Technology aimed for a wide audience is referred to as “Media”. The great majority of the public may be reached using it as their main medium of communication. The phrase relates to elements of the mass media communications sector, including print media, publishing, the news media, photography, film, broadcasting, digital media, and advertising. Newspapers, magazines, radio, television, and the Web are the venues for mass media that are used most frequently. Typically, the general population looks to the media for information on political concerns, social issues, entertainment, etc.
The media has introduced people of all ages to various facets of the world that the preceding generation was unaware of. The youth have been educated about the modern world thanks to this most recent revelation, making them more knowledgeable and resourceful. The media has aided in raising public awareness, educating the public, and improving societal governance. Without media, the public would not know what was happening or what should be happening and individuals would be cut off from the government, lawmakers, and neighboring towns and cities in addition to the rest of the globe.
One of the key characteristics in conjunction with mainstream media is socialization and society. As may be observed in modern society, standards, values, and manner of life have changed significantly in contrast to previous generations. A major media culture has embraced the vital issue of raising a high level of awareness of the world around us. The ability of the media to influence opinion is one of its most important abilities. In a globalized world, media plays a catalytic role in changing society. Due to the influence of media, the world has recently experienced tremendous changes in all domains. The mass media system has been profoundly impacted by these changes as well. Because of information and communication technologies, we now live in a civilization where knowledge, facts, and information are instantly available.
Media has a bigger impact on society because it gives people a fresh perspective on reality by opening up new channels for experience and vision. The media currently serves as our society's voice. Different media platforms contribute to our society's information, education, and entertainment needs. In today's world, when something new happens every day that has an impact on people's lives either directly or indirectly, it is crucial that we are all at least aware of the facts surrounding the incident. The media has a significant role in contemporary society. It has an impact on our social, civil, cultural, political, economic, and aesthetic outlooks, which can result in drastic changes and enhance social conditions.
Numerous variables, such as the audience's demographics and psychological make-up, influence whether the media message has any impact on any of its viewers. These outcomes can be favorable or unfavorable, abrupt or gradual, short-lived or long-lived. Not every impact leads to change; some media messages only confirm preexisting beliefs. Television media has the widest audience reach, making it the most effective form of “Social Persuasion”. The impact of mass media has occasionally worsened societal dynamics. “Social Persuasion” is the mass media's most potent tool. This is because people believe what they are taught by the media. People in the modern world tend to entirely believe the news reported by the mass media because they are too busy (or too lazy) to independently verify the information.
As a result, media has gained control over the value judgements of readers and viewers who are unable to tell what is right from wrong. The media has emerged as the top source of information that must be accurate. The media gives the public what they want, and they accept it without question. It is a message medium that can bring about change in only a few minutes. Adolescence may use these ideals and values in their adult lives, which can have extreme repercussions and bring great harm to society.
Due to the development of technology, media has had an exponentially greater impact on society since the turn of the twenty-first century. For instance, watching TV shows or adopting another country's culture can inspire and push girls to wear short dresses whether they live in a conservative nation or are growing up in one. They may believe that by donning short dresses, they can emulate the coolness of the TV stars they adore. It's possible for the media to create reality and influence how much people believe what they say. Additionally, it is common to see media portray unimportant events as essential and vice versa. As a result, the media has the potential to mislead viewers and veer away from pressing subjects.
Influence of the media is connected to other factors like the characteristics of a communicator, the material contained in the media itself, as well as community reactions. Consciously or unconsciously, people are frequently convinced by mass media to support a specific political philosophy or political party.
Our society is reflected in the media, which also shows what and how society functions. In the world, media has a significant impact in preserving human rights. It raises people's awareness of their human rights, offers solutions to their issues, and equips them to defend those rights. Hundreds of millions of children face a variety of complicated threats, including sexual violence, physical abuse, forced labour, poverty, homelessness, and illiteracy. The media has played a crucial role in addressing and lowering the continually high percentage of child rights violations and protecting children's rights. In Brazil, the media has played and continues to play a significant role in influencing public opinion and social discourse about children's rights.
One can raise public awareness through television about a variety of political, social, and economic issues, including AIDS, child abuse, female genital mutilation, and others. For instance, television networks host programs like "Satyamev Jayate" that aim to educate viewers about the harsh realities of life. It mostly explores and offers potential solutions for the different socioeconomic problems in India. It attempts to arm citizens with knowledge. National TV networks like Doordarshan and DD National used to broadcast programs like "Bharat Ek Khoj," an Indian historical drama based on Jawaharlal Nehru's book "The Discovery of India," which spans 5000 years of Indian history from its inception to the country's attainment of independence in 1947. As a result, the media also served an educational purpose by airing programmes like "Bharat Ek Khoj" to inform people about their nation's struggle for freedom.
The media may also be used to fabricate stories and impressions about people, places, or things to persuade a certain audience or demographic. Newspapers present doctored news analysis to sway readers' opinions. Several very powerful persons have control over the major media. They have the power to share their opinions with the media and spread untrue information about certain viewpoints. Stereotypes have been created in the modern world through various mediums. Different racial and cultural stereotypes have been developed. In addition to potentially harming individuals' self-esteem, this practice could also be damaging for society.
Media has persisted in using prejudiced strategies to get the public's attention, which has a detrimental effect on the culture of the society owing to the stereotyping of other cultures. The media has continued to target the most vulnerable members of society, such as children and young people, by exposing them to pornographic content that has negative effects on the next generation's sexual morality. Television has greatly increased the public's exposure to violent and antisocial behavior through entertainment-oriented media programs.
Additionally, the media is a very potent tool that has the power to drastically alter people's perspectives and beliefs in a matter of minutes. Media is the protector of the general welfare. It should therefore concentrate on fulfilling the noble task of enlightening people, expanding their horizons, and raising their awareness of the need of achieving the wider objective of building a civilized and wealthy society. News anchors and commentators are now beginning to express their own ideas, which is in some ways helpful, but they should exercise caution when discussing sensitive issues because many people mistakenly believe that their comments represent the final word on the matter.
The mass media is a tool that has the power to significantly alter and influence society. Despite the harmful effects that mass media have had on society, there are still some positive aspects of its existence. Society would not be informed about local and global events and situations if it weren't for the media. The media receives a lot of criticism for its biased exaggeration, the invention of flaws, and delusion. However, many fail to acknowledge the media's role in the world's intense and immediate broadcasting.
Article by :- Natasha
Edited by:- Estelle T Wahengbam
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