A Brand New Feature

It was nice to finally read an article with a different point of view. I felt like I was beginning to be the only one with a few questions. Many people argue that media does not have that strong of an impact on society, any counter argument will state that the individual is simply not aware of the influence. The article by David Gauntlett is a refreshing read. It argues that media affects are simply not as bad we think, and that the studies we hear of are not as valid as we hold them to be. Why do companies want to convince society that television is bad? Everything can be bad for you. How the item is used will determine its productivity.

Different mediums and their affect on humans, is a very tricky topic to study and research because everyone perceives media differently. What one individual observes may not have the same message or affect on his friend. I personally believe that we are affected by television. If you watch a violent program, you can become immune to such violent activity, similarly if you watch soap operas, you may be more likely to pick out the drama in your own life. I feel that some researchers however have underestimated human intelligence and think of humans as nothing but drones, absorbing all media information without question. They think people have no personal opinion or ideology. I understand that there are many secret messages and symbols hidden within the media world that everyday viewers are not aware of, but I still feel that we are underestimated. Perhaps this feeling stems from what I have been learning in Mass Communications, but if I am watching something I do not like, I change the channel. Similarly, if something is said about a strong news issue, just because the television argues one side, it does not mean that the rest of society is going to abide by that position.

I think that perhaps television is simply too advance for humans as of yet. People have not grasped full control or proper use of the TV. Its affects and functions are not fully understood and it does not help the situation if people are conducting useless experiments. As David Gauntlett argues, many of the studies being conducted are bias and unreliable. Scientists need to start fresh and reassess the situation. As a result of the article I feel that experiments are being carried out based on too many assumptions. Furthermore, the results are being misconstrued and manipulated to fit a particular idea. I understand that the study of media effects is not an easy topic because as mentioned before everyone perceives the media differently. I feel that David Gauntlett has made some very interesting and valid points. His work does not deny media influence, but simply challenges the way we are coming to the conclusions of media affects.

It is hard to say just how much of an impact the media has on a society or the world as a whole. As the people of society, we have to be dependable judges as to how exactly we are being affected by growing technology.

Gauntlett, David. “Ten Things Wrong With the Media ‘Effects’ Model.” 1998. 3 Oct. 2007
http://www.theory.org.uk/david/effects.html