Pros and Cons of Media Influence

Are we at WAR?

with Media and Society? 

In the World we live in today, technology is on the rise. This raises several questions for each and every 

individual about themselves. The struggle to find truth is becoming more and more difficult. Technology allows 

us to bring many positives into our lives but many negatives as well, how do we find a balance? In a world of 

airbrushing and photoshopping, plastic surgery, and social media, are we allowing all of these technological 

advances to take away from who we are and all of our knowledge? Now, many of you may think "How could 

this be reducing our power of knowledge if we are creating these systems ourselves". 

That may be a great point, but also this could be a blinding question. Many Strong and valid questions come to mind while having such a debate. With texting, instant messaging, facebooking, and such we could possibly be hurting our ability to communicate, but we could also be enhancing it. Human beings are and always will be advancing themselves and civilization weather it's for better or worse we will continue to push forward. 

Even though technology can be used to save a dying person or enable people to talk and see each other while at opposite ends of the planet, it can also cause people to become lazy and complacent. Being that there are several positives to the rise of technology, it creates a bigger issue of sight to the realities and effects the media imposes on us. 

 Throughout history we have all been exposed to different ways of living, with this we have all been in a sense taught to act a certain way and our identities were therefore created for us the minute we were born. The main factor of this is not society but the media is the driving factor reminding us of the standards that society expects us to meet. 

According to an article by Julia T. Wood and the communication Department of North Carolina University, 

"All forms of media communicate images of the sexes, many of which perpetuate unrealistic, stereotypical, and limiting perceptions"(p. 31, Gendered Media: The Influence of Media on Views of Gender).

This article goes into great detail in regards to the history and all of the areas that women and men are effected by the media and all the issues that it affects them. These are important topics to be aware of, its important to our future and how it affects then just as much as now. Looking deeply into the business aspect of the media and sales, It is not always clear as to whom is taking a bigger hit, male or female. It may appear that woman are affected greater, but today, according to many studies and professionals this statement is being.

 To what extent does the media affect or effect us? This is a challenging question. Where and how can we hide from technology and its incredible growth? In every aspect that technology touches us, we are being effected in someway. There have been many questions about the implications media has on us. Is technology increasing, statistics of teen suicide, eating disorders, school shootings, bullying all of these types of situations can certainly be traced in some way to being or having some part of influence from the media.

 Many people rant and rave about equality and that people want to fight for an even playing field but some may argue technology has done just the opposite. Years ago people could go home and escape ridicule from classmates but now it extends to your home and computer everyday. As a hairdresser and make up artist I am shown many forms of the effects the media has pushed onto our society and it differs in each generation.

 ...Is technology good or evil? I'll leave that up to you.

Thank you for your photo; 
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