH DANDAMUDI.