Effects of Mass Media

The media is an important part of American society today and it is everywhere. There were major developments to mass media during the last century. Each development along with media convergence has influenced and affected the everyday lives of Americans. One cannot watch TV or even drive down the highway without seeing some form of advertisement. Many viewers and social critics disapprove of how media, especially TV and cable, seem to go from one event to another, and dwell on trivial, celebrity-driven content (Campbell, Martin, & Fabos, 2012 ). However, it is important for individuals to become media literate to be responsible with their media intake.

The major developments in the evolution of mass media during the last century include transmitting information electronically and digitally through television, radio, movies, CDs, DVDs, and some other devices like cameras and video consoles, printed materials, such as newspapers, magazines, brochures, newsletters, books, leaflets, and pamphlets. The Internet achieves mass media status by providing access to e-mail, websites, blogs, and social media sites. Internet and television put events in context, helping people to better understand both their daily lives and the larger world.

The media is constantly influencing American culture. Every day Americans wake up and turn on the television to catch the news, pick up a newspaper, listen to the news on the radio or find the news on their smart phone. Media comes at us from every direction. We are always being told what is fashionable to wear, what to eat, and what is acceptable to society based on what the media has imposed. Talk shows and reality television shows use personal problems for commercial gain and often glamorize outrageous behavior and even dangerous stunts. Television research continues to document a connection between aggression in children and violent entertainment programs or video games. Children are vulnerable when they are growing up and are trying...