In discussion, especially in the West, violence in the media is talked about in terms of a clear black and white dichotomy. Which I think is unhelpful.
For clarity’s sake, personally I fall down on the side that says media is a mirror rather than an arbiter of society.
Meaning media reflects our culture rather than dictating it.
But the wider discussion is always focused on either media causing problems or it being absolutely neutral. And I don’t think either is necessarily 100% accurate.
Do I think media can influence people? Of course. We wouldn’t have advertising if it didn’t. In saying that, it’s not like advertising is a mathematical formula. The result is not guaranteed. One can increase the chances of the outcome being the case, but you can’t guarantee it will be the case every single time.
Media doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It requires a broader culture for it to exist in the first place. But neither are humans born in a vacuum and media is influential for people to a certain extent. But I think that both sides are essentially taking their position to their logical extremes from the onset.
Thoughts? Opinions?
For clarity’s sake, personally I fall down on the side that says media is a mirror rather than an arbiter of society.
Meaning media reflects our culture rather than dictating it.
But the wider discussion is always focused on either media causing problems or it being absolutely neutral. And I don’t think either is necessarily 100% accurate.
Do I think media can influence people? Of course. We wouldn’t have advertising if it didn’t. In saying that, it’s not like advertising is a mathematical formula. The result is not guaranteed. One can increase the chances of the outcome being the case, but you can’t guarantee it will be the case every single time.
Media doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It requires a broader culture for it to exist in the first place. But neither are humans born in a vacuum and media is influential for people to a certain extent. But I think that both sides are essentially taking their position to their logical extremes from the onset.
Thoughts? Opinions?