Lecture Notes: Understanding Media Effects

Introduction

Media affects our moods significantly.
Different experiences from consuming dark thrillers, government meetings, and cute kitten compilations.
Communication experts study theories on how media impacts emotions.

Early theories viewed media effects as strong and predictable.
Hypodermic Needle Theory: Media injected into audiences like a vaccine, causing uniform effects.
Assumptions: Sad news = sadness; positive ads = desire to purchase.

Shift in media landscape with the advent of niche internet media.
Differential Susceptibility to Media Effects Model (2013): Developed by Patty Valkenburg and Johan Peter.
- Recognizes individual differences in response to media based on life experiences.
- More nuanced than the hypodermic needle theory.

Dispositional Susceptibility: Influence based on personal values and moods.
Developmental Susceptibility: Impact varies with age; e.g., children vs. teenagers react differently to scary scenes.
Social Susceptibility: Influence from peers and social context.
- Example: Religious upbringing alters reactions to media references.

Cognitive Response States: How we engage with media based on attention span and thought processes.
- Short attention spans may reduce media effect.
Emotional Response States: Feelings of empathy/sympathy towards characters can enhance media impact.
- Example: Losing a pet may intensify the emotional response to a sad movie about a dog.
Excitative Response States: Physical reactions to media, like fight-or-flight responses during breaking news.

Both susceptibilities and response states predict media use and moderate its effects.
- Example: A person with a short attention span may avoid long books or political meetings.
Unique personal backgrounds shape media reactions:
- A kickboxing family vs. a musician family will react differently to violence in media.
Reciprocal Causal Effect: Media choices influence susceptibilities and responses over time.

Jocelyn, 14, gets her first cell phone and downloads a social media app.
Initially seeks connection but encounters negative content.
Experiences mood swings and irritability due to media consumption.
Implements changes:
- Restricts feed to friends only.
- Uses a timer for social media use.
Gains self-awareness and manages her media consumption effectively.

Understanding media effects helps in making informed choices about media engagement.
Encourages self-analysis and recognizing how media impacts personal relationships and moods.
Develop a clearer language around media preferences for better communication with others.

Media affects everyone differently, but underlying patterns exist.
Recognizing personal susceptibility and response states aids in better communication and media consumption choices.
Importance of awareness in navigating the complexities of media's impact on our lives.
Encouragement to subscribe for more educational content on human communication.