Raymond Ure

Zakladny Sociologie
Započet
19-03-2009

The influence of Mass media on the behaviour of pupils.

Introduction
In this dissertation we will look at the characteristic behaviour of students and attempt
to associate this with influences from mass media such as TV, radio, newspapers,
magazines and the internet.
Firstly, we will look at how mass media has become an important part of everyone’s
life not just young people. Its impact can be seen in everyday life, such as in the
clothes we wear the words and the way we speak and the way we behave. Initially it
was sought as a means of being informed; to be informed about the world and to be
amazed and entertained. The traditional forms of media such as radio, TV and
newspapers still mostly adhere to these norms however modern life and technology
has pushed the boundaries within which this media operates. Formally controlled and
regulated by the state it has now morphed into an entirely different monster; this
liberalisation of the media has been increasingly prevalent in the last decade or so
which has lessened the grip of the state on its content. One reason for this is the
increase in TV content; the move from terrestrial television having perhaps four
channels to the digital format with hundreds of channels to watch. Also the Medias
desire for a wider audience and to maintain that audience has brought with it a de-
intellectualisation of the media. Programmes such as Big brother or other such reality
TV programmes are easy to make and have become popular with audiences. As a
result the language and reportage of content, not just on TV, has devolved into a
mish-mass of cultural and formal actions and speech used to appeal to the masses.
Another part of the mass media which is becoming more and more prevalent in
peoples lives and even more so with young people is the internet. It is essentially a
powerful media tool like TV, radio and newspapers rolled into one but with one
distinct difference. It is regulated by no one, neither country nor central governing
body. So in a way it is the extreme form of liberalised mass media. If no one can
control the content to make sure it is morally or ethically appropriate for the user then
how can we expect the user not to be in some way perverted by it.
Furthermore as stated above the media has always had a great impact on people’s
lives but nowadays it is this liberalisation of the media that has had the biggest
impact on young peoples’ interaction with and influence by it. Not only has the
content changed but also peoples’ attitude to it. It is now taken for granted that
whatever is read, watched, or listened to can be believed unquestionably. And this
attitude has led people to be less aware or conscious of its impact on themselves
and their children. This desensitisation in itself is quite shocking. Imagine a news
bulletin on TV depicting starving people in an African country. Twenty years ago the
audience would be in shock, nowadays it has little or no effect other than to inform,
no matter how bombastic the reportage. So if these boundaries of what content can
be broadcast or published are being pushed further and further and into areas that
were beforehand taboo then what impact has this on the young and their behaviour?
 Young peoples interaction with mass media
We will now look at the distinct areas where mass media has had and is still having
an effect on people especially young people.
Young people more so than adults are heavily influenced by their experiences, their
surroundings, their friends and relatives; an openness that encourages learning. In
the education system this openness is essential to the learning process. However
this openness can be exploited, manipulated or even deviated by the media in many
ways, some positive and others negative.
We are constantly being bombarded with advertising, opinions, images and stories
which appear to be forcing us to conform to a specific image of how we are supposed
to be, whether it be slim, more intelligent or prettier. Young people more then any
other demographic use the media more often and for longer therefore their exposure
to its influence is undeniable. From morning cartoons to comics and teen magazines
to internet social networking sites. Their opinions are being formed without them
realising. Advertising is one means where mass media can approach young people
discreetly and achieve great influence. For example imagine eating a burger in
MacDonald’s, whose main corporate identity is a red haired clown and whose main
advertising is aimed at the youth audience. This can only help to reinforce the
attitude or opinion of young people that it’s okay to eat fast food. Another example is
listening to pop music whose lyrics these days are increasingly violent or
misogynistic. Music has a great influence not only in informing opinion, but
encouraging opinion too whether this be of a particular musical style, clothing, or
vernacular or behaviour.

Negative aspects
Moral and ethical behaviour
Due to the liberalisation of mass media, greater choice of, desensitisation of and
unregulated media such as the internet then their has been a slow and obvious
decline in moral standards present in the media, firstly due to the media's desire to
maintain viewer-ship/readership in an increasingly competitive market and secondly
by the viewers increasingly insatiable need to be further shocked. The two reasons
are inextricably intertwined. The effect on people and in particular on youngsters
must also be a reflection of what is provided by the media. Low moral standards on
TV for example must and do provide the wrong example of moral behaviour to
impressionable people that are carried through into their real life situations. For
instance mass media has given rise to a celebrity culture; promoting people famous
for doing nothing of importance. These people have become the role models of the
youth, where it’s deemed okay to be abusive, promiscuous or violent. In an ideal
world we would like our children to have positive role models. Unfortunately the moral
boundaries within which modern media operates have pushed these “celebrities” into
young people consciousness giving them an attitude similar to their idols; “I can be
famous for doing nothing too” A disrespectful lazy attitude that serves to undermine
and inhibit development inside and outside the classroom.
Also the language used; vulgarisms or slang can find its way into the classroom,
giving our children the idea that if their role models can swear then it must be
acceptable to use this language also.
Attitudes to sex and gender roles
Another way in which mass media has a negative effect is in its depiction of gender
roles and attitudes to sex. Media has played a large part in gender stereotyping and
encouraging certain attitudes surrounding sex. Rap music in particular has been
accused of being misogynistic in some of its lyrics. But also general pop music can
influence for instance the way youngsters dress or alter their behaviour in order to be
cool or to be accepted. In particular for girls where the most cursory examination of
media confirms that young girls are being bombarded with images of sexuality, often
dominated by stereotypical portrayals of women and girls as powerless, passive
victims.
As these girls become teenagers, many choose to tune out, but others maintain a
hungry appetite for these messages. Those who continue to consume media images
can be strongly influenced by stereotypical images of uniformly beautiful, obsessively
thin and scantily dressed objects of male desire. And studies show that girls who are
frequent viewers have the most negative opinion of their gender.
So typically males’ role models are portrayed in the media as very masculine,
powerful, in command and respected without showing a sensitive side. Female role
models are conversely typically portrayed as weaker, or submissive and more
sympathetic and emotional. This can lead to boys being more dominant in class and
exerting some power over there female counterparts.
Violence
For boys there has also been the question as to whether mass media has made
violence acceptable and actively portrays aggression in a positive light. Boys more so
than girls are more attracted to this kind of media whether it be in print, the internet or
on TV and video games. Wherever they come into contact with it they are being more
and more influenced by this lazy notion that violence or aggression is for winners and
anything else is for losers. Before we mentioned the desensitisation that occurs
through interacting with modern media, this has helped make violence acceptable.
Consider this: A US child watching 2-4 hours per day (the norm) will have witnessed
8,000 homicides and 100,000 other acts of violence by age 18. Even the most basic
child entertainment cartoons can be guilty of showing extreme violence that goes
unpunished and has little or no effect on the victim either.

A study of the 95 most popular US video games showed 83% featured violent
themes. Most games had two simple choices: kill or die. A 1993 American
Psychological Association report on screen violence concluded: "In addition to
increasing violent behaviours towards others, viewing violence on television ...
increases viewers' appetites for becoming involved with violence."

In 1995, the extensive US Cable industry National Television Violence Study (NTVS)
stated as its key finding: "there are substantial risks of harmful effects from viewing
violence throughout the television environment."
What effects can this cause at school? There have been cases around the world
where students have taken weapons to school, not with the intention of using it but
just because they think it is acceptable behaviour to carry a weapon. Other more
serious cases have resulted in weapons being carried and used.
Aggressive behaviour is clearly being seen and felt in schools with increasing cases
of bullying behaviour where vulnerable children are being subjected to aggression
from other students. This can result in truancy or at least a lack of interest in school
and at worst some kind of injury or in extreme cases death.

Health and lifestyle

In regards to health and lifestyle, Mass media can be divisive in both a positive and
negative way. For example smoking is portrayed on one hand as dangerous, bad for
your health and antisocial. On the other hand it can be promoted as something cool,
or as a sign of being rebellious. Its use by youngsters roles models; film stars,
musicians etc or even friends or peers can only help to encourage this idea that its
okay to smoke. There is a confused message being sent by the media and those
most vulnerable are young people. And the fact remains that no matter how
dangerous smoking is portrayed it is still and will always be indulged in by young
people as long as these positive images of it are being shown.
Another area of health is that of diet. Again images in the mass media can be
somewhat confusing, consider the paradox: an advert showing happy, slim people
eating burgers in a fast food restaurant. Again young people are susceptible to these
subliminal messages. Mass media here is responsible for passing on a false
message, perhaps not overtly but certainly and knowingly covertly.
Yet another health issue affecting young people is that of extreme weight loss. This
mostly affects girls. They are bombarded with images in the media of slim beautiful
models and try to aspire to this mostly unattainable media ideal.
In 2002, researchers at Flinders University in South Australia studied 400 teenagers
regarding how they relate to advertising. They found that girls who watched TV
commercials featuring underweight models lost self-confidence and became more
dissatisfied with their own bodies. Girls who spent the most time and effort on their
appearance suffered the greatest loss in confidence.
The extreme consequence of this can lead to eating disorders such as anorexia or
bulimia

Positive aspects
Education
Of course it’s not all bad. Mass media also has some important positive aspects to it.
One of the positives that mass media can bring to the student are of course its ability
to educate and inform. The internet itself can be responsible for encouraging the
student’s curiosity in a more comfortable way rather than being lectured to in the
classroom. This can be of a great benefit to educators if encouraged and channeled
in the right direction.
Another positive is to broach subjects that are essential for the proper upbringing of
young people but are very difficult for parents or educators to approach. For example
sex education, drug abuse, or the dangers of alcohol. For instance young people
might not want to listen to their parents or teacher talk about sex education but would
rather watch a funny but informative documentary or drama on the topic. This can
also aid the teaching of the subject making it more accessible and less
embarrassing.
The media’s influence on the use of drugs has been very positive. Considering the
impact of advertising/ programming and articles on the topic it can be said that it has
dissuaded people from starting or helping those stop an addiction.

Role models
Before we talked about the proliferation of negative role models however there do
exist positive role models in the media including those in pop culture.
Also the promotion of sports through media coverage also helps create awareness in
young people of the sports and what can be achieved and can actively promote
sporting role models that young people can aspire to be or be like. And it can also
encourage participation in sporting activities.

Conclusion
When another child becomes a smoker, or drug user, becomes fat, has eating
disorders or even commits murder its all too easy to point the finger at mass media
and gloss over the roles of those ultimately responsible for their actions; parents,
family and educators.
Of course mass media must accept some responsibility for the content that it
broadcasts or publishes but ultimately the responsibility of upbringing lies with the
parents.
The media as highlighted can and is being used in a positive way to educate, inform
and encourage positive behaviour but unfortunately its far too easy for broadcasters
and publishers and game makers to cater for the lowest common denominator. In the
media world this means provocative programming or articles or game themes,
depicting an idealised world of beautiful people or an extremely exaggerated
situations. It is made for the aim of gaining as much audience as possible with the
aim of making enough profit to continue; a never ending cycle of mediocrity only
infrequently eclipsed by thoughtful, responsible content.
Media is heading towards an interactive future which means that deregulated media
will form a major part of out media intake. The lack of control of standards of morality
and ethics will further undermine the ability of parents to exact some kind of
authoritative role on their children and the moral decline in society will be inevitable
unless some kind of regulation is enforced.
This regulation can come from country and world organisations or from within the
family unit. It is more likely that the family must exert more authority over what their
children are exposed to but this is becoming increasingly difficult as the
desensitisation to media affects all ages and the line from acceptable content to
unacceptable has become blurred even for adults.