Audience theory 2

 1) Social learning theory has been criticised for simplifying the causes of violence in society. Do you think the media is responsible for anti-social behaviour and violence?

I think the media isn't responsible for anti-social behaviour because it all comes down to what social group the individual surrounds themselves with and how they grew up or other things the person is going through. For example, when certain people feel down, they choose to not want to talk to anyone as they prefer to be alone. However, I believe it's the same with violence as sometimes video games can encourage aggression but I don't believe that it's mainly the medias fault as there are other factors.

2) How is social learning theory relevant in the digital age? Are young people now learning behaviour from social media and the internet? Give examples.

I think that when we see other people doing certain things, we are influenced by them and copy them (for example, if your sitting in a room filled with people just sitting on their phones you are more likely to copy them as you don't want to feel left out), so I believe that the social learning theory is still relevant in the digital age. 

3) Research three examples of moral panic from the last 50 years. To what extent was the media responsible for these moral panics? Was the concern in society justified? How have things changed as a result of these moral panics?

1) Disappearing Childhood. In 1983, Neil Postman wrote a book arguing that children are becoming adults too fast, Postman primarily put the blame on visual media such as television which gave children access to adult knowledge before they could even read, Now since then fears about the media corrupting childhood has always occurred. 

2) Immigration. In the 2018 midterm elections in the US, spread a fear of migrant caravans heading north from Central America. The fear then faded after the midterms. The media isn't fully to blame for this however the media is always very quick to jump on issues of migration so possibly the media exaggerated the moral panic too much since it faded after the midterms. 

3) HIV/ Aids rumour. In the 1980s HIV was linked to homosexuality, the media picked up on the idea that gay people were spreading HIV around the world, which obviously quite clearly is not true and the media exaggerated this and later on it was blamed on generally morally deviant behaviour of youth. 

4) Read this introduction to an academic paper on technopanics. What examples are given of technopanics that create fear in society? If the link is blocked in school, you can access the text here.

Public policy debates appeal to fear as a way to sway opinion or bolster the case for action, these are used to convince citizens that threats to individual or social- well being may be avoided only if specific steps are taken. Such fear appeal arguments are frequently on display in the Internet policy arena and take the form of a full blown moral panic or technopanic. 

5) Do you think the internet should be regulated? Should the government try and control what we can access online?

I believe the internet should be regulated depending on age, i believe that a person of age 18 will be able to differentiate what's good for them and what's not whereas with young children and adolescence i believe some regulations have to be placed as exposing young children to certain things on the internet can have a very negative impact on them. However with adults i believe they can do whatever they want as they're old enough to control themselves and how to be safe on the internet. 

6) Apply Gerbner's cultivation theory to new and digital media. Is the internet creating a fearful population? Are we becoming desensitised to online threats, trolling and abuse? Is heavy internet use something we should be worried about in society? Write a paragraph discussing these ideas.

I believe that Gerbner's cultivation theory does apply to new and digital media as most of our life now revolves around the internet and media, no one really buys newspapers or magazines anymore as they can easily view news on the internet and Entertainment is now entered watching shows and films or playing games. We are so used to seeing certain things on the internet that sometimes we might not even realise that we are getting harassed online as it could be classified as humour on certain platforms. Heavy internet use is definitely something society should be worried as it could lead to a new 'breed' of antisocIals who don't spend anytime outside of the internet. HOWEVER, too much time on the internet or on any device can just make your mental health worse. 

Media Factsheet

1) Complete the questions in the first activity box (beginning with 'Do you play violent games? Are you violent in real life?')

Do you play violent video games? Are you violent in real life? 

I play a surplus amount of violent video games but I'd say I'm not violent in real life. 

Do you ever see a product advertised on TV or on the internet and decide you want to buy it? 

When those hoverboard Segway's came out, yes it was £400 but it was worth it. It was cool.

Have you ever seen a documentary which has drawn your attention to an issue which you now feel strongly about? 

Not really, I don't watch a lot of documentaries because I'm not particularly interested in that branch of media.  

2) What are the four categories for different effects theories?

-Direct effect theories 

-Diffusion theories 

-Indirect effect theories 

-The Pluralist Approach 

3) What are the examples provided for the hypodermic needle theory - where media texts have been blamed for certain events? 

Child's play- The murder of Jamie Bulger.

Marilyn Manson- The Columbine High School shootings.

Natural Born Killers- a number of murders committed by romantically linked couples. 

4) What was the 1999 Columbine massacre? You may need to research this online in addition to the information on the factsheet.

In 1999, a school shooting and attempted bombing occurred at Columbine High School. The perpetrators were 12th grade students who murdered 12 students and one teacher. This resulted in the worst school shooting in American history.

 

5) What are the reasons listed on the factsheet to possibly explain the Columbine High School massacre?

-Listening to Marilyn Manson caused teenagers to open fire in a high school killing students      and teachers.

-The Columbine High School shootings occurred due to a complex relationship between:*

-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.

6) How does the factsheet describe Gerbner's Cultivation theory?

While a media text could not have much effect, repeated exposure to certain ideas and values can make an audience less critical of the ideas presented as they appear ‘normal’.

7) What does the factsheet suggest about action films and the values and ideologies that are reinforced with regards to violence?

Violence is supported as a method for the hero to reach his goal, the only difference between the hero and the villain is that we agree with the hero's motivations.

8) What criticisms of direct effect theories are suggested in the factsheet?

Direct effect theories can be discredited as they make simplified judgements about the audience and are seen as having an elitist element suggesting a judgement is being made about the mass audience as they are assumed to be easily led and are not self aware. 

9) Why might the 1970s sitcom Love Thy Neighbour be considered so controversial today? What does this tell us about Reception theory and how audiences create meanings?

The 1970s sitcom ''Love Thy Neighbour'' is considered to be controversial today, as it appears as racist and offensive to many viewers. this tells us that audiences are entitled to having oppositional readings of a media text/going against the preferred reading due to people's changes in beliefs and values.

10) What examples are provided for Hall's theory of preferred, negotiated and oppositional readings?

Examples for Hall's theory are on The Sun and The Guardian as they report the same facts pretty much, but very differently. If you interpret things from one article it may create a preferred reading whereas the other article can create an oppositional reading.