What is the media?

Mass media is generally believed to influence people.

But what is the media? And how it influences our minds?

Mass media refers to communication devices, which can be used to communicate with a large number of people in different languages and influence what they do or think.

Be it the pictorial messages of the early ages, or the high-technology media that are available today, one thing that we all agree upon, is that: we cannot live without mass media as it follows us like a shadow.

The mass media is used by the masses for the following basic purposes:

·                   To get news and information.

·                   For entertainment, i.e. music, movies and sports.

·                   For communicating with other people.

According to the above purposes, there are three broad categories of mass media:

Publishing Media

The publishing media is the oldest form of mass media. This media includes newspapers, magazines, booklets and brochures, periodicals or newsletters, handbills or flyers, billboards, press releases, and books.

The concept of books is not new.

It is believed that the first ever book in the world was printed in 863 AD in China.

Newspapers are also not new. They were developed during the 17thcentury in England and by the 19thcentury were common mass media.

However, it is true that, print media harms the environment with its requirement for paper and chemical ink.

Nowadays the electronic media have replaced the print media. Most of the people today have television sets, and Internet access which are eco-friendly and cheap forms of communication.

Moreover, print is a one-way communication, while electronic media allows interaction.

Outdoor media―consists of signs, billboards, and placards used in several places to spread a common message.

Broadcasting Media

The broadcasting media includes radio and television.

These two media are probably the most highlighted inventions of the 20^th century. The invention of radio changed the face of the earth forever.

People could now hear news from around the world live sitting at their homes.

With the invention of television people could not only hear the news but they could also see it.

Drama and plays were transformed into movies, films, and tele serials to be displayed on TV.

Sports were also recorded or broadcasted live via radios and televisions. People don’t have to go to stadiums and buy tickets to watch a match of their favorite sport.

Similarly, music videos, sitcoms, various talk shows started to become popular on televisions.

Today the broadcasting media is the most popular media amongst the masses.

The Electronic Media

The electronic media is the new age media which includes computers, mobile phones and Internet. Internet has opened up several new opportunities for mass communication which include email, websites, podcasts, e-forums, e-books, blogging, Internet TV, and many others, which are booming today.

If you want to search for something Google finds it for you in less than a second.

Mobile phones have become a boon to mankind. It has made communication possible at any time…

But this gadget has a bad influence on health.

Some staticstics claim that if you place three phones round the egg and start calling about five minutes, this egg will be cooked.

Perhaps, computer is the most important invention of them all. With the invention of computers, the impossible has become possible.

It is the best source of information, entertainment, and inspiration. It provides us with effective means of communication, making the world a smaller place.

Mass media is a double-edged sword. It influences our behavior both positively and negatively.

Blind Imitation

It is often seen that young girls and boys imitate celebrities blindly.

children and teenagers, are highly influenced by anything that is put before them in a jazzy way. At that age, they are attracted to anything that’s flashy and anything that can make news.

The impact of media is such that the wrong, the controversial, and the bad is more talked about than healthy and good.

Wrong Message

For example, the negative effects of addiction are portrayed through advertisements. But unfortunately sometimes there is a section positively influenced by the media while there are others who take the wrong message from it.

Parents and teachers have a big role to play in selecting what the young should see and what they should not.

Negativity

Haven’t you had experiences of a bad dream after watching a violent movie? Or of imagining something scary happening to you after watching a horror film?

The negative feelings can impact not just children’s but even an adult’s mind.

The reality should be depicted but not so gaudily that it’ll have a lasting impact on people’s minds.

Unhealthy Lifestyle

Media is responsible for the change in eating habits of teenagers and their unhealthy lifestyle. Why? Well, because there are these junk food advertisements everywhere. There’s no one advertising the benefits of eating fresh fruit every day, no one’s promoting drinking 8 glasses of water daily.

Watching TV or surfing the net late night is spoiling the sleeping habits of many. You may also experience eye problems.

The media portrays thin as beautiful and fat as ugly. And a lot of people with not-so-perfect bodies have eating disorders.

Information Overload

When you are not watching TV, you are surfing the Internet, when you are not on the web, you are reading newspapers, when you are not reading anything, you are listening to something. Thus, all the time, you are glued to some form of media. 
Media is everywhere.

Right-or-Wrong Dilemma

The media is constantly bombarding us with information. it is hard to distinguish between right and wrong. And that’s how impactive media is.

It’s not possible to isolate yourself completely from the effects of media. And there are so many things you see around you, without choosing to watch them.

Don’t believe everything you see/hear without thinking.

Don’t let the media influence you to do the wrong things.