Audience theory 2

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 don't think the media is responsible for violence or anti social behaviour as people don't just consume the media blindly for it to effect that in this way. People are violent due to other factors in there life but vicariously learning behaviour does play a factor just not as big or important as i think social learning theory does.

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.

In this digital age people have access to the internet and social media at young ages and sometimes can be unsupervised. A child may adopt certain behaviour through social media where they might gain a bad role model who they want to aspire to be.

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?

One example of moral panic was definetely covid 19's outbreak with it creating chaos within almost everyones lives with how we work what we do and how we interact with people. The corona virus has caused us to have reevaluate everything but I believe it's mostly justified due to the dangers of not responding in such a way making us take precautions like wearing a mask cleaning our hands more often and social distancing.

Another moral panic that the media covered would be the clown fiasco back in 2016 where there seemed to be a bunch of people going around dressed as clowns attempting to scare or get a reaction from people. The media escalated people's fears about them which further increased there appearances as they rised raised popularity.

4) What examples are given of techno panics that create fear in society?

A techno panic could be knowing that most of what we are doing online has the possibility of being watching and surveyed by others.

5) Do you think the internet should be regulated? Should the government try and control what we can access online?

No i don't think the internet needs to be regulated as it restricts the freedom everyone has with it despite most people not using it in a malicious way. If the government controlled everything on the internet then our privacy would also be at risk even if this helps stop crime on a whole new level.

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?

People are less fearful of the online nowadays. Most people know what to expect when going on apps or social media platforms. This has desensitized us from real threats as we just normalize them and get on with whatever we were doing. By going online people might adopt certain behaviours but I dont believe it creates a fearful demeanor towards our views on the world in fact it might just make us understand it a bit more.

1) I play violent video games but i do not believe myself to be a violent individual. Sometimes I do look online or on a television and see a product that I would like for myself. and i have also watched a documentary which has drawn my attention to an issue that I wasn't too invested in.

2) 

• Direct effect theories: They view the media as having a direct effect on ideas attitudes and behaviours of the audiences.
• Diffusion theories: These ideas focus on the influence the media may have but concentrate on the personalised way audiences access texts and consider the influence other people may have.
• Indirect effect theories: They acknowledge that the media may affect people but focuses on the fact that people respond differently to media texts and images and the environments we are in may be a part of that too.
• Pluralism: It sees media institutions as free to present whatever point of view they wish and audiences being free to choose from the ideas and representations available. They don't see the audience as a manipulated mass but as individuals. This however has a few unrealistic assumptions like: all social groups are catered to by the media, Economic restrictions do not lead to bias, All members of a society share a number of values which are simple reflected by the media.  

3. One of the examples would be child play: the murder of jamie bulgari.

4. The Columbine massacre is when there was school shooting in america which led to the deaths of 15 people.

5 A reason why the shooters could have committed such crimes could have been the desensitization of violence through the media they consumed (e.g video games) which led to be able to view people and life in such a way as if they're lives didnt matter. 

6. The cultivation theory is what affects peoples attitudes towards people and life which can cause us to feel many emotions and mostly fear.

7. Action movies make violence seem normal and as glorifies the behaviour which might cause people to imitate things they view from it.

8. Problems with direct effect theory.

• Simplistic 
• Assumes all audiences are passive and accept the media consumed.

9. Reception theory is definitely right about people responding to media in different ways due to our morals and beliefs as the sitcom love thy neighbour was racist but watched by many but if it were to air today it would instantly be criticised for this.

10. Prefered reading: acceptance of the intended meaning.

Negotiated reading: an acceptance of the intended meaning but with moral modification.

Oppositional reading: An understanding of the intended meaning but a rejection of itself