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?
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.
5) Do you think the internet should be regulated? Should the government try and control what we can access online?
1) Complete the questions in the first activity box (beginning with 'Do you play violent games? Are you violent in real life?')
3) What are the examples provided for the hypodermic needle theory - where media texts have been blamed for certain events?
4) What was the 1999 Columbine massacre? You may need to research this online in addition to the information on the factsheet.
6) How does the factsheet describe Gerbner's Cultivation theory?
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 do not think that it should be blamed entirely for violent behaviour, but I think it does have an effect/influence people to an extent.
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.
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.
Yes, I do think that this theory is still relevant today as 'trends' causes young people to copy what they see online. While this may seem that it is not a big issue, it can become a bigger issue when people begin to copy more violent 'trends.' An example of how this is dangerous is shown through the recent story of 12 year old Archie Battersbee who died from a TikTok challenge.
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?
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?
In early 2018, a challenge came about where people were consuming tide pods. This became more popular through the use of social media. This caused moral panic, as tide pods contain poisonous substances and is dangerous. This resulted in the company addressing the issue and social medias like Facebook and YouTube began to take down/restrict videos of people consuming tide pods.
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.
5) Do you think the internet should be regulated? Should the government try and control what we can access online?
Internet should be regulated for younger children by their parents, however I don't think that the government should be able to control what we access. This is too dictating and can easily be used against us so we are only fed the information they want us to hear.
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.
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.
I do not think that we are becoming more susceptible to the media, I just think that there is more of it. The internet allows for us to use skills of factchecking and forming our own opinion instead of just relying on one source. I also disagree with the population being more fearful as a bad thing as they have a right to be. With the media covering more criminal issues it bring awareness to this and makes people more cautious. I do not think we are becoming desensitised as there are still many young people who are victims of cyberbullying which can lead to suicide in some cases. Heavy internet usage can cause issues as we don't want the digital world to 'take over.' Having a good balance between the two is important.
Media Factsheet 030 - Media and Audiences - The Effects Debate
1) Complete the questions in the first activity box (beginning with 'Do you play violent games? Are you violent in real life?')
1) No
2) Yes - mainly through social media
3) No
2) What are the four categories for different effects theories?
2) What are the four categories for different effects theories?
- • Direct Effect Theories
- • Diffusion Theories
- • Indirect Effect Theories
- • The Pluralist Approach
3) What are the examples provided for the hypodermic needle theory - where media texts have been blamed for certain events?
• Child’s Play – The murder of Jamie Bulger
• Marilyn Manson – The Columbine High School shootings
• Natural Born Killers – A number of murders committed by romantically linked couples.
4) What was the 1999 Columbine massacre? You may need to research this online in addition to the information on the factsheet.
On the 20th April 1999 there was a school shooting in Columbine High School.
5) What are the reasons listed on the factsheet to possibly explain the Columbine High School massacre?
5) What are the reasons listed on the factsheet to possibly explain the Columbine High School massacre?
- The ease of access to firearms and the social acceptance of gun ownership
- The alienation felt by teenagers who felt as though they did not fit in
- The hopelessness caused by living in an area where unemployment was high and was economically disadvantaged
- The general desensitisation caused by access to a range of violent images: film, TV, the news, the internet
6) How does the factsheet describe Gerbner's Cultivation theory?
The theory considers the way media affects our attitudes rather than behaviour.
The key ideas are that:
- Through repetition attitudes, ideas and values may become normalised or naturalised; they are accepted rather than considered
- Through repetition the audience may become desensitised towards negative and/or violent representations
7) What does the factsheet suggest about action films and the values and ideologies that are reinforced with regards to violence?
Action films contain good violence (accepted) and bad violence (must be punished). The texts do not encourage the audience to question the values presented, as are lead to agree with the violence due to the hero's motivations.
8) What criticisms of direct effect theories are suggested in the factsheet?
8) What criticisms of direct effect theories are suggested in the factsheet?
People respond differently to media texts and images and the environment we are in may be a part of that too.
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?
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 is now seen as racist and offensive as due to the change in times there has been a change in the audience's attitudes and values.
10) What examples are provided for Hall's theory of preferred, negotiated and oppositional readings?
10) What examples are provided for Hall's theory of preferred, negotiated and oppositional readings?
- the dominant reading - an acceptance of the intended meaning
- a negotiated reading - a broad acceptance of the intended meaning but with some personal modification
- an oppositional reading - an understanding of the intended meaning but a rejection of it in favour of one created by the individual
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