IMPACT OF MEDIA ON SOCIETY

The interaction between media and human beings is an extremely complex phenomenon which becomes even more complex when the variety of mass media is realized.

The only ‘safe’ conclusion on the effects of media is that arrived by Bernard Berdson ‘Some kinds of communication on some kind of issue brought to the attention of some kinds of people under some conditions have some kind of effects’.

Factors of impact

Several factors have been taking into consideration in the analysis of the impact of media – factors have been termed a ‘stimulus factors’ and ‘receiver factors’. Receiver factors are closely related.

Perception – is the general term employed to speak of the interpretation of the data by the brain, a process by which sensory impact is so interpreted as to make data meaningful. Thus, mass media is the sensory input and perception is the consequence of interpretation of sensory data. Perception is one’s window to the world, the frame of reference to look at everything.

Attitude – The term attitude refers to certain regulations of an individual’s feelings thoughts and predisposition to act towards the effective component. Attitudes may be directed at the concrete and the abstract, the personal and the remote. Attitudes towards radio and television programs can be measured through letters received and audience surveys. Attitudes are emotionally satisfying to people and serve a number of social motives.

Opinions and benefits – Opinions are views held by people at points of dispute, based on the evidence available at that point in time. opinions are temporary and provisional whereas attitudes and beliefs are stable and permanent. It is easy to give up opinions with the variations of circumstances, but beliefs and attitudes do not succumb easily.

A person with a set of attitudes / opinions knows how to respond, think and feel about incoming information (object – appraisal functions). Opinions link those who share similar views and keep distance from those who don’t (social adjustment functions). Opinions are a projection of one’s insecurity and fears (externalization and ego defensive function).

Interest – most significant interests are of security, pleasure and self-esteem, then come the interests of various groups one gets associated with primary and secondary as well as reference groups, society and peer groups are also vital to interests.

Learning – is a relatively permanent change that occurs as a result of practice of experience – meaning requiring new knowledge, technique, skills, etc. Psychologists classify various types of human learning – Classical conditioning, Skill Learning, Discriminative Learning, Verbal Learning, Problem Solving, concept Learning and Thinking.

Factors influencing learning include:

Motivation – an internal state that implies a human being to some activity which has a specific goal and which usually originates in some physiological or psychological need. It is the most important factor influencing learning.

The other factors are:

Reinforcement

Repetition and exercise

Observation and knowledge

Stimulus pattern

Attention – means focusing or concentration consciousness upon an object – its major characteristic is that it is constantly shifting from one object to another, hence distraction is an unavoidable characteristic of attention. ‘Attention is an active process for it involves physical and mental effort – and leads to clearer perception better memory and conservation of mental energy.

Memory – it relates to the recall of experiments and learning in the form of mental images. Memory can either be long term of short term.

 

Mass media can have several effects on society. The theories of media effects:

The medium, not the message – the medium, Mc Luhan argues that no matter what the programs are people will watch television. According to him, electronic media will transfer every aspect of man’s life, will restructure civilization, not so much by the content buy nature of the media. Today, the Television is the most predominant medium of communication and concepts, the internet following closely.

Reinforcement – Some theorists in contrast to Mc Luhan’s theory (Klapper and others) believe that media reinforces existing values and attitudes. For e.g. ‘Surabhi’ on Doordarshan network is known for the promotion of Indian culture.

Neurosis (state of instability) – Media is perceived as a ‘narcotizing dysfunction’   which distracts audiences from real problems and prevents them from doing anything about them. Mass media is usually associated with entertainment and it can be argued that its effects neither hurt nor help most people except perhaps temporarily. However, media like news bulletin, awareness programs on television, etc., create awareness and desired response from the general audience.

Catharsis – Clearly related to the theory of ‘neurosis’ is Seymour Eshbach’s ‘Catharsis’ theory of media effects. He argues that the media may have a ‘cathartic’ effect on the people that somehow purges them of many anti-social and unfulfilled desires, frustrations, and feelings of hostility.

Manipulation – Ernest Van den Haaq holds the view that mass communication taken together are demeaning, debasing and depersonalizing instruments of manipulation at worst, middle class hedonism at best. However, it has already been noted that, they are not easily manipulated by persuasion or propaganda.

Windows of the world – It mainly constitutes mass media such as news, access to exponents of music, entertainment, exposure to foreign culture, information, general knowledge, etc.

Corruptive – Another extreme theory is that of Fredric Wertham which says that the content of the media is corruptive and teaches materialism, brutality and anti social behavior. For e.g. 1993 the James Bulgar Case v/s USA where 21-year-old brutally murdered 3 year old James Bulgar after watching the violence on ‘Child’s Play III’.

Incidental effects – according to Kyle and Parker ‘television could be an especially effective agent of incidental learning while the child is still young. This is because at that time, it seems so real’.

 

Individual can never become a part of modern society without media and mass communication. Socialization is learnt from parents and social groups from the day of the individual birth. Social control is achieved through tradition orientation. The child of today comes in contact with groups other than that of his own. He has access to different modes of behavior and norms of living. He relies heavily on mass media and role models. Thus, media is an integral part of the social system. From socialization to national integration, mass media is also a means of public awareness for social evils like dowry system, child marriages, caste conflicts, etc.

Children too learn to understand and express relationships, attitudes, and feelings through the influence of mass media.

Mass media also represents women and their rights, politics and entertainment, thus showing the vast impact of media on society.