Media's Role In Identity

Growing up, most students, such as I, tend to look for the meaning of life, for our
identity. We try to t and be part of a world that we are still trying to gure out. Of
course, there is no handy book with step by step instructions. We tend to just "go with
the ow." But that is where the complication comes in. What tends to "ow" nowadays
is what media says is a go. Media is so strong, so powerful that with just a couple of
viewings, a new trend could emerge. It's inuence is so great, mostly because media
seems to be everywhere today, that it could become harmful. The scary part is, it
already has become harmful and has caused many terrible things in society today. So
when Suzanne DeBrosse says that that the media's thousands of visual and verbal
messages "contain the content of our culture, and are a powerful and inuential force
in our students' lives," she has truth and accuracy.
Media can come in so many shapes and forms - from television, to music, to the
internet, and more and this continues to grow with the everyday advances of
technology. In fact, today, the average American views about 3000 ads a day. No
wonder there is such a large inuence! What's scary about this statistic is the formula
M1+M2=IT (mindlessness + multiple repetitive images = ignorant tolerance). Why is
this so important? Let me explain. Most people view ads everyday but do not
cognitively analyze what is being viewed. This is the rst part of the formula -
mindlessness. The 3000 ads that is seen everyday by each American delivers
common messages, part two of the formula - Multiple repetitive images. Add these two
things up you get an end product of ignorant tolerance. The viewer falls victim to the
messages that is given through the bright LCD screen or box of ashing lights. Sure,
this would be no problem if the messages promoted well being and safety. Instead,
common unhealthy messages are spread through media such as unhealthy love,
sexuality, and relationships.
Love, sex, and relationships are necessary elements of life. The world is built on
love, sex, and relationships. It is where reproduction comes from, which keeps the
population of animals alive, including humans. The problem is that love is no longer a
deep and sentimental feeling. Instead, it has been taken and been made shallow. A lot
of this is done through media. A study conducted in 2005 revealed that "seventy
percent of all shows have sexual content," and the number has only gone up, "from 56"
in the rst study in 1998 and 64% in 2002" and "only 1% of many shows dealing with
sex and sexuality emphasize "sexual risks or responsibilities during the episodes.
creating a at depiction of sex (Dale and Eyal, "Sex on TV 4"). With such a high volume
of accessibility to repetitive sexual values exhibited using this medium, it is no wonder
that there is a lasting effect on society.
Television is not the only medium that displays these messages. A lot of music
do as well. Even the newest songs such as Bruno Mars' "Locked Out of Heaven"
compares sex to paradise, only encouraging many to have sex. Take these statistics
now and plug it into the formula that was given earlier. It all makes sense. In all
honesty, I am a victim of this mindlessness as well, not realizing the message of the
lyrics. This lasting effect is what many teens base norms out of. It is then thought that
sex is okay and that there is no harm or consequences. Obviously, that is wrong, yet
that is what many teens grow up to think. So what? What if this is true? What if teens
grow to think these things? Well, because of this, horric things consequences
emerged in today's society such as teen pregnancy, mental instability, and STIs. In
fact, 1 out of 4 active teens are living with an STD, teens who are sexually active are
signicantly more likely to commit suicide, and teen pregnancy as increased. These
are the consequences that comes with what the media successfully inuences teens to
do. The media has that kind of power.
So then, when DeBrosse states that "our media environment is also a major
contributor" in a child's development, is she sane? YES! Debrosse understands that
media has such a large impact on many people today, especially children. It is evident
that media can inuence children widely and does not only affect certain people but
most people, me being one of them. Because of this, my thinking is challenged. Most
people think that they are not susceptible to these things but they are. So then, I try to
break down the messages that are passed on to me and analyze the truth in each
message. Media is just too powerful to not cognitively analyze the messages and it will
get to each and every person if we don't.