As time have dramatically evolved to a more modern and advance way of disseminating and obtaining messages at the moment they have been published through technology. Media continues to play a huge role especially in keeping the society informed about news, whether local or internationally, helping and enriching a knowledgeable literate community from television programmes, radio shows and so fourth. Its main intentional focus is to enlighten the society on matters that really affects them, in some instances it has unintentional messages being disseminated on which it is mostly on the youth.
The media has been painting a picture in how we should dress like, what to eat, how to live and whom to associate with. Some of these suggestions proposed are even impossible and even life threatening as young girls are forced to look slim and be like magazine models, dress up to the latest trends, live a luxurious life and be seen with the “IT” people.
It has even led to people to have a certain way of thinking, with what effect, decisions to be made and actions.
It is indeed very questionable to what rate of impact the media has on the youth, as they do not play outside like past years in the sun and be involved into face to face conversations rather than being more in to social media/network (Skype, MySpace or Facebook) to communicate or watch television with lots of violence and explicit sex.
Now, how do we expect our youth to be leaders of tomorrow, when the media seems to be swirling the puppets, to which ever direction it believes to be appropriate?
A study by the Media scope institute found that many children have already, by age six, spent more time watching television than time they will spend talking to their parents in their entire lifetime.
I will conclude my argument by stating that we should accept media as one of a sum of a part of our lives but not make it a necessity that we cannot live without as its implications and intentions may not of building a moral and stable society.
For us as the youth, to be leaders or atleast walk in the path of leadership, we need to dissect what we take from the media. As you said Lerato, it often gives unintentional messages of how we should lead our lifestyles.
ReplyDeleteBy dissecting, we are able to examine therefore allowing us to disparage certain things we see, hear and learn through media. Overall this will allow us to see right from wrong and belittle the implications and intentions that discourage building a moral and stable society
Mmm, interesting Palesa, can I ask what derives our morals in this sense, is it the standard of living exposed by the media or the actual idea of the trend spread by word of mouth. Let's say I'm speaking from a concept of no form of media would I still fall victim to the trend?
ReplyDeleteI believe media feeds on our ideas, it's behind without human intention and everyday life, we created this unto our selves.. Wink!
@Palesa from what I understand of a leader needs to be someone who is confident, thinks outside the box, takes reasonable risks and weights alternative routes, but how do we treasure such values when we are constantly bombarded with biased messages of who we should be and how to act. Its about time that we express the route not taken and being our honest selves to reflect a community that has a variety of individuals visualizing a spectrum of personalities.
ReplyDelete@Owen, of course you wouldn't fall victim to the trend because your not exposed to media messages thus you wil not be influenced by it in any other form. It does feed of what the society reflects but draws its own conclusion on how we should view certain perspectives in our to be "socially accepted". How many people have fallen into victims because of trends set by the media of which most do not understand nor even agree with just to be not seen as an outcast?
ReplyDeleteHow can we create such a community thou..?
ReplyDeleteRemember ur route can't be ours Lerato instead it's how U influence it like the media does.
Its true that media has taken over our lives as youth, it also is true that in life we are always given choices. In this case a person can be smart enough to choose how media plays a role in their lives only if you know what you want. It has come to a point that media and technology has advaced so much that people are relying more to it and become lazy to use their brain. As a result media and technology are getting smarter as people get dumber.
ReplyDeleteHahaha.. Let's take religion for instance, take a specific religion from a certain continental segment with its historical background, culture and customs, would a different society still value the same artistic role and understanding as the original religion?
ReplyDeleteThere are many preachers but few believers think abt it.. So media can lead but can't truly define nor measure it self.. Lol
@Owen, that is the problem! Media has manipulative ways to disseminate messages through the power of "mass" meaning the message is accessible to many individuals at the same time, same effect, same impact and influence. While with an individual it is going to take a lifetime to influence mass crowds to a single message
ReplyDelete@Dorah, Yes, I think its very important to take into consideration media messages that are relevant to an individual rather absorbing everything being fed without questioning and reasoning.To an extend it does provide alternatives that are easier but how do we reinvent ourselves that it does not take complete control of our lives?
@Owen, according to me, I personally think that yes, a different society would keep their customs and values of that religion because it is not influenced by what other societies are doing. Which in turn, mass media has spread messages to different societies that they end up adopting and adapting to foreign religions which they don't even know their background to existence. It is because of it that we now have blacks being muslims, indians being catholic because of being intrigued by what you don't know and having the edge to be informed about thus influencing your beliefs and values
ReplyDeleteI relate to that Lerato but what it is well known to some can't be influential to some, in rural areas, do they have the knowledge or the insight of the evolution of social media?
ReplyDeletewww.webdesignerdepot.com/2009/10/the-history-and-evolution-of-social-media/www.webdesignerdepot.com/2009/10/the-history-and-evolution-of-social-media/
Remember we differ through backgrounds and many from those places were told logical or ancient tales based on what technology can do to mankind and have a firm psychological approach to media.