Personal Opinion

¶ … Dark Side of Media In my opinion, the media affects people of all ages, both male and female, at all socioeconomic levels and all levels of intelligence, in both positive and negative ways. The media serves as a means of learning about things and keeping current on daily events. Yet it also portrays violent and morally challenging situations to a broad, vulnerable audience. It is important to develop a healthy relationship with the media, opening your mind to the world while keeping your own values and views.

The television, a major part of present society, influences the average individual tremendously through commercials, sitcoms, news reports and movies. It has opened the doors for the many branches of marketing, news and entertainment, and has become one of the most important tools in reaching mass society. Through the television, people all around the world can receive groundbreaking news and events, as well as enjoy hours of entertainment. Yet there is a dark side to the media.

Television viewers are exposed to the ideas and influences suggested and applied by the endless commercials, movies, and shows. The influences give all sorts of ideas and plots, bringing to light new problems and inefficiencies, such as eating too much, envying others, coveting merchandise, lusting after images, and solving problems with violence. Before the television was brought to the general public, society's norm was the working-class, intact family who raised children with books and after-school jobs.

When television was first introduced, shows like Leave It to Beaver, which portrayed a clean-cut family, were typical. In today's society, children are prone to violence and many parents are not around, and shows like Beavis and Butthead and the Jerry Springer Show, which are outrageous and violent, are the norm.

Are decreasing morals in society connected to the media or are they just a sign of changing times? Many people say that television took America from an organized, uniform wavelength, transforming it into a chaotic disarray of new thoughts, philosophies and diversified ideas. Studies show that the percentage of American households televisions in their rooms are 25%, and the percentage of 4- to 6-year-olds who, when asked to choose between watching T.V. And spending time with their fathers, chose television 54%.

One of the greatest arguments against the effect of media on society is that the media has caused the increase in violence in the U.S. Yet, even after thousands of studies have been conducted on this subject, there is no real evidence that the media causes violence. It is true that there is a lot of sex, violence and bad language in the media these days.