A2 Sociology
The significance of the media –
Optimistic Vs Pessimistic view

Optimistic Vs Pessimistic
Pessimism
Optimism

Views on the media
There is a lot of debate about the new media and its significance in contemporary society.
• Some have an optimistic view seeing the media as playing a positive role in society
• Others have a pessimistic view seeing the media as playing a negative role in society.

Optimist view of the Media
• What would an optimist say about the Media?

Widening consumer choice
• There now hundreds of digital cables and satellite TV channels, websites and online newspapers for people to choose from
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkWViQL
MjSM

More media user participation
• Interactive digital TV, blogging and citizen journalism, video and photo sharing websites like YouTube, and social networking sites like
MySpace are all giving consumers more opportunities to participate in using and producing media content.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0VOM7e
5Hug

Greater democracy
• There is now a wide range of news sources and a vast ocean of information available to all. More people not just large media corporation have the opportunity to communicate with waste numbers of people.
• Social movement and campaigns through blogging, email and website to spread their ideas and build up support.

Access to all kinds of information and a global village
• Everyone has access to huge amounts of information and high culture which were formerly limited to educated elites.

World as a global village
• McLuhan (1962) - global village can be used to describe how the electronic mass media collapse space and time barriers in human communications (satellite technology and time barriers in communications)
• New media promotes cultural diversity reducing national barriers between local and global which effectively allow people from different cultures to connect.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=backsHLqsIk

Social life and social interaction
• The media have opened up new channels for communication and interaction , enhancing or supplementing face to face interaction.

Social life and social interaction
• Factors such as gender, age, ethnicity and social class might mean that once in the “real world” those conversation might have been avoided can now take place in the virtual world.
• Why do you think that might be ?

Some figures .... Users per month
MySpace:
• 109 million
Facebook:
• 86 million,
Bebo:
• 21 million

Alloy Marketing Firm (2007)
• Use of Bebo, MySpace, Facebook:
– 96% of teens (8-12),
– 70% of young adults (16-24),
– 40% of adults (24 and above).

North Africa
• Use of Twitter & Facebook to co-ordinate demonstrations in North Africa

Wiki leeks?

What’s your opinion about the topic covered ?

Extension activity
• Create revision notes of what you have learned in the last two sessions.

Mass Media
Pessimistic views of the new media

Pessimistic views of the new media
What are some of the negative views sociologists have when looking at the concept of mass media ?

Boyle (2007)
• Argues that the media for young people has been a cultural and symbolic battlefield over image, identity, difference, and being cool.
• What aspects of the media do you think influence young people according to Boyle?

Boyle (2007)
• Media specifically the internet has changed the consumption among young people (16-
24),
• Internet is an integral part of their entertainment and social networking through various user generated sites and online communities.

Media imperialism
• The suggestion that the new media particularly satellite television and global advertising have led to the Westernisation of other cultures, Western (especially American) cultural values are forced on non Western cultures leading to the undermining of local cultures.

Media imperialism task
• You will be shown three videos which depict the concept of media imperialism,
• Make notes of examples picked up in the videos which depict the concept of
imperialism.

Visual images....
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gbw6m2 hX60
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmXUmdr hAIk

Threat to democracy
• Transnational corporations like Microsoft,
Google, Yahoo, Vodafone, and New
Corporations control the internet technology, the satellite channels and mobile networks.
• This poses a threat to democracy and enhances power of the already powerful as more and more of what we know is dominated and controlled by global corporation.
• EG –Google China, government censorship

Lack of regulation
• The global nature of the new media such as the internet and satellite broadcasting means that there is a lack of regulation by national bodies like Ofcom.
• This means that undesirable things such as internet crime, paedophilia, pornography, violence and racism can thrive virtually unchecked.

OFCom
• The regulating body who is in charge of ensuring that no offensive materials are broadcast or published through new media.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUnfvr57u ck&feature=related

No real increase in consumer choice
• Poorer quality of media content which is dumbed down in order to attract large audiences, much of the same content on different channels and endless repeats,
• replacement of hard news by infotainment
(information wrapped up to entertain) such as celebrity based programmes.

Worst TV show on tv?
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivreJNB_5 k0&NR=1

Undermining of human relationships and communities
• Increase in social isolation due to solitary electronic media
• Loss of social capital (social networks of influence and support people have)

Addicted to the internet
• http://www.netaddiction.com/index.php?opti
on=com_bfquiz&view=onepage&catid=46&Ite mid=106

Digital divide
• Not everyone has access to all new media, there is digital divide between those who can and those who cant afford it,
• This creates national and global inequalities and a new digital underclass whose members are excluded from the alleged benefit of the new media.

Complete your worksheet
• Read the digital divide box and write a summary the information in the box on your worksheet

Articulate cards
• Create your set of articulate cards by writing down key terminology