Audience theory 2

 Theory questions and your opinion

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 believe that social media and just media itself is respomsible for anti social behavior and violence.This is because nowerdays we are more exposed to violent content.Even though there are regulations that have been put into place to help stop us consuming violent and anti social content i believe that it is not enough to help society.Furthermore violent games are used by underaged children wich poisens their mind into comming these types of behavoior.Ibelieve that if these games were never a thing then we wouldnt be influenced by negativity.

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.

-violent video games

-instagram posts

-fake news on tiktok and other social media websites 

These things cause us as young people to learn behavours 

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?

violent video games

-people by passed restrictions and continued to play these violent games due to the influence of other people 

result-more restrictions are being used such as having to give out id in order to play certain video games

internet pornography and crime

-the rise of internet prompted signifcant panic over its potential to spread illegal and pornographic content and facilitate criminal activities

result-government has banned free access and has put up age restrictions

music and youth delinquency

-the rise of violent and gang music has influenced minors into becoming violent people 

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.

-people suffereing fear silently

-people act out because of fear such as becoming trouble makers 

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

I believe the government should reduce the amount of violent content that there is online in order to help restore faith in humanity.This is because i think that we are all overconsumed by the media we have today.

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 the internet is creating a fearful population.This is because we are being consumed with media that is not good for our mindsets.Its causing us as people to have very biased views on society which causes us to reflect on it negatively.I believe we are more open to threats trolls and violence because at some point in our life we have done it ourselves.Furthermore we just see it as a harmful joke if it does no harm to us.Heavy internet is something that we should be worried about because it means that we are distancing ourselves from the real world.

The effects debate: Media Factsheet

Complete the following tasks using Media Factsheet 030 - The Effects Debate available on the Media Shared drive. You'll find it in our Media Factsheet archive: M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets. You can also access it via your school Google login here.

Read Media Factsheet 030 - Media and Audiences -The Effects Debate and answer the following questions:

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

one)I do not play violent videos because i think that most violent video games just have the same concept and it is just very boring and i am not a violent person in real life

two)most products i see online i would like to buy because they look cool and nice to have around me but most of the time i dont buy them 

three)when i watch documentries such as blue planet i feel deep sadness for all the animals that die.Furthermore when i watch true crime documentries i feel bad for the victems because i do not see how someone can murder a person so easily without feeling any remorse.

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? 

Some texts which have been blamed for specific 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. in one case, the director was sued

for inciting violence although the court case was later dismissed

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

A school shooting in 1999 that left 14 people dead and was done by two students

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

Banning Marilyn Manson would seem to quickly put an end to the cause of the tragedy and ensure it didn’t happen

again if we accept this as the simpler reason for the event.Addressing the other social and economic issues would be

practically impossible and implies that society in general was to blame for what happened.

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

This theory considers the way the media affects attitudes rather than behaviour.

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

· Violence for a ‘good’ reason is acceptable.

· Violence for a ‘bad’ reason must be punished.

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

For example, children are often seen to need protection from the cultivation of certain ideas and values. This concern has led to the banning of fast food advertising during children’s TV programming, responding to recent concerns regarding nutrition and childhood obesity. The limiting of media images has removed the representation of a positive attitude towards fast-food from the media. Similarly restrictions are placed on how alcohol can be represented in advertising.

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?

Some texts from the past seem very strange to us. A very popular sit-com in the 1970s called Love Thy Neighbour appears to many modern viewers, racist and offensive.

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

Potential readings can, therefore, be:

• the dominant reading

o an acceptance of the intended meaning

• a negotiated reading

o a broad acceptance of the intended meaning but with

some personal modification

• an oppositional reading

o an understanding of the intended meaning but a rejection

of it in favour of one created by the individual