Media Technologies

Technology has effect people’s lives in almost every way possible. Today’s society is highly reliant on the technology that is used to get through even a normal day in the work place. From meeting a partner in social media to reading national news, the way people learn and communicate has changed drastically. With both positive and negative changes media technologies have made a huge dent in things and how the world runs.

Media technologies in recent years have changed the socioeconomics in the United States and around the world in a large way. People are now more than ever looking online at products and discussing them with other people who have tried them to get the best product possible. The ability to share products that one likes and dislikes has obvious implications if a product is good or bad depending on the person’s opinion and the people that they know. Not that one bad review can ruin a products possibility of being popular and making money but if multiple people dislike or like the product it could determine the amount of money that a producer makes on that product and possibility others as well.

This is not the only way the socioeconomics is affected by media technologies though. Product makers also have a broader platform for sharing their products on things such as social media. Because of the popularity of social media it has a large amount of possibilities that still have not been completely taped in to yet. This can be a very positive thing for businesses because for those who may have not known about them before they can reach those people on websites such as facebook.com. The best way to describe this phenomenon is: “Whether discussing consumer products or organizing political movements, people around the world constantly use social-media platforms to seek and share information. Companies use them to reach consumers in new ways too; by tapping into these conversations, organizations can generate richer insights and create precisely targeted messages and offers.”(Chui et al., 2012, para. 1).

The consequences of have this global economy is that it makes it harder for small business owners to make it because there are so many different options for buyers. It also takes money out of the small communities and into bigger towns and corporations or overseas. When more money goes overseas that means there are fewer jobs locally; making it harder for people to make enough money to afford things. With free flowing information around the world people can access things that they were never able to access before and in theory getting a better bang for their buck. (McKinsey Global Survey, 2012)

While internet has help millions of people connect with people they may have never met, it also has negative effects. In today’s society one is more likely to email or message their friends and family on social media websites instead of going and seeing them in person. This can cause alienation because that is the only form of communicate that they use. Also it makes it easier for one to not communicate with friends and family at all, which alienates them even more. Also another problem with the internet and social media is that it is very easy to become addicted to a website such as facebook and using that as one’s only form of being social. Then one may alienate themselves at home and never be social outside of the online world. (Baker)

The danger of alienation is that one will feel disconnected to the outside world. When this happens one will feel like they have no connection with their life and no choice in how they are living. Because of this the person learns to dislike society in general. One must be careful to not get so involved in social media that this happens. (Health, 2003)

It is important for one to understand the influences of media technologies because it is a large aspect of almost everyone’s everyday lives. One must realize that advertisers are trying to make money off of them regardless of it being the internet. One must also realize the dangers of alienating themselves and only living in the online world.  If one is aware of these two things then they are more likely to have media technologies impact them in a positive way. However, if they are not they could end up being impacted in negative ways. Being educated in these areas is the best way to defend oneself against the negatives that internet can bring.

In the next 5 years I think that the divides are going to continues on the rapid progression of broadening. This is because it is the age of technology. It seems as though people cannot get enough of the newest and hottest thing. Every time one turns around there is a new way to access the internet or a different newer form of technology. Because that is going on now I think it will continue. However, it will have to slow down eventually and I think that 25 years from now the progress will be slower.

Media technologies have several positive and negative effects on people and the economy that they live in. One needs to educate themselves in how the internet can impact their life because it is nearly impossible to completely avoid it in this day and age. Being conscious about things when it comes to social media is important. It is also imperative that one does not alienate themselves to the internet world but gets out and socializes. In the years to come it will continue to remain important to remember these things because technology is going to continue to progress.

References

Baker, W. (). Alienation and the Internet. Unpublished manuscript. Retrieved from http://homepages.together.net/~wbaker/alienation.htm

Chui, M., Manyika, J., Bughin, J., Dobbs, R., Roxburgh, C., Sarrazin, H.,...Westergren, M. (2012). The social economy: Unlocking value and productivity through social technologies. Retrieved from http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/mgi/research/technology_and_innovation/the_social_economy

Health, I. (2003). Alienation. . Retrieved from http://www.discover-your-mind.co.uk/3-alienation.htm#New

McKinsey Global Survey . (2012). Five forces reshaping the global economy: McKinsey Global Survey results . . Retrieved from http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Five_forces_reshaping_the_global_economy_McKinsey_Global_Survey_results_2581

Hot Button Issue

The effects of technology and media have been proven to have huge effects on the way people view the world and the people in it. Because of the changes that have taken place in the last century with what is displayed in the media children have become more accustom to seeing sex and violence on television and in other forms of media. Because children are more accustom to seeing sex and violence in the media, studies have shown that it has had a very negative impact on them in a variety of ways. Minimizing the effects of media on children can be difficult but with the hard work of parents and other adults in the lives of children the media may have less of an impact. The media changes have not only affected the way child view sex and violence is not the only things that have changed the way people have viewed the world around them. The issue of immediacy and intimacy of how people get their information is also an issue that have changed the way the world acquires their information, making our society even more a “I want it now” society.

When I was a child media seemed to be just starting to be a big thing for children my age. When I did watch television it was normally a Disney movie such as Pocahontas or The Lion King.  The other times that I watched television it was the Disney channel which normally was the show Winnie the Pooh. The only other media that I remember being a part of my life at a young age was the television show Unsolved Mysteries which my mother watched a majority of the time from what I remember. I do not remember really any other forms of media being a big part of my life during the early 1990’s.

The sex and violence that was portrayed in my childhood was very minimal from what I remember. However, my mother did not allow me to watch things with sex and violence. The closest that I ever got to being allowed to watch it was with the show Unsolved Mysteries, which still gave my nightmares. I think that my mother sheltering my view of these things helped me in my exposure to things that I didn’t need to be exposed to at a young age. However, it also makes it hard for me to compare how sex and violence is displayed in media today.

As I got older I can remember a steady increase of violence and sex exposure on television. Now I am not sure if this is because I was allowed to watch more as I got older or if there was more in media in general. However, I remember one of my first exposures to sex on television was Titanic. Before that I do not remember seeing commercials or any other television show that had any “sex scenes”. This was also the times that I remember video games becoming more violent. They went from super Mario brothers to shooting games and killing zombies.

Fast forward to today and sex and violence is in almost every commercial, television show, and other forms of media that you can imagine. Even some children’s shows have sexual comments and violence in them. I am pretty sure that this is an actual increase and not just an increase of exposure on my part because I have seen an increase in sex and violence in media in just the past couple years.

In more recent years people have started to study the effects of violence in media and how it affects children. The shooting at Columbine High School was one of the first violent acts that were viewed as a cause of violence in media. The shooting that killed 21 students and one teacher was vastly covered by media and it was the popular idea that the two boys that did the shooting and then killed themselves were heavily influenced by the media. “Both Harris and Klebold played violent "murder-simulation" video games, and were fans of the controversial movie "Natural Born Killers" about a husband and wife pair of mass murderers who received intense media coverage. News reports said that the boys watched this movie many times and knew the dialogue verbatim.” (, 2008, para. 3)

These two boys were prime examples of the negative effects that violence can have on children. However they were not the only ones that were affected by the exposure they had to violence and sex in media. Many doctors and pediatricians have been trying to encourage parents to control their children’s exposure to violence and media because of what seems to be a strong correlation with negative effects. “"The evidence is now clear and convincing: media violence is one of the causal factors of real-life violence and aggression," the American Academy of Pediatrics' council” (NEALE, 2009, para. 2).

Violence and sex in media has not only effected children it has also affected adults and the media industry itself. The violence in media has made adults have to become more aware of what their children are watching and therefore have made the media rate their television shows, video games, and other forms of media. Not only are adults having to come up with new ways to block information from their children, they are also being impacted by the sexual content that is in the media today.

Many women today have been impact by the sexual content in media today because they are constantly comparing themselves to the women in media. They are compared to them in a number of ways such as appearance. Many times in commercials the message that comes across is that women have to look a certain way and be willing to be promiscuous to get men’s attention. Promiscuity has become one of the main negative effects on adults in regards to media. (Keith, )

The problems in media can be reduced in several different ways but this will take people outside of the media to help as well. There needs to be more restrictions on people in television on what they can and cannot show when it comes to advertisement. Also they need to keep things none sexual and non violent while airing family friendly television shows. Doing these two things will help children to not be exposed to sex and violence by accident while watching shows that are appropriate for their age.

The biggest thing that needs to happen is that parents need to educate their children on the dangers of sex and violence before they become exposed to it in the outside world. It is when the children are not educated on the subject that media and peers have a greater effect what the child’s opinion and view of both sex and violence. In addition to educating their children on sex and violence parents also need to limit what their children watch and set up the available parental block on programs that are not expectable for children. In doing both of these things as parents, children will have a more educating view on the effects media can have and will be able to make more educated decisions based on what they have been taught.

Another issue that media has caused is societies perspective on immediacy and intimacy in regards to communication. The way people communicate has change drastically with the invention of the internet and cellular phones. People can communicate quickly and easily without ever talking in person. This has effect the intimacy of communication negatively because a person is no long forced to meet with someone in person.

 These changes could be either beneficial or detrimental depending on the way you look at it. The beneficial thing about this new technology is that people can keep in contact with their family and friends from all over the word with just a click of a button. It has made it easier for people to get an education and find out information. However, the detrimental part of having communication so easy is that people lose the face to face contact that is more personable. It also is easier to connect with people that you don’t know in person. One of the main issues that have come about because of the convenience of communication is that people are starting to lie about who they are on the internet. This ends up causing trouble for both parties involve and can cause heartbreak. One can see this play in shows such as Catfish that is now airing on MTV.

            The effects of technology and media on our lives are clear. With sex and violence being two of the biggest negative affects that media has had. People must learn to educate their children in the way that they want them to be and then the media will not have as much of an impact that they do. When one is educated it makes it easier to combat against things that are negative in our lives and that include media. Media can have positive or negatives affects and it is us as people that choose which it is. It starts with the individual; one person at a time has to choose not to let media affect them in a negative way. Eventually, everyone could look at it that way.

 

References

 (2008). Violence and Media ... 3 Learn what experts are saying about the effects of violence in media... . Retrieved from http://www.allpsychologycareers.com/topics/media-violence.html

Keith, M. (). [Peer commentary on the journal article “The Effect of the Media on Women’s Personal Identity” by ]. , . Retrieved from http://en.articlesgratuits.com/the-effect-of-the-media-on-womens-personal-identity-id437.php

NEALE, T. (2009). [Peer commentary on the journal article “Pediatricians Fault Media Violence and Sex” by ]. , . Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/Health/MindMoodNews/media-violence-sex-threaten-kids-pediatricians/story?id=8866443

Bayarri, E., Ezpeleta, L., & Granero, R. (2011). Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence, Psychopathology, and Functional Impairment in Children and Adolescents: Moderator Effect of Sex and Age. Journal Of Family Violence, 26(7), 535-543. doi:10.1007/s10896-011-9390-4

 

Walsh, J. L., Senn, T. E., & Carey, M. P. (2012). Exposure to different types of violence and subsequent sexual risk behavior among female sexually transmitted disease clinic patients: A latent class analysis. Psychology Of Violence, 2(4), 339-354. doi:10.1037/a0027716

Ortiz, C. D., Silverman, W. K., Jaccard, J., & La Greca, A. M. (2011). Children's state anxiety in reaction to disaster media cues: A preliminary test of a multivariate model. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, And Policy, 3(2), 157-164. doi:10.1037/a0020098

Artistic Freedom, Commercial Demands, and Ethical Responsibility

In today’s society media plays a large role in the how people receive information about the world surrounding them. The boundaries of ethics, artistic freedom, and commercial demands are hard to mix to create something beneficial for everyone involved. Because of this, the argument of what is ethically acceptable to show in the media is ongoing.  Battling between ethics and the ultimate goal of the media: to entertain and make a profit.

Entertainers often make the argument that to make a profit they must portray things that some people think are unethical. These things would include violence and sexual contents that may to be appropriate for every age. The argument is that they are only producing what the audience wants. Another argument that entertainers make is that they have their own freedom of speech and should be able to have their artistic freedom as well. However, how far should they be allowed to go before they are impeding on the rights of other people.

A moral view of the argument for entertainers to make money on what they produce is very relevant. However, most people could argue that there are many people in the entertainment industry that do not cross moral boundaries in regard to sexual content and violence. So it is not completely necessary to have sex and violence in media to make money.

However, looking at the entertainers point of view there are several arguments that come against this. First, not every audience will enjoy something that does not have any sex appeal or action/violence. Second, entertainers also have the freedom of speech and artistry and limiting them on what they can create would impede on their rights.

Because as a society we need to honor everyone’s right to freedom of speech. With that we also need to protect our venerable population but is there a way to create rules to please everyone. First, one must establish ethically sensitive information topics that should be monitored, which would be: violence, sexual content, foul language, and modesty of actors. These topics should be censored based on age. Violence should be censored because at a young age people may not understand that what is displayed on television is often fictional and over dramatized. They may feel the need to copy the violence that they saw in the media and do something that they may not completely understand the ramifications of their actions and who they are hurting.

Sexual content should be censored, because, depending on the age of the person he or she may not understand what sex is. This education should be left up to the parents and teachers of the person not the media. This is because media often time makes sexual actions look glamorous and “cool.” At a young age acquiring this view is not good because they do not understand what the consequences of doing sexual activities can be.

Next is foul language that should be censored. The reason this should be monitored is because young children when they are first learning about the world may not understand what this kind of language means. Because of their ignorance they may choose to repeat what they hear not knowing what, they are saying.

Last, modesty should be censored in the media. This is because many people do not want to see someone with hardly any clothes on. When immodest people are shown in commercials and other forms of media often times it is out for everyone to see. This is impeding on people’s rights on many levels. First, for a young child who does not understand their bodies and the body of the opposite sex. Second, for adults who do not want to see other people’s nude bodies. This also goes along with sexual content being monitored because young people may not be educated in that area in the proper way yet.

To censor all of these things there should be a board, independent from the government, to rate particular television programs and other forms of media. This board would come up with creative ideas to still be able to have things were all people are happy. Setting up programs that block children from seeing things that they should not and making sure that other adults do not have to watch things they do not want to see. Some of the things they could do is set up passwords on movies rated PG-13 or higher. For other forms such as magazines that can make a rule that everything on the front cover has to be appropriate for all ages. Then all magazine that are rated PG-13 or higher have to be behind the store counter. Making the purchaser present an identification card before purchasing.

While there are two sides of the story when it comes to media’s rights and ethics there are ways to make things better for both parties. As many will agree our venerable population does not need to be shown things that they are not ready to see. Also parents and teachers have a certain amount of responsibility when it comes to educating their children so that they learn about these sensitive topics in the right way. If everyone works together in the goal of mentoring who sees what in the media the United States would be a happy better educated country.

 

References

Christians, C. G., Fackler, M., Richardson, K. B., Kreshel, P. J., & Woods Jr., R. H. (2012). Chapter 17. In  Pearson (Ed.), Media ethics: Cases and moral reasoning (9th ed. Retrieved from https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/content/eBookLibrary2/content/TOC.aspx?assetdataid=ce8ac167-817f-4524-bcca-d2b8ac1b6dba&assetmetaid=90eb592f-51e2-4857-9de3-63f678a132fe

Fred Friendly Seminars. (1992). Popular Culture: Rage, Rights, and Responsibility [Video file]. Retrieved from http://digital.films.com/PortalViewVideo.aspx?xtid=10451