Mass Media and Its Societal Impact 📺

Definition and Overview

• Mass Media: Dissemination of information within a culture
  • Includes print media (books, newspapers, magazines)
  • Includes digital media (TV, movies, radio, internet)
• Consumption Variability: Changes across cultures and age groups
  • Example: Grandmother uses TV and newspapers; younger generations use online sources

Functionalist Perspective

• Entertainment: Major function of mass media is to provide entertainment and occupy leisure time
• Socialization and Social Norms: Acts as an agent of socialization by reinforcing societal norms
  • Standardized view of society
  • Collective experiences (e.g., watching the Olympics)
• Community and Connectivity: Brings people together (e.g., online communities focused on various interests)
• Expectations and Morality: Informs societal expectations by rewarding and punishing certain behaviors
  • Example: Criminal behavior often discussed in terms of justice
• Consumer Culture: Promotes consumer culture through advertisements
  • Example: Children see 20,000 commercials per year on TV (increasing over time)

Conflict Perspective

• Reflections of Divisions: Media may exacerbate societal divisions (race, ethnicity, gender, social class)
  • Gatekeeping: Small number of people/corporations control material in media
    • Example: Movies, TV shows, newspaper articles
  • Ideology: Reflects dominant ideology and privileges certain social, economic, and political interests
• Minority Representation: Underrepresentation and stereotypical portrayals of minority groups
  • Predominantly white, male, and wealthy gatekeepers
  • Issues of tokenism and lack of genuine diversity

Feminist Perspective

• Gender Representation: Stereotypes and misrepresents society from a dominant ideology perspective
  • Women underrepresented in media content
  • Men as normal, women as 'other'
  • Stereotypical gender roles and depictions (e.g., women as victims, men as aggressors)
  • Increased likelihood of women being sexualized and objectified

Interactionist Perspective

• Micro Level Focus: Examines day-to-day behavior influenced by media
  • Blurs lines between solitary and group activities (e.g., watching movies in theaters)
  • Connections and communication evolve over time (e.g., from phone calls to text messages and emails)
• Changing Relationships: Methods of meeting people (e.g., romantic partners) have evolved (e.g., online dating)