Mass media effect
introduction
As a mass media consumer, various mass media aspects have influenced personal behaviors and worldview in many ways. On personal understanding, based on different materials researched and read throughout the course, people changes with the development of technology in various ways. According to Croteau and Hoynes (2018), the 21st century marked a significant development and growth of technology, leading people to the digital era. Various devices accessed enables individuals to access multiple pictures, information, words sound and videos globally hence enhancing interactions with different people. Personally, mass media plays a significant role in the exchange of information as well as acquiring knowledge around the world. As a consumer of mass media, the system comprises interrelated factors between the users, technology, content and the entire industry which influences on how the person interprets and analyses various issues (Croteau & Hoynes, 2018). Mass media content improves and determines how people would react to particular social, economic or political as well as culturally based on the mass media displays the information. Personally, mass media enabled access to the country and worldwide information relevant to personal growth and development (Perse & Lambe, 2016). On the same note, the mass significantly influences the social interactions among the people through social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. As per Croteau and Hoynes (2018), such platforms enhances personal relationships with people around the world hence enhances individuals well-being based on personal experience. Currently, chatting with peers never requires face-to-face interactions since mass media using different devices like Smartphone people can video talk through social media platforms.
The power of social media influences how the individual’s consumers thinking, feel and behave in relations to various issues covered by diverse types of the mass media. The mass media posses an elemental power that changes the consumers’ worldviews. Personally, as a consumer, the social media platforms create public awareness on social issues such as racism which makes people change their stands (Croteau & Hoynes, 2018). On personal grounds, changing from negative thinking and behavior ion the African American communities to positive one occurred as a result of mass media. However, mass media significantly acts as the source of political; powers as seen from the consumers’ standpoint. In many cases, individuals with political ambitions tend to associate with different media to fulfil their political goals (Perse & Lambe, 2016). As a result, through these mass media, consumers can readily listen and view the politicians’ visions for the citizens, which influences personal decisions. Furthermore, the power of the mass media enables the consumers to know and contribute to the various economic and political issues in the country significant for society development.
Media control
Media control directly or indirectly influences consumers in different ways. Government control and ownership would determine the type of information and products that reach consumers. Croteau and Hoynes (2018) explain that open market platform for mass media would lead to producing media products relevant to the interest of particular groups of people which influences the thinking and decision making of the consumers. In most cases, through united states, individuals that build the media empires utilizes them in constructing the political agenda and as a way of expressing their political objectives and goals to the public. As per Croteau and Hoynes (2018), the patterns of ownership in the media industry determine the nature of the content delivered to consumers. Media pluralism, for instance, determines the degree diversity of the media content conveyed to the users which comprise the wide range of cultures, public opinions as well as political opinions and views (Valkenburg, Peter & Walther, 2016). Such factors get influenced by the types of media outlet ownership, which in turn impacts consumers in many ways. For example, few people owning media outlets would result in a lack of diversity as compared to the many people in the field (Perse & Lambe, 2016). Based on personal experiences and influence, media diversity offers the consumers a wide range of products as well as the freedom to choose which positively impacts the users.
The concepts of the media effect significantly relate to theories covered in stages of the project stages like agenda setting and media logic theories. According to DeFleur and DeFleur (2016), Both concepts of the mass media effects and agenda-setting theory indicates that issues explored and discussed by various forms of media attract public attention. As a result, the public engages in debates, discussions as well as resulting in people demanding different actions (Croteau & Hoynes, 2018). As a result, mass media defines the narratives and issues covered by the public at a particular time. As expressed by both theories and mass concepts of mass media, forms of media can results in negative or positive impacts on the consumers as well as influencing their thinking about prevailing issues in diverse perspectives. On the same note, the media logic theory and concepts of the mass media effect explain that people utilize the media format and styles to understand the world and interpret the surrounding reality (DeFleur & DeFleur, 2016).
Technology continues to grow, which stimulate further growth and changes in the field of mass change. From the past years, the vast conglomerates comprising billionaires continues to own and control most of the media outlets in the United States (Croteau & Hoynes, 2018). moreover, based on personal experience and understanding, development in technology over the past decades resulted in high rates of internet use, leading to a decline in traditional media type to new media ones. As a result, the media moguls lose their ownerships on media outlets as well as influence on societies and politics (Perse & Lambe, 2016). However, future ownership would significantly change to many individuals due to the need and want of the customers who currently focus on the diversity of the media content. Furthermore, the mode delivery would completely change from the traditional methods to the new techniques through a platform such as YouTube, Twitter and Facebook (Valkenburg, Peter & Walther, 2016). Such plans of delivery cover more extensive geographical regions as compared to traditional types hence satisfying consumers who currently require global access to information (Croteau & Hoynes, 2018). Similarly, the effects of mass media would change based on the high rate of information exchange and access. Perse and Lambe (2016) suggest that the interaction rate and exchange of ideas would increase due to universal access to the required information and enhanced communication devices. Moreover, some of the theory aspects would change due to change an entire system such as mass media effect, types of ownership and the issues affecting different societies.
Personally, change in the system would affect personal life based on different aspects like access to information, entertainment and use of the mass media as an interaction point. The constant growth of the technology results in continues evolution in the mass media hence introducing new trends in which individuals must change to cop up with in future (Valkenburg, Peter & Walther, 2016). On the personal ground, changes in mass media would impact on means of accessing information around the world hence changing entirely from traditional to mass media outlets. However, professionally, the global village would offer the opportunity to access information through a convenient and effective manner. Ethically, observations of the various policies and regulation in terms of using mass media would affect personal activities, thus working as per the set laws and standards.
References
Croteau, D., & Hoynes, W. (2018). Media/Society: technology, industries, content, and users. SAGE Publications.
Perse, E. M., & Lambe, J. (2016). Media effects and society. Routledge.
Valkenburg, P. M., Peter, J., & Walther, J. B. (2016). Media effects: Theory and research. Annual review of psychology, 67, 315-338.
DeFleur, M. L., & DeFleur, M. H. (2016). Mass communication theories: Explaining origins, processes, and effects. Routledge.