THE VALUES OF MEDIA

The values of Media

The values of Media

Introduction

There is a power that the media holds that goes unnoticed by many people. Only 12% of the public thinks that media influences them (Johnston). Media should not have the power to set the standards for society because it influences our sense of appropriate expectations, it creates ideals for love and lifestyles, and it can expand or constrain our dreams for opportunity and self-actualization in people of all ages. Everyone has expectations in life. Where do these come from? Some are from friends, family, or self, but mostly they are from media. The power of media can influence family life, our youth culture, and how we view a man's or woman's role in society.

The Values of Media

Advertising can affect the relationship between children and their parents. Some advertising tries to influence the buying patterns of parents by linking love and guilt with the purchase of products. When a child is mad at a parent, a gift from the parent might make them happy again. Some parents feel that they can buy their child's affection. Children have also become very status conscious and are aware of brand-name items. As time passes it keeps happening at younger ages. Kids want other kids to like them and appearance is very important. For some reason children are led to believe that clothes from Abercrombie, Gap, or Tommy Hilfiger are better and will make them more popular than no-name brand clothes from Wal-Mart, Target, or K-Mart.

A recent study found that parents spend 40 percent less time with their children than their parents did. On average, parents spend about 17 hours a week with their children, while their children spend as many as 40 hours a week using all forms of media (Ryan 44). Parents need to take practical steps to make sure that they--and not the television--are influencing their child. It can shape their reality, set their expectations, and define their values and their behavior.

Every day, messages and images from the media--messages about how to behave, what choices to make, and what to think, bombard children. Children even try to imitate what they learn from television, video games, and the Internet. They're more vulnerable to these messages than adults because they haven't developed good judgment or the ability to process the information they're given yet. Since its not interactive, children get the message that they can just sit and be entertained. Children will think activities other than media experiences, particularly school, are boring if there's not a high level of stimulation and entertainment-focus. Media may also interfere with creativity. Children are not engaging in their own skills, imagination or fantasy, because they're getting their entertainment passively from a television screen. If children are watching TV instead of talking to others, they also will not develop the necessary social skills.

Social expectations of femininity and masculinity are created and maintained by society based on the media. Media has provided society with a mold of how people of different ...