This Article has been written by Ms Sejal Dhakad, 1st year BBA LLB student from Indian Institute of Management Rohtak.
This Article gives a simple explanation of what Media is, the Role of Media in Society and the impacts of media on Society.
Introduction
What is Media?
The vehicles or channels used to deliver information, entertainment, news, education, or marketing messages are known as the media. Media refers to the primary mass communication channels (broadcasting, publishing, and the Internet) taken as a whole. Print, radio, television, and the Internet are just a few of the various formats it can take. The print is its most ancient form. The Internet, however, is its most recent manifestation. There are two types of print media: newspapers and magazines and social media. Political parties, groups, etc., as well as influential individuals, may or may not have an impact on it. This could result in biased coverage of that specific political party, group, or individual. As we all know, Media is the 4th pillar of our Democracy. Its vital responsibilities include keeping the public informed about what is going on. Furthermore, it is crucial to provide accurate information that advances Society. In many occasions, it has also aided in the pursuit of justice. Social media is a group of online communication platforms where groups of people may connect, exchange ideas, and work together. Examples of certain sorts of social media include websites and apps for social networking, microblogging, forums, social bookmarking, wikis, and social curating. Instagram, Google+, Twitter, and Facebook are the most well-known social networking platforms. The mainstream media takes up a large percentage of our free time; on average, people watch television for 25 hours each week in addition to finding time for radio, movies, magazines, and newspapers. For kids, watching television takes up about as much time as going to school or spending time with family and friends. While the importance of school, home, and friends in a child’s socialization are widely acknowledged, the impacts of the media on children are hotly contested, with evidence both in favour of and against its effects. The question of effects is frequently brought up with a sense of urgency that stems from a political rather than an academic agenda and with a simplicity that belies the complexity of the problem (we do not inquire about the influence of other social factors such as friends or schools, or the impact of parents or schools on children).
Role of Media in Society
Today, the media controls the entire world. The media has been crucial in fostering global connectivity. Despite not being the only communication channel utilized to disseminate information, the media is extremely important. In addition to serving as the primary source of entertainment, the media’s capacity to reach a large audience with a compelling message has the potential to have a significant social, cultural, and political impact on Society. Initially, print media predominated, but since its inception, television has taken over as the primary form of mass communication. The media serves a variety of functions in Society, including informing people from different news sources and organizations, providing entertainment, and educating people. In education, the media also has a significant impact. Children’s television programmes, published books, and websites on the Internet all offer educational content. Websites like YouTube and others offer a variety of educational materials, including instructional and knowledge-packed videos created by people from across the world. In the United States and other areas of the world, educational children’s television programming has grown to be a significant component of early education, with many young children gaining their first educational experiences through shows even before they start school. Television also provides adult education with programmes devoted to the humanities, sciences, and other interests. People with similar interests can come together and connect on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr. Social media also makes it simpler for proponents of particular viewpoints to spread their messages to the general public by facilitating discussion amongst people who may hold different perspectives and easy idea sharing between those who do. Most recently, social media has offered a framework for promoting the beliefs of revolutionary political movements and facilitating communication among their supporters. Through websites like Facebook, social media also serves to alert others of a person’s status. Websites for social networking, including Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr, The media’s role in Society’s transmission of information from diverse news sources is one of its most important functions. Numerous sources, including local, regional, national, and international news networks, are used to get this data. In addition to politics, the news also covers a wide range of topics depending on the preferences of the individual viewers, listeners, or readers. Programs on television, radio, the Internet, or in print, such as newspapers or magazines, are examples of news sources. Whichever time of day or night, people can access the websites and TV stations of organizations like the BBC, CNN, and MSNBC, among others, to get the most recent news.
Impacts of Media on Society
As a source of authority, the media has a significant influence on Society by forming public opinion. The media has the power to manipulate, persuade, and coerce Society, occasionally taking control of the world’s mental, physical, and emotional well-being in both positive and negative ways. Individuals’ ideas, attitudes, and behaviours can be affected by the media. A person’s behaviour can be influenced by the media in numerous ways, including how they vote, their thoughts and beliefs, and if they misrepresent their knowledge of a subject by giving incorrect information. The telegraph and post office came first, followed by radio, newspapers, magazines, and television. The Internet and new media, such as PDAs and cell phones, are now in use. We must comprehend both the media’s beneficial and harmful effects. Is in charge of the company’s appearance. We are now able to comprehend how the media and other emerging social channels will affect Society both now and in the near future. The fact that we know our digital environment has transformed our lives cannot be understated, given that over 50% of the world’s population uses social networks and that the average individual spends at least two hours a day reading through these sites.
Understanding how media and social media impact the brain can help you make wise choices about how to use it. It is essential to comprehend the dynamics and interactions between media and Society in order for it to evolve further and have a good influence on our lives. We will get a greater understanding of how communication technologies are utilized and evolved as media psychologists continue to research media phenomena, the effects of media persuasion, how media affects our interpretation of information, our development, and our differences. On the one hand, active engagement with technology and media enables people to stay informed, innovate through collaboration, or maintain relationships with friends and family. Many will counter that technology and media instead enable us to connect with others worldwide through games, share our experiences, and become more social. Not just video games, blogs, YouTube, Twitter, television, print media, or radio are considered forms of media. To a recent study in Covid time, Children are using a phone 5hrs in a day Through the media. We can think more creatively, discover, and participate actively without worrying about being rejected. Social media, a category of media platform that promotes communication between users and was written off as a fad in 2006, has since had a practical impact on Society that is almost certainly for the better. Social network users acted in unison over the course of years. Politicians, educators, parents, and doctors are interested in and concerned about the effects of social media on our lives due to the increase in the usage of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and other social media platforms, as well as the amount of time spent on them. Existence and psychological health. Media psychology academics are beginning to ponder how time spent on these platforms may or may not affect our daily lives, even if a study is still in its early stages – Facebook recently marked its 15th anniversary this year. – daily life.
Conclusion
We have covered both the positive and bad effects that modern media have on Society in this essay. We found that a significant portion of youth uses social media networks for longer than 5 hours per day, which has a negative impact on their overall health and mental health in particular. We also discovered that media plays both constructive and destructive functions; on the one hand, it has many benefits, but on the other, it also has many drawbacks, and in the end, it is up to the person and Society to choose which to employ.
References
New media and Society: A Study on the impact of social … – UBI
Global Media Journal, Indian Edition January 2018
Positive and Negative Aspects of Social Media Impacting the
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