Preview

A Summary of ’Mass Media, Television, and Children’s Socialization: Making Peace With TV’

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
904 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
A Summary of ’Mass Media, Television, and Children’s Socialization: Making Peace With TV’
A Summary of ’Mass Media, Television, and Children’s Socialization: Making Peace With TV’
It is a study written by Tatyana Dumova, Richard Fiordo, Stephen Rendahl, an assistant professor, a professor and an associate professor in the School of Communication at the University of Dacota, and was produced by The Berkley Electronic Press in 2008.
At the beginning of the text the authors clarify that their aim is to develope a conceptual framework for analyzing the positive socialization of young people, ’a basic but comparatively overlooked functions of communication’(p. 1). Their question is if television can ’effectively promote prosocial values to children and adolescents’(p. 1). They suggest the need of further examination of the prosocial, both constructive and preventional potential of television.
The Introduction part of the text draws attention to some already existing studies and problems about the effect of violence in the media, though it concludes that there was no successful result to establish a causal relationship between media violence and social behaviour(p. 2), so the author’s focus is on prosocial TV programming. The aim of prosocial TV programs is described as fostering positive societal values, and stimulate socially desired behaviour(p. 2). The question is raised wether youth socialization should be guided, and to what extent, and where is the line between good intentions and social engineering? In response to these questions is the aim of studying the role of mass media in the process of youth socialization. It is clear that the study soncerns children and adolescents in the U. S.
The body of the text consists of three main parts which are subdivided aswell. The first part points out the role of media in socialization and it’s problems. Socialization is defined referring to communication scholars as a complex dynamic process of transfering society’s ideas and culture across generations, the ransmission of shared experiences and values to

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    It competes with families, friends, schools and communities in its ability to shape young teens' interests, attitudes and values. The mass media infiltrates their lives. Most young adolescents watch TV and movies, surf the Internet, exchange e-mails, listen to CDs and to radio stations that target them with music and commercials and read articles and ads in teen magazines. “ The youth are constantly bombarded with the media's messages and they don’t know how to take it in. “The problem is that young adolescents often don't--or can't--distinguish between what's good in the media and what's bad. Some spend hours in front of the TV or plugged into earphones, passively taking in what they see and hear--violence, sex, profanities, gender, stereotyping and storylines and characters that are unrealistic. We know from research such as that conducted by George Comstock and Erica Sherrar that seeing too much TV violence appears to increase aggressive behavior in children and that regular viewing of violence makes violence less shocking and more…

    • 1593 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Mean World

    • 1027 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Everyone is influenced and shaped by society. Society affects our perceptions, our consciousness, and our actions. A majority of the influence, especially on the younger demographic comes through the media; specifically through television. It is important to examine how violence in the media develops a pervasive cultural environment that cultivates a heightened state of insecurity, exaggerated perceptions of risk and danger, and a fear-driven propensity for hard-line political solutions to social problems. The purpose of this essay is to evaluate the impact of television and media violence, as well as the human cost of violent media, and the overall effects on society from watching TV.…

    • 1027 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    More than 1,000 studies on the effects of television and film violence have been done over the past 40 years and the majority of these studies have the same conclusion: television and film violence leads to real-world violence (United States 2). The average 7th grader watches about 4 hours of television per day, and 60% of those shows containg some violence (United States 4). A prime source of these violent images is TV news, which happens to be America 's number one sourse of news and information (Steyer 73). Most local television newscasts are dominated by killings, assaults, kidnappings, terrorist attacks, and other stories designed to provoke a strong emotional reaction from viewers (Steyer 73). In the recent years, Hollywood 's growing taste for grotesque, graphic fare has upped the stakes, from Friday the 13th to Creepshaw and Scream (Steyer 73). Even though these movies are not meant for small kids, it is a fact that young children are often regularly exposed to them in the company of unthinking par-…

    • 1483 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Violence in Media

    • 1234 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In recent years media use an increasing numbers of frames which contain violence content to attract viewers. Media violence increases a trend of crime which aroused the awareness of general public. Media violence is not the simple cause of teenagers’ violent, it also the main reason of social violence. However, every coin has two sides, some video games and movies which include violence can help some children to develop survival skills and ability to deal with violence. Even this knowledge may save their lives when they are threatened by others. So there is no doubt that media violence contains some benefits for us. This essay will argue that media violence leads to violent behavior and increase the community spread of violence. From my point of view, media violence has negative effects on youth.…

    • 1234 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The context that the document presents stems out from a long history that is a result of the revolution in the media circles and how communication is related to people across the globe. The newspaper revolutionized was the first mainstream form communication that created awareness to social events across the…

    • 711 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Mass Communication

    • 5371 Words
    • 22 Pages

    Introduction and Background Generally, the word „communication‟ which is often linked to mass media can be defined as an exchange of information and messages (Tewari, 2001). The term „mass…

    • 5371 Words
    • 22 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    mass media

    • 1621 Words
    • 5 Pages

    “What the mass media offers is not popular art, but entertainment which is intended to be consumed like food, forgotten, and replaced by a new dish”(Auden). Mass media plays a huge role in American society today. Whether mass media has any direct correlation to the violence we see today is up for discussion. The only data which shows a clear relationship between mass media and aggressive behavior occurs when the impression of aggression is permissible. Research suggests that filmed violence must be accompanied by a complex set of personal and social circumstances in order to produce aggression. There is some evidence that portrays mass media to have influences on public taste, values, and passivity, although more research is needed. The opinions of the mass audience do not seem to be formed by the media. Rather, the interested segment the audience receives from media, which serves in the role of interpersonal communicator, which influences the remainder of the community. Therefore research shows no direct correlation between violent behavior and mass media.…

    • 1621 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Media

    • 460 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Over the years, researchers have examined the effects of before and after the introduction of media to the community. The constant question which crops up on the effects of media is, will the exposure of youth to media violence cause increased levels of aggression and violent behavior. According to Huesmann (2001), he said that the young adults may behave aggressively if they are exposed to media violence since young. Ones characteristics can be formed when they are young due to the exposure of media such as television, can determine what kind of a person he/ she will grow up to be.…

    • 460 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Can television serve as a tool for parents to facilitate infants and children? It may be so in an indirect way, the fact is that children are more. With the boom in the electronic industry and the production of television and other electronic device, it has been. A common belief is that television in more ways that other has been taking the place of children playing time and ultimately their ability to develop social skills.…

    • 981 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    There are many different ways in which people communicate such as, through the phone, through personal encounters, and by attending work place, school, seminars etc. Though media is not the only communication medium used to dispense the flow of information, its importance in developed countries is worth mentioning as it has been the main source to inform people on political issues or current affairs as well as being as the main source of entertainment. The flow of information from one geographical location to another has increased in speed considerably with the advent in digitally enabled communication devices. Different network channels over cable or satellite TV, newspapers and radio channels are emerging at a very rapid pace providing the people with a medium to connect themselves with the outside world. Print media has always been a dominant medium throughout the decades in the western civilization, but it is the emergence of the television which has become the backbone ofIs this Essay helpful? Join OPPapers to read more and access more than 200,000 just like it!…

    • 572 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Media is one of the largest influences on a young individuals interpretation of the world. The influential power of television, internet, radio, and print is creating negative results in society. As technology increases, so do the problems associated with media. Media plays an integral part of American culture and is a valuable source of teaching. But some of what is taught is non-conducive to an individuals well-being. Youth are becoming desensitized to the violence they see. Sex, drugs, and violence are glorified. Not only are sexuality and violence a problem, there is a deterioration of the emotional, intellectual, and physical health of the nation.…

    • 2206 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    The effects of television on children is a subject which touches almost everyone in the western world. Everytime something new and different appears on our television screens it is questioned by the powers which protect our children from unsuitable material on the small screen. For the past 50 years television and its effects on children have been scrutinised by research from all over the world. In this essay I will attempt to breakdown this research and find out whether or not television has an influence on children’s aggression and prosocial behaviour. I will look at how different programs affect children in different ways (i.e programs with violence as a main theme and programs with little or no violence in them) and the theory that it is what the child brings to the television that’s important rather than what he/she sees on the screen. However, I am not suggesting that violent television programs automatically make their viewers violent, as this is an extremely incorrect view. There are several different theories with regards violence in children and its relationship to television and in this essay I will attempt to bring them all together and draw one conclusive theory which reflects all the evidence I have gathered.…

    • 1179 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Today in our society everyone is influenced in some way by media. Whether it is at home watching TV, at work, or just walking the street media is everywhere. The main forms of media are television, print material, and electronics like computers and video games. The main one in our society is television. Most children start watching T.V. at the age of two and watch between two to three hours per day. Television has only been around since the 1950’s and each generation more and more people now own a T.V. and watch more television. Most kids today even have televisions in their room. The same goes for computers. Computers are now becoming portable with laptops so more children have access to the Internet now. Books were long around before television but now the content of books is changing as well. The same types of things that can be viewed on the television and computer are now available in books as well.…

    • 935 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The reaction paper is correlated to the “Taking Sides” issues, this is the 2 issue. I have chosen this topic, because I found it quite interesting and argumentative. But as I have understood part “NO” (Jib Fowles from The Case for television violence) does not provide clear opposition, but mainly criticize part “Yes” (W. James Potter form On the Media violence). Many argue that the reason of violence among teenagers and young adults in reality is about the violence shown on TV. In my reaction paper I will try to more or less clarify two points of view, give my own opinion about the topic in general and about two opposite sides. I will try to answer some questions like whether the violence on TV is harmful for younger generation or not? What impacts it has? What other influences exists? And so on.…

    • 626 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    There has been a lot of research conducted on the notions that violence portrayed in media - such as television, video, film, music, newspapers and books - can have adverse effects on the children viewing it. Many people have suggested that media has allowed violence to become so prevalent in our societies. It has also been suggested that media has been responsible in making the children violent as well. Statistics have shown that an average person watches as much as 7 hours of television every day. It does not come as any surprise that a child between the age of two and five watches approximately 28 hours of television ever week . Another thing that comes to mind is that there has been a lot of allowance of violence in the media ever since broadcasting was deregulated in 1980. These images of violence and anti-social behavior tend to entice the same in people who watch them.…

    • 3194 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays