Influence or Social Control?
Influence or Social Control?
What is the perfect way to infiltrate most of the population and control the mass opinion of what is normal; down to how we should behave and how we live? The media is everywhere from television, internet, magazines to radio. Every billboard on the side of the road is pushing someone’s idea of what is suppose to be popular. Television is one of America’s favorite family past times making it that much easier to pollute our families’ minds. The images seen on TV have become part of people’s daily lives as seen through many examples such as, The Simpson’s, Bridal Plasty, The Real Housewives, and Jersey Shore. Most families watch an average of at least 6 hours per day. Unfortunately, believe it or not, television is influencing viewer’s beliefs about what is normal and telling us our places within the family. Even promoting premarital sex and distorting self image. When did TV go from entertainment to being a form of social control, influencing the majority of our decisions?
Twenty years ago, television was viewed as a source of information and now it has virtually destroyed traditional family values. There used to be structure within families, where the men would come home from work, the mother had the table set and ready for diner while the children quietly did their homework. Marge Simpson was the quintessential example of what the perfect house wife should be. The Simpson’s offers a critique of domestic gender roles but it ultimately embraces female domesticity to the very definition of “a family“ (Neahaus 762). Now that television is airing all these new shows, the roles of the family have changed and traditions have been dropped. Women have become more bold and hold jobs in the workplace as well as dominance in bed. Family structure is becoming obsolete. Families split up and are living in different households. Now days, emerging adults aren’t even getting married before starting a family.
What is the perfect way to infiltrate most of the population and control the mass opinion of what is normal; down to how we should behave and how we live? The media is everywhere from television, internet, magazines to radio. Every billboard on the side of the road is pushing someone’s idea of what is suppose to be popular. Television is one of America’s favorite family past times making it that much easier to pollute our families’ minds. The images seen on TV have become part of people’s daily lives as seen through many examples such as, The Simpson’s, Bridal Plasty, The Real Housewives, and Jersey Shore. Most families watch an average of at least 6 hours per day. Unfortunately, believe it or not, television is influencing viewer’s beliefs about what is normal and telling us our places within the family. Even promoting premarital sex and distorting self image. When did TV go from entertainment to being a form of social control, influencing the majority of our decisions?
Twenty years ago, television was viewed as a source of information and now it has virtually destroyed traditional family values. There used to be structure within families, where the men would come home from work, the mother had the table set and ready for diner while the children quietly did their homework. Marge Simpson was the quintessential example of what the perfect house wife should be. The Simpson’s offers a critique of domestic gender roles but it ultimately embraces female domesticity to the very definition of “a family“ (Neahaus 762). Now that television is airing all these new shows, the roles of the family have changed and traditions have been dropped. Women have become more bold and hold jobs in the workplace as well as dominance in bed. Family structure is becoming obsolete. Families split up and are living in different households. Now days, emerging adults aren’t even getting married before starting a family.
Cited: Alexandrin, Julie R. “Television Images: Exploring How They Affect People’s View of Self and Others.” Journal of the National Association for Multicultural Education 11 (2009) : 150-154. Print. Eyal, Keren and Dale Kunkel. “The Effects of Sex in Television Drama Shows on Emerging Adults’ Sexual Attitudes and Moral Judgements.” Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 52 (2008) : 161-181. Print. Neuhaus, Jessamyn. “Marge Simpson, Blue-Haired Housewife: Defining Domesticity on The Simpsons.” Journal of Popular Culture 43 (2010) : 761-781. Print.