Does Media Matter, And Is Your Opinion On That Consistent?

[KRYPTON INC.]

Okay... First off... Let's all try and keep our heads here. Let's be civil. Let's try and not be too knee jerk.

But this is something that I think we all have to hash out on some level...



A terrible event occurs. People rush to assign blame. Even those that toe the line that "Only the perpetrator is responsible" often also throw in some kind of partial culpability to something in the culture, usually something in the media, whether online, video games, music, movies, TV shows.

The reaction comes swiftly. People line up to defend the cultural products. "Video games/music/films as a scapegoat is just wrong. It doesn't have the cause and effect critics claim." Within this defense is an argument that these cultural products don't have any kind of deep impact to society at large.

However... Many of the same people that will scoff at the idea that media like film or TV and video games have no measurable impact will also be the first to proffer and opinion that there should be say, more diverse casting and characters in film and TV and video games. "Representation matters" is a common refrain. They'll be the first ones to complain about how a segment of society is represented in media and take various products to task for imparting in their opinion "problematic" or negative, or harmful messages.

I think we can see where I am going... What is your take? Is there an impact or not? If you think that media can in fact impact the human psyche to a degree that you support and rally around the cause of representation and feel that stories in various media can indeed affect things negatively then isn't there a point to questions of media content? If you are a person that chafes against the push for diversity in casting and feel that all the controversy over "the message" of media products is overblown, but you think that somehow "gangsta rap" or "violent games" is contributing negatively to society how do you square that circle?

Is there a reasonable position that can claim that say, video games/movies/music etc. ARE being scapegoated but at the same time that it is reasonable to question the content we all, young and old, shove into our consciousness at an alarming rate, indeed imbibing messages both overt and subtle?

Is there a consistent opinion to be had, or is it okay to be somewhat hypocritical since these are complicated questions of the interplay between cultural products and the individual in society in the first place?

Discuss.

 

[Lighthouse]

I think the "media" as a concept has been made a very useful scapegoat and rhetorical device for those who need something to blame. It's great because you don't have to be precise or thoughtful about where the blame really lies, and it's such a generalized target that it's more difficult to counter-argue against.. Fox News does it all the time. They'll cherry pick some article some one wrote, and use it to represent all of the "left-wing media".

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

I think the "media" as a concept has been made a very useful scapegoat and rhetorical device for those who need something to blame. It's great because you don't have to be precise or thoughtful about where the blame really lies, and it's such a generalized target that it's more difficult to counter-argue against.. Fox News does it all the time. They'll cherry pick some article some one wrote, and use it to represent all of the "left-wing media".

There's no doubting that the Right does it all the time. You know my views on the reactionary types in the U.S.

That said... Let's not pretend the Left doesn't do it in their own ways. As stated, you have people taking cultural products like TV shows, films and video games for issues relating to said products lack of diversity in characters and performers or how these things portray women or non-whites. When it comes to those aspects you'll find a lot of folk that will believe that the output of these cultural products has some kind of concrete affect and campaign for changes to their content.

 

[Donner]

I think media has a lot more influence when parenting takes a back seat. It starts young and if parents don't talk to their children about the images and content they see on TV and read on the internet, then kids will fill in the blanks themselves and turn into adults watching Fox & Friends.

 

[writer0327]

Media absolutely matters. Entertainment, whether books, TV or movies, and news reporting have always been used as vehicles to drive agendas and propaganda and until people can think for themselves, that is the way it will remain. If you don't raise children to be independent thinkers, it leaves them to be extremely susceptible to ideologies, and no one should be ran by an ideology, regardless of if it comes from the left or the right. That's another problem. People are too busy identifying themselves, joining a camp, picking a side, when the reality is most people are somewhere in the middle, conservative on some things and liberal on others. But because we cannot think for ourselves, we join the outrage crowd of our choice. And that's how the media becomes a problem. Since about the 80s we are a society raised on TV. Tyler Durden said it best, we are an entire generation raised by television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires and rock stars. Today's young adult is a disillusioned mess and easily led astray by pundits on talking pictures.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

Media absolutely matters. Entertainment, whether books, TV or movies, and news reporting have always been used as vehicles to drive agendas and propaganda and until people can think for themselves, that is the way it will remain. If you don't raise children to be independent thinkers, it leaves them to be extremely susceptible to ideologies, and no one should be ran by an ideology, regardless of if it comes from the left or the right. That's another problem. People are too busy identifying themselves, joining a camp, picking a side, when the reality is most people are somewhere in the middle, conservative on some things and liberal on others. But because we cannot think for ourselves, we join the outrage crowd of our choice. And that's how the media becomes a problem. Since about the 80s we are a society raised on TV. Tyler Durden said it best, we are an entire generation raised by television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires and rock stars. Today's young adult is a disillusioned mess and easily led astray by pundits on talking pictures.

But on the question at hand... Rather than an all sides are the same rant.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

I think media has a lot more influence when parenting takes a back seat. It starts young and if parents don't talk to their children about the images and content they see on TV and read on the internet, then kids will fill in the blanks themselves and turn into adults watching Fox & Friends.

Not that I am saying it's the end all be all on these issues but if what you say is true then doesn't it follow that those pointing out the influence of TV, films and yes, video games, have a point?

As an example, many women who are the audience of video games have complaints about the portrayal of female characters, especially in terms of their design. If a bad message is believed to be being transmitted in terms of female portrayals in games why is it impossible to then also think that games are having a negative effect in terms of violence?

I mean, I don't think it's a coincidence that reactionaries often use the term NPC to describe those they view as overly PC or Liberal/Progressive online.

Which isn't to say I am saying definitively that video games are the cause of violence either. It's just that if the Left can look at various cultural outputs and divine negative messages in terms of portrayals of women and minorities or believe that more diversity in terms of representation is a net positive then why can't others view various media as also having negative effects on the individual and society?

 

[writer0327]

But on the question at hand... Rather than an all sides are the same rant.

I thought the question at hand was "Does media matter? And is my opinion consistent in that regards?" Yes it matters, for good, bad, or whatever. It shouldn't, but it does.

My point addresses the "why". I think the key component is human fragility. People "need" heroes and villains and the media provides. For example, I should not need to see a black man in a story to get something out of the story or relate to that character's journey. A violent video game with half-naked women characters shouldn't inspire me to go out and commit atrocities anymore than it should affect societal impressions of women because characters is scantily dressed....nor should it affect a young girl's perception of herself. But because humanity is psychologically susceptible to outside influences, I absolutely believe that violent video games do influence people as much as positive portrayals of men, women and children in TV, movies, games, etc.

In short, media matters because we don't train our children right.

 

[Donner]

Not that I am saying it's the end all be all on these issues but if what you say is true then doesn't it follow that those pointing out the influence of TV, films and yes, video games, have a point?

As an example, many women who are the audience of video games have complaints about the portrayal of female characters, especially in terms of their design. If a bad message is believed to be being transmitted in terms of female portrayals in games why is it impossible to then also think that games are having a negative effect in terms of violence?

I mean, I don't think it's a coincidence that reactionaries often use the term NPC to describe those they view as overly PC or Liberal/Progressive online.

Which isn't to say I am saying definitively that video games are the cause of violence either. It's just that if the Left can look at various cultural outputs and divine negative messages in terms of portrayals of women and minorities or believe that more diversity in terms of representation is a net positive then why can't others view various media as also having negative effects on the individual and society?

I do think violent video games have an influence on certain people. I think the reason why other countries don't have the same gun issues as the US is because a) their society is better and has better ideals and b) they don't have the same access to high powered weapons.

Banning violent video games won't do **** given that there are also violent movies and it seems like violence is encouraged in the US. Gun control is absolutely necessary to curb mass shootings, but it'll take more to stamp out the violent tendencies of young white men. You can't ban all violence but I think the US needs to shift from it's punishment and retribution style of dealing with things and try to be more effing calm.

I believe the police in Sweden don't carry guns (or maybe Norway, I'm not sure), but the point is that teaching methods of solving a problem that doesn't resort to violence should be a priority from kids to police to prison guards.

 

[Schlosser85]

No one’s opinion on hardly anything is consistent. What matters is being true to your own internal consistency. Your internal motivation, as it were.

 

[JimThompson]

I think it might be useful for you to better define what you mean by "media." Are you rolling up everything out there into the term, or do you have a specific sub-set you are thinking about?

Anyway, there are a great number of theories out there discussing some of this (over 300 at the moment.) Cultivation Theory, Uses and Gratification Theory, and Agenda Setting Theory are just a few. Most have something useful to say about what I think you want to discuss.

 

[NHawk19]

Of course media matters, and helps shape beliefs. Moving beyond US politics. TV & Radio since their inception can distribute tons of propaganda and spread ideas and information fast. Governments continue to put out information that way. Institutions use film radio and tv to distribute their beliefs, etc.

The internet makes that even faster and allows for "credible" sources to influence how stories move around. Example. If your friend reads a story on social media and likes it, or starts a rumor, or says hey you've got to see this blah blah. You'll tend to trust them as a source and believe them whether it's correct information or not and then things spread like wild fire. It's also a social condition used for phishing scams.

Media Content deals with 2 things exposure levels, and the need to fill air time. Starting with exposure, people susceptible to influence will believe what they see or want to follow their favorite character quickly. Continued exposure can also ramp up a belief and effect a persons outlook. Often times I refer to it as the burden of knowledge, meaning if you grow and focus your knowledge about the bad stuff around you that's all you start to see. Example a pediatric doctor who does a lot of G.I. work, may cut up food smaller for their kids to reduce chocking hazards because at work all day they see kids who ate to fast or swallowed something whole. On a more negative note people constantly exposed to hate speech may focus on what they've been told about particular races, religions, etc and set out to harm them.

The need to fill time is even more dangerous because now you get people on air speculating about everything, and you've go potentially improperly vetted "experts" and "facts" used while weighing in on topics and selling opinions as facts. (Baba booey anyone?) Eventually people become exposed to the improper items, and it can often times become a case of facts getting in the way of a good story. Notice how little coverage retractions, and/or corrections get. Instead people offer a blip then they move on to the next story and handle it in the same manner.

My opinion. All Media can be dangerous, and is moving too fast. We need coverage on major issues, but it needs to be more responsible. Knee jerk reactions need better evaluation and we also need to be cognizant of what we consume so we don't become to callous to reasonable discourse and debate or to disengaged with the world around us.