Audience theory 2: blog tasks

Theory questions and your opinion

1) Social learning theory has been criticised for simplifying the causes of violence in society. Do you think the media is responsible for anti-social behaviour and violence?

I believe media can encourage anti-social and violent behaviour but isn't the root of it, the theory is simple and reductionist.Many different factors influence that type of behaviour.

2) How is social learning theory relevant in the digital age? Are young people now learning behaviour from social media and the internet? Give examples.

Social learning theory is relevant as behaviour is learnt through observation and imitation, in the digital age children absorb information and attitudes from a much wider variety of people with a high chance of a large percentage of that behaviour not being suitable for the youth but they imitate it and hail role models from the internet that they may identify with and aspire to be like that could encourage irresponsible and dangerous behaviour such as trends like subway surfing and hinging off high objects for attention.

3) Research three examples of moral panic from the last 50 years. To what extent was the media responsible for these moral panics? Was the concern in society justified? How have things changed as a result of these moral panics?

One example of moral panic is the satanic panic of the 1980's where society became fearful of satanic ritualistic cults taking advantage of vulnerable people and children spurred by a book by a psychologist 'Michelle Remembers' where he uses disproved recovery memory therapy to claim the existence of these cults. The media encouraged this panic by blaming the cults  on recent media especially Dungeons & Dragons. Many facts of the book were easily disproved post publication.

4) Read this introduction to an academic paper on technopanics. What examples are given of technopanics that create fear in society? If the link is blocked in school, you can access the text here.

Some examples of techno-panics in society are online child safety, digital privacy, and cyber-security.

5) Do you think the internet should be regulated? Should the government try and control what we can access online?

No,I don't believe the government should have control over media due to free speech and free press and fears about the government over censoring the media of the internet for personal gain.

6) Apply Gerbner's cultivation theory to new and digital media. Is the internet creating a fearful population? Are we becoming desensitised to online threats, trolling and abuse? Is heavy internet use something we should be worried about in society? Write a paragraph discussing these ideas.
The internet could be creating more fear due to fear-mongerers perpetuating that behaviour, its a safe space that allows for people to act any way they please, especially negatively sue to the anonymity. Heavy internet use is unhealthy for anyone and could have harmful effects on society 

The effects debate: Media Factsheet

Complete the following tasks using Media Factsheet 030 - The Effects Debate available on the Media Shared drive. You'll find it in our Media Factsheet archive: M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets. You can also access it via your school Google login here.

Read Media Factsheet 030 - Media and Audiences -The Effects Debate and answer the following questions:

1) Complete the questions in the first activity box (beginning with 'Do you play violent games? Are you violent in real life?')

I don't watch or play violent media and I'm not violent in real life, I've rarely bought products from advertisements.

2) What are the four categories for different effects theories?
The four categories are direct effect theory, diffusion theories, indirect effect theory and the pluralist approach.

3) What are the examples provided for the hypodermic needle theory - where media texts have been blamed for certain events? 

Marilyn Manson the singer was blamed for the columbine school shooting, Child’s Play was blamed for the murder of Jamie Bulger and Natural Born Killers was blamed for a number of murders committed by romantically linked couples and in one case, the director was sued for inciting violence although the court case was later dismissed.

4) What was the 1999 Columbine massacre? You may need to research this online in addition to the information on the factsheet.

The 1999 Columbine massacre was a school shooting of 13 students and one teacher and an attempted bombing, the deadliest school shooting at the time in US history.

5) What are the reasons listed on the factsheet to possibly explain the Columbine High School massacre?

The hypodermic needle theory tends to use scapegoats to the avoid the clear truth of a situation and in this case its a a punk rock artist that is alledegedly "promoting satanism and degenerate behaviour in his music".

6) How does the factsheet describe Gerbner's Cultivation theory?

Gerbner's cultivation theory is viewing how media socialises individuals attitudes rather than the content of the media itself, repeated exposure to certain ideologies has more of a lasting effect through desensitisation.

7) What does the factsheet suggest about action films and the values and ideologies that are reinforced with regards to violence?

It suggest action films have violence that audiences become desensitised to it.

8) What criticisms of direct effect theories are suggested in the factsheet?

It doesnt take into account a range of external factors that could influence audience behaviour.

9) Why might the 1970s sitcom Love Thy Neighbour be considered so controversial today? What does this tell us about Reception theory and how audiences create meanings?

It may be considered very controversial may be considered racist and offensive to modern attitudes and values.