Media plays an almost indispensable role in our lives in today’s world and hardly any strata of society are free from its dependence in some way or the other. Media forms an integral part of our lives by way of its being a part of our daily routine from media forms such as television, internet, newspapers, and radio which enable us to be in touch with the world in addition to being a source of great learning in today’s competitive environment. Media has been developing at a very fast pace in recent times especially the news and internet, in giving us information about what is happening in this fast-changing world and in enabling us to conveniently learn and remain in touch for business and personal work respectively. The news provided by the media does have far-reaching consequences in enabling the people in almost every nook and corner of this world into knowing about what is happening in different spheres such as social, economic, and political aspects that human beings engage in. Hence it is imperative that media play a very responsible role in providing authentic news and correct narration of facts so as to avoid adverse public opinion and to prevent people from being misguided. Often media groups create sensational stories to attract public interest which in turn proves to be of financial benefit to them, but ultimately, exaggerated stories and politically motivated propaganda are in the nature of playing with public emotions and sentiments. This has proved to create a significant negative impact on children and society at large (Ward, Michael, 2007). Hence the message is clear for the media that they should engage in ethical practices in providing unbiased news and data before the public. The coverage of news has much relevance to the human psyche in being interested in developments relating to sports, national, international, and local news, businesses, education, and entertainment. Necessarily all news provided by such groups must address the needs of all strata of society including men, women, children, and social groups, and refrain from providing bogus stories motivated by political or business considerations.
The media plays a very constructive role in society in terms of the achievement of several human objectives, but it has its own negative aspects that can play havoc and create very difficult circumstances for society at large. In today’s politically motivated world there is a lot of ground and reasons for media to manipulate for business interests. There is intense competition amongst media groups and to outwit each other they are always looking for opportunities to sensationalize issues by making false propaganda at the cost to society. False news and bogus stories often have a negative influence and impact on people thus creating feelings of ill will amongst different strata of society. An over-exposure to media leads to several health problems for humans and the violence depicted in films and entertainment programs via the media proves to be detrimental to the future of children in that they may learn the violence from such programs (Flew, Terry and Humphreys, 2005). Often, superhuman tasks performed by superheroes in films and serials instigate children to attempt the same stunts and consequently suffer by way of injuries, aggressiveness, and disappointments, thus leading them to develop a lack of self-confidence (Goranson, R.E, 1970).
With the advent of more and more entertainment options being provided by the media, children have become over-exposed to these means and rarely venture out for physical games and entertainment outside the home. This pattern is dangerous since lack of physical activity is a big risk for their future growth and development. Hours are spent by them on video games and before the computer while surfing the worldwide net, which exposes them to the dangers of unsolicited material, which is not fit for them, but there is no means to curb the practice in view of easy access to them. These developments have become a big challenge for parents and for society since they have far-reaching adverse consequences for children (Huesmann, L.R., & Guerra, N.G,1997). The glamour depicted via the media in films, fashion shows, dance, and musical programs instigate youngsters to adopt an unrealistic lifestyle which not only makes a hole in their pocket but puts them in an illusion of an unrealistic world unaware of the stark realities to be faced by them thus leading to eventual frustration and failure (Joy, L.A., Kimball, M.M., & Zabrack, 1985). In all practicality, media has started to evolve ways and means to stay afloat in the competition by adopting unethical practices in keeping the society in the dark by harping on unimportant issues. They often rake up issues to create fortunes for themselves at the cost of the negative impact being created on a misguided society. Media is very powerful since they hold the power to influence public opinion, which is sometimes misused for political and financial gains. There have been instances when TV channels have been able to turn the tide against political rivals by initiating hate campaigns and false propaganda via their channels. All these are not healthy practices and need to be dealt with in a more responsible way in view of the extremely important role played by media in enabling society to hold on to its balances.
Undoubtedly media has played constructive roles in making the world a much smaller place. What is required is to hold on to the positive aspects of the media forms and consolidate their use for the overall betterment of mankind.
References
- Flew, Terry and Humphreys, Sal. ‘Games: Technology, Industry, Culture’ in New Media: an introduction (second edition), (South Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 2005),
- Goranson, R.E. (1970). Media violence and aggressive behavior: A review of experimental research. In L. Berkowitz (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology New York: Academic Press.
- Huesmann, L.R., & Guerra, N.G. (1997). Children’s normative beliefs about aggression and aggressive behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,
- Joy, L.A., Kimball, M.M., & Zabrack, M.L. (1985). Television and children’s aggressive behavior. In T.M. Williams (Ed.), The impact of television: A natural experiment in three communities San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
- The Good and Bad Effects of TV on Your Kid.
- Ward, Michael. ‘Video games, Crime & Violence’ Net Institute, 2007. Web.