Media World and Its Power

Social Influence

Media and the role it plays in shaping society

The media plays an essential role in shaping socially-acceptable behaviors in U.S. society, taking into account the way it succeeds in making people consider that it would be important for them to take on certain attitudes. TV media in particular tends to be biased in presenting the masses with information. By concentrating on sensational stories and on concepts like violence and sexuality, the media has the tendency to put across a false portrayal of society and thus influences people to believe that they need to uphold particular ideas.

In many areas violence rates remain constant, but the media has been seen to introduce more stories related to violence in these respective territories. This is largely because ideas like violence and sex make the masses more interested in wanting to become acquainted with the news. There is a relationship of interdependence between the media and people, as they influence each-other's thinking. People's attitudes are shaped by the media while the media tries to come up with stories that it knows are going to have a wide audience.

In order to be able to have a complex understanding of the media and of how it affects people, one would have to consider the big picture. "That is, the power of the media to influence, sustain, and change society and its citizens' way of thinking through socialization and by means of ideological manipulation." (Fourie, 2008, p. 228) Ranging from the way it persuades people to buy particular products to the way it gets them to appreciate certain political candidates, the media is largely a tool for propaganda and it can be used in a series of ways, both beneficial and detrimental.

Young people are most vulnerable to ideas that the media presents, as they are less experienced in filtering information and are thus more likely to be influenced as a consequence of being bombarded with certain concepts.

It is difficult to predict how things will be in the future when concerning the media and the way it will influence the general public. Even with the fact that media devices have progressed in accordance with latest technologies, people now seem to have more power over information they acquire as a result of the internet. Devices such as TV, newspapers, and radio are somewhat limited in the information they provide, but the internet provides users with the ability to only become acquainted with information they want to learn. While also having power over advertisements and news online, the media is also controlled by direct user involvement. Ideas like commentary sections on news providers play an important role in shaping the public's thinking, as the media now provides users with the ability to get actively engaged in reviewing news.