Response Paper 3

Chelsea Billek

September 22, 2011

SOC 1000 (06)

Response Paper 3

            Considering my busy lifestyle, I do not consider myself someone who regularly follows the media. I am lucky if I can watch my shows on television for about an hour, and usually log on to face-book once or twice through out a normal day. Although this is not much compared to others who observe several types of media daily, the social impact of these forms of broadcasting can still be very similar.

I am not a big fan of the media for many reasons. I believe most types of media, although said to be informational, are persuading you to do something that might not always be best for you. Whether it’s to buy their product or join their club, it is like an unnecessary pressure on one’s self. The only time I will look into media ads such as the ones I described is if I am genuinely interested in what they are offering. Otherwise, it is of no use to me. I watch a few select shows on television solely for entertainment purposes. Even some of the commercials that appear throughout the show seem to either be coaxing viewers or advertising things that usually are of no interest to me.

A lot of ads broadcasted on television seem to be constantly suggesting viewers to compare themselves to the actors portrayed. It’s almost a given to see a skin cream commercial promising to make you look like the model portrayed. Another example would be an energy drink ad pledging to help you to do any daily activities with ease. I find this comparable to the peer pressure one might suffer from in a social setting. I don’t think I would have such a negative outlook on these types of media if they were sincere in their word, but they are not a majority of the time.

Face-book is another form of social media. When first created, it was meant to be a social networking site to connect with friends, family, or acquaintances. In turn, from its growing popularity, it has turned into almost a virtual altar ego for some. Recently, face-book has changed the lay out of their website and that alone has become a news worthy story. The fact that a mere website has such a big impact on people’s life is unsound. Society places too much emphasis on social media and in turn, it is ruining people’s ability to interact face to face. It is also altering their perception of what is important, and what is unnecessary.

With that being said, I feel that social media goes against my norms and values. The first example that contradicts my beliefs is the tendency of the media to pressure or intimidate viewers. Whether it’s through bribes or ultimatums, I do not believe this is the right way to go about advertising anything. An advertiser should want their possible consumers to feel comfortable working with them and confident in their products abilities. Besides making viewers feel uncomfortable, I believe the media tends to lie a lot. Lying definitely goes against my norms and values and probably many other people as well. Social media has way too much of an impact on people’s life and it is taking a lot of negative tolls on society.