Audience theory 2: blog tasks

Audience theory 2: blog tasks

Theory questions and opinion

I agree with the criticisms that the social learning theory has been receiving for its simplified reasons that they give as to why violence happens in society. The media cannot be fully blamed for the violent acts that individuals engage in because there could be other factors in that person's life that have caused them to act in that way.  

The social learning theory is extremely relevant now that we live in the digital age. Young people have now influenced tot look a certain way or to dress a certain way by the people and things that they consume online. This links to the two-step flow model. 

Examples of moral panic:

2020 - The announcement of the first Covid-19 lock-down:

This news causes an abundance of people to stock up on products, one of which being toilet roll. It left many shops empty with little to no food or resources. However, I would not particularly blame the media for this as all they did was announce the lock-down. Members of the public decided to buy in bulk, that was not advised by news outlets. 

2018 - Tide Pod Challenge:

This challenge took place in 2018. It consisted of people recording themselves eating colourful detergent pods produced by the company Tide. A few individuals were hospitalised after taking part in this challenge ad it ended up making the news in the US. Overall, this has partial blame on both factors, the media and individuals. The media is to be blamed partially because the circulation of these videos influenced other individuals to take part in the challenge. However, we also have o take into consideration the people that thought it would be wise to partake in the challenge as well as posting it. 

2016 - The Blue Whale Challenge 

This was one of the worst "challenges" to be on social media and it was also the deadliest. This challenge was so deadly that is was spoken about on some news outlets and it is still spoken about on certain news outlets in 2020 as it is starting to make a reoccurrence. This 'challenge' was a set of tasks that was sent to the participant's phone daily. These tasks would include random things such as 'get up at 4:30am and watch a horror movie". Although these tasks seemed harmless, on the last day, the participants were instructed to commit su*cide. This wasn't in just once country. This happened all around the world. The first case was reported to be in Russia. In my opinion, I believe that both the media and people caused this devastating issue to spread. The media was responsible as it spread the information of this challenge which influenced teenagers to participate without them knowing the severity of it. Similarly, this also has to do with individuals, including the creator of this challenge. The creator studied psychology at university. Obviously, his evil idea came from the person that he is and that cannot be blamed on the media. 

Technopanics

This article states that technopanics are often used in an attempt to sway opinion or bolster the case for action. Such appeals are used to convince citizens that threats to individual or social well-being may be avoided only if specific steps are taken 

I do not think that the internet should be regulated by the government. If the government had full control over the media that we consumed then they would have the power to indoctrinate the public and make individuals believe whatever they want them to believe. 

Gerbner's cultivation theory suggests that being exposed to repeated patterns of representation over long periods of time can shape and influence the way in which people perceive the world around them. This can be applied to new and digital media. We consume media nearly every day so we are exposing ourselves to new ideas that might shape the way we view things. I believe that being apart of the new and digital age has resulted in audiences becoming desensitised to some of the dark things that we may see online. Although we are aware that those types of things are wrong, we are not entirely shocked as someone from older generations would be. Heavy internet use is something that we should pay attention to. Overuse of the media and the internet could take people away from reality and the responsibilities that they have to uphold in everyday life. 

 

The effects debate: Media Factsheet

 

I do play violent video games quite often and I do watch movies that contain violence. However, I would not consider myself a violent person. 

There have been occasions where I have seen a product advertises and have wanted to buy it. Nonetheless, that only happens rarely. 

I enjoy watching documentaries as it informs me on new topics or reminds me of other situations that I may have accidentally neglected. Some of the documentaries I watch has, in fact, drawn my attention to an issue which I now feel strongly about; such as injustices that people may face. 

Four categories for different effects theories:

• Direct Effect Theories
• Diffusion Theories
• Indirect Effect Theories
• The Pluralist Approach

The article gives examples of the hypodermic needle theory, these include; Child's Play, Marilyn Manson & Natural Born Killers. 

The Columbine massacre was a school shooting that occurred on April 20 1999. The perpetrators were two senior students at Columbine High School. They killed 12 students and one student. Many people were injured. The pair later committed suicide. This school shooting, at the time, was regarded as the deadliest shooting in US history. It also inspired many copycat shootings. 

The article suggests possible reasons to explain the Columbine High School massacre: 

• The ease of access to firearms and the social acceptance of gun ownership
• The alienation felt by teenagers who felt as though they did not fit in
• The hopelessness caused by living in an area where unemployment was high and was economically disadvantaged
• The general desensitisation caused by access to a range of violent images: film, TV, the news, the internet

The article describes Gerner's Cultivation Theory as a theory considers the way the media affects attitudes rather

than behaviour.

The article suggests that certain values and ideologies have been reinforced in regards to violence that is seen typically in action movies. An example of this is the point that is made that violence is supported in action films as a method for the hero to reach his goal. The only difference between him and the villain is that we agree with the hero’s motivations.

In this article, the direct effect theories are criticized. The author states that this theory identifies the media as being a negative influence but does not consider forms of ‘high art’ in the same way (in reference to Shakespeare's plays) The author also suggests that both these direct theories have an elitist element suggesting a judgement is being made about the mass audience as they are assumed to be easily led and not perceptive or self-aware.

The 1970s sitcom Love Thy Neighbour would be considered so controversial today to many modern viewers as it includes racist and offensive views. 

• The dominant reading: an acceptance of the intended meaning
• A negotiated reading: a broad acceptance of the intended meaning but with some personal modification
• An oppositional reading: an understanding of the intended meaning but a rejection of it in favour of one created by the individual