It has been said that the media is a bad influence on society. This is true in some cases, but we have to also add this to the statement; society also influences the media by what it chooses to promote or watch. Media is a very important part of society today. Even with its adverse effects, we could not live without it. To start with, it is only fair to ask why society thrives off the media. Society, at least the past few generations have always had an influence from media in some form or another.
Media in most circumstances is a way for the members of society to keep themselves informed on what is happening around them, which is even more vital with our world becoming globally connected. Media is also a major source of entertainment. Some forms of media are made for the sole purpose of entertaining the masses. However, the media is forced to produce entertainment that the society requests. So, if society is the one requesting the type of media being produced, how can we blame media for producing it?
We ask, What are these adverse effects being produced by the media? This topic is broad enough to be covered in a paper of its own but can basically be summed up in a few major parts: desensitization of society, general sense of fear and chaos, disconnection from God and morals, loss of imagination, and an excuse for laziness. Studies have found that by the age of sixteen years, most children have watched more television than they have spent time in school (Witt 322).
The Forum for Applied Research and Public Policy also questions the intent of some news programs, mentioning scientific research asking whether or not they are promoting science or sending out information they do not comprehend, thus generating scientific noise (Fitzpatrick 95). All of these are things that have stemmed from the mass broadcasting of an individual’s ideas through the media that are picked up by many. But, can we blame the media? For almost everything produced is produced with a target audience in mind, a group of people who want to and are willing to pay for the production of that media source.
Yet, we cannot leave out the positive effects of the media. The media is a tool for mass communication, entertainment, and knowledge, all of which are important to the way the society, as individual communities and as a whole global community, functions. Amy Dickinson, who worked for a network station and also claims to be an avid television watcher, says that television must be taken in moderation and should be done as a family activity. She states that media can be a positive influence when presented in the proper way (Dickinson 114).
In most cases, it is just easier to look at the flaws in something before realizing the positive effects it has. Again, sit back and take a look at how much we depend on the media in our lives, how it affects us in either a negative or positive way, and then we must make our decisions about the media. No matter what opinion we may have, similar or different, we all know the media is not going to be disappearing, but will only be growing. Therefore, if we do foresee problems with the way media and society influence each other, we need to correct them before we as a society become even more attached to its presence.
