Wednesday, December 9, 2009

EXTENDED BLOG POST #1

Sunny Kim

Tatiana Kim

The Role of Media in Persuasion

In this advanced society, media has a tremendous role in influencing and persuading the people. The media is connected with almost every aspect of our lives, including television, radio, and advertisements. As a result, mass media has the capability of changing our worldview in just an instant. Opinions can change overnight and celebrities can become infamous with just one wave by the media. So great are its persuading powers that the actions of many people are under the influence of media. Although there are positive sides to such a great power, there are also some negative impacts that the media presents.

On the bright side, media enables the latest information to reach people in just a matter of minutes. Not only can people from across the world hear of it in such a short time, they can have a visual picture of what is happening attributable to the vision of media. The easy and fast availability of all sorts of information makes media one of the most reliable sources for forming pubic opinion. It also has the ability to bring fame to ordinary men, as they are given the chance and the power to reach out to the society as a whole. Media also bridges the gap between the political leaders and the masses by becoming the channel of communication. It keeps a check on the politicians and the leaders of the government. Through media, social causes have been promoted, such as health management, AID awareness, and literacy.

This has been a powerful source of awareness; however, there are negative sides to media as well. Although media presents information as fast as they can, it is often not objective at all. Media has the tendency to adversely affect the thinking process of individuals and instill negative thoughts in the society. I believe that media works in two ways. One, media portrays an ordinary thing so negatively that it may force people to think or act in the opposite way, and two, media portrays a crude thing in such an ordinary light that it makes people become numb to its vulgarity. For example, the media almost seems to glorify violence and graphic images to the point where it is normal to show it everywhere. I just find it so appalling to see children who are younger than me basking in the violence and vulgarity of television shows and movies. They keep their eyes glued to the television screen, and are able to watch everything without flinching because they have become so numb to it. Whenever I see any sort of vulgarity, I still cannot help but cringe. I cannot imagine what effects this childhood bringing might have on their character and thinking patterns.

I think that the media often goes out of its way in advertising certain issues. They have a certain expertise in being able to craftily package an unhealthy message in their presentation and make it accessible to the public. For example, there are countless movies that show people killing someone else and getting away with it, and not only that, but they also somehow become rich and famous. These movies give entertainment to the viewers. At the same time, it also encourages them live a life that is risky and adventurous. This way, I think that the media shines upon the bad aspects of people and encourages them to act in forbidden ways.

Although there are some things that I have not yet grown numb to, it would be impossible to say that media has not affected me in any way. I interact with media on a daily basis, whether it is with the Internet and the World Wide Web, or the music that I listen to. It has definitely had a part in shaping my thinking process, as I grew up with watching the television in my free time. I did not watch as much in relative to some of the other kids in this present day because my parents did not allow me, but nevertheless, I was still exposed to television media. Often, the older generations were taken aback by what my age group used to watch. I can’t imagine what they would think about the newer generation. Media and its contents are always changing and it seems to follow the trend of becoming more and more vulgar.

The media, which is often known as the fourth pillar of democracy, has an immense impact on our society. It is such a powerful too that it literally governs the direction of our society today. Not only does it provide the direction of our society, it also pushes society in that direction. Its power has the ability to form and alter opinions. Often, these formations and alterations can happen in just an instant, which makes media all that much more powerful. There are many of us who wake up to media, and fall asleep to media. Our society has become so dependent on media, that life without the media has simply become unimaginable. Although our experiences in life shape us as individuals, it would be safe to say that media has the most influence over our choices and decisions. The question we should ask ourselves is this: how much of your life are you willing to give to the media?

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