The Influence of American Media
In American society the majority of our choices, viewpoints, and principles are grounded on what our own experiences have taught us, the assumptions we make, and factual evidence we are given. During a normal day at work or at school we know what to do thanks to our experiences and studies. However, we count on the media to bring us up to date on the latest news occurring outside of our day to day life. Media provides us with both entertainment and education in this process but it also has a considerable influence on the youth and society as a whole.
During the 1960’s mass media consisted of newspapers, magazines, radio, and the television. It was a time filled with cultural, social, political, and spiritual change. American youth during the 60’s was faced by civil rights issues, the Vietnam War, cult movements and more. All of this was reported by national news groups and the most up to date form of reporting was the television. The television at this time was young and was still on its way towards becoming a household necessity. Close to the end of the 1960’s every TV broadcast was in color. The television had an overwhelming influence on public opinion by bringing scenes in the Vietnam War, political debates, and protests over equality into the homes of Americans. It played a strong role in provoking the youth upheaval that occurred during the sixties.
Over the years since the 1960’s the way media is shared has evolved in many ways. It began with the telegraph, then the radio, the newspaper, magazines, television and finally the internet. Along with its changes, the influence the media holds has increased extensively with the progression of technology. With the use of the internet, access to different news sources has grown greatly. A study conducted by the Pew Project for Excellence in Journalism took a survey over what ways the public obtains the news they read. In the article it stated that; “The 18-to-29-year-old group overwhelmingly cast their vote with the web; 65% said the Internet was their main news source.” The internet is the most time efficient form of media and appeals greatly to the current youth.
In order for everyone to keep on the right path, current society depends on information and communication along with our daily activities like our jobs, education, entertainment, etc. The information of the mass media in reporting and in advertisements has changed over the years since the 60’s and so has the mindset of the American youth. It is a subtle change and at the same time it has a profound effect on society. The youth today is still confronted with challenges like conflict in the Middle East, political happenings, and environmental issues to name a few. Yet, it appears as if there is less youth involvement in the present when compared to the 1960’s.
When ease of access and the wide variety of content are combined today, it results in the youth being informed about what they choose. In many cases, that is not about political scandal or conflicts with other nations. The youth will shy away from those topics and will show more interest in superficial articles. With the increase in media access, there is an increase in subliminal messages sent through advertisements because media gains the majority of its revenue from advertisements. They are most prevalent in entertainment like movies, television shows, and music but they appear in some news articles and hold an impact on society. Many of these messages downgrade moral principles and focus on idolizing beautiful women. Advertisements use this tactic on purpose to reach more people. The edgier the advertisement the more people it reaches which results in higher profits. Consumers are exposed to advertisements so frequently that it is unusual for them to be offended by the messages sent within the advertisement. The ideas shown in the media today are quite different than the ideas presented in the media from the 1960’s. This change in media content is one of the chief reasons that the youth of today show less concern towards being politically aware or participating in movements that benefit the nation. The American youth today have been flooded by these images and messages that promote moral decline. This negative content that promotes selfishness and apathy towards society is what is on the minds of youth today.
During the 1960’s mass media consisted of newspapers, magazines, radio, and the television. It was a time filled with cultural, social, political, and spiritual change. American youth during the 60’s was faced by civil rights issues, the Vietnam War, cult movements and more. All of this was reported by national news groups and the most up to date form of reporting was the television. The television at this time was young and was still on its way towards becoming a household necessity. Close to the end of the 1960’s every TV broadcast was in color. The television had an overwhelming influence on public opinion by bringing scenes in the Vietnam War, political debates, and protests over equality into the homes of Americans. It played a strong role in provoking the youth upheaval that occurred during the sixties.
Over the years since the 1960’s the way media is shared has evolved in many ways. It began with the telegraph, then the radio, the newspaper, magazines, television and finally the internet. Along with its changes, the influence the media holds has increased extensively with the progression of technology. With the use of the internet, access to different news sources has grown greatly. A study conducted by the Pew Project for Excellence in Journalism took a survey over what ways the public obtains the news they read. In the article it stated that; “The 18-to-29-year-old group overwhelmingly cast their vote with the web; 65% said the Internet was their main news source.” The internet is the most time efficient form of media and appeals greatly to the current youth.
In order for everyone to keep on the right path, current society depends on information and communication along with our daily activities like our jobs, education, entertainment, etc. The information of the mass media in reporting and in advertisements has changed over the years since the 60’s and so has the mindset of the American youth. It is a subtle change and at the same time it has a profound effect on society. The youth today is still confronted with challenges like conflict in the Middle East, political happenings, and environmental issues to name a few. Yet, it appears as if there is less youth involvement in the present when compared to the 1960’s.
When ease of access and the wide variety of content are combined today, it results in the youth being informed about what they choose. In many cases, that is not about political scandal or conflicts with other nations. The youth will shy away from those topics and will show more interest in superficial articles. With the increase in media access, there is an increase in subliminal messages sent through advertisements because media gains the majority of its revenue from advertisements. They are most prevalent in entertainment like movies, television shows, and music but they appear in some news articles and hold an impact on society. Many of these messages downgrade moral principles and focus on idolizing beautiful women. Advertisements use this tactic on purpose to reach more people. The edgier the advertisement the more people it reaches which results in higher profits. Consumers are exposed to advertisements so frequently that it is unusual for them to be offended by the messages sent within the advertisement. The ideas shown in the media today are quite different than the ideas presented in the media from the 1960’s. This change in media content is one of the chief reasons that the youth of today show less concern towards being politically aware or participating in movements that benefit the nation. The American youth today have been flooded by these images and messages that promote moral decline. This negative content that promotes selfishness and apathy towards society is what is on the minds of youth today.