Category: Media Influence

Mass media is today’s greatest indispensable tool of socialization. It plays a crucial role in helping society interact, collaborate and propagate ideas and opinions to the mass audience on a day to day basis. Major platforms of mass media used commonly to distribute information is through newspapers, television, radio and the internet. There is no doubt, that mass media has an immense influence around the world and it impacts people’s thoughts, views, and decisions. However, this has led to the rise of cynicism towards media and for good reasons because the disadvantages of media seems to outweigh the advantages.

People regularly depend on the media to dish out factual news but this is not always the case because mass media overall is subjected to propaganda, lies and biases. While some news outlets are found to be trustworthy but others, not so much. The audience end up with one side of the story than both because it is purposefully skewed by the powerful figures operating behind the scenes. This quote adequately exposes how the news is exploited to the advantage of powerful figures such as the political parties. Thus, it leads to the widespread of deception and misinterpretation of information and reports. The audience are none the wiser to see through the lack of authenticity and how their public opinion is constantly being shaped by influential organizations and advertisers.

Perhaps one of the most concerning negative impact of the mass media is the decrease in productivity, critical thinking and problem solving skills. Social media, a popular platform of mass media, is ever the notorious for succeeding in distracting people from their point of focus. Scientist claim that the constant distraction and the feed of excess information is costing our brains the ability to think in depth and our long term memory is rarely enhanced. Thus, Carr’s statement confirms that although multitasking is typically linked to positive connotation, it does a great deal of harm to our mind, such as undermining its ability to stimulate brain development. It is like alcohol, with an addiction to distraction and consuming too much is fatal to the mind.

Furthermore, along with the decrease in productivity, mass media is also disconnecting us from the real word. We have a better personal connection to our phones than our families and friends. This is especially detrimental for the younger generation who are willing to have a relationship with machines readily than have any seldom of interaction with people face to face. Social media is a double edged sword. on one hand, its our loyal fan that we can depend on to be there anywhere and anytime; on the other edge, its slowly and surely pulling us into isolation.

The influence of Mass Media is extensive around the world but its disadvantages outweigh the advantages. Technology is rapidly changing the way people view the world and there is endless possibilities of obtaining information instantly and effortlessly. However, media is constantly manipulating society and causing people to lose connection with the real world as well as reducing their productivity. To prevent these negative factors from having a permanent effect on our thoughts and behavior, we should train ourselves to be less obsessed with social media and use it for a minimum amount of time daily. We should also dedicate our undivided attention to procuring deeper connection and meaningful conversation in person.

‘Is Google Making Us Stupid’ by Nicholas Carr, it expresses how technology has affected our lives and changing the way we think and process things. It is also argues how the advancement of technology has affected our ability to read long pieces or to be able to keep information for a long period of time. The article exposes to what degree the Internet has affected our attention span and society. In addition, Carr uses the rhetorical strategies to try to persuade the readers into believing that the Internet affecting humans in a harmful way. He use rhetorical devices to help him achieve his argument by, playing with the reader’s emotions, using research, and his and other’s experiences. Carr uses these strategies to try to convince the readers that today’s technology has been damaging our thinking and learning processes.

Carr begins the article with a quote from ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ showing the comparison to technology to humans. Thus showing that the technological advances of today, is diminishing the line between humans and computers. Carr then continues to put fear into the reader’s mind by stating how the founders of Google, are trying to attach artificial intelligence to people’s minds. Connecting this to the character mentioned in ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’, since it was a computer but could feel like a human. Carr then expresses how something like this would be “unsettling” relating to the reader’s emotions. As well, “the human brain is just an outdated computer that needs a faster processor and a bigger hard drive”. By comparing the human brain to a computer, the reader is expose to the idea of computers “taking over”. The thought of being taken over is terrifying, therefore making it an example of pathos. The article make the reader’s fell worried or scared, when expressing how the internet has invaded majority of the human’s life and time. Carr also uses imagery to attract the reader. An example of this would be when he talks about the way he loses focus in a text and that he feels like he is “dragging his wayward brain back” to whatever he was reading. Carr uses this metaphor, to show the reader how difficult it is for him to stay focused on a reading. By appealing to the readers imagination and touching the readers emotion Carr is trying to achieve the purpose of convincing the reader of the unhealthy growth in technology.

Carr then goes on to describe the positive ways the Internet has influenced his life. But then states, “But that boon comes at a price,” showing that there is a price to pay for the Internet. Carr then states that the Internet is causing people to want fast information, instead of reading long pieces of information. Carr speaks through his own experience as well. For instance, he states that “the Net is becoming a universal medium” for him, showing the reader that Carr is just like any other person who uses the Internet. By stating this, the reader can see that Carr can relate to the difficulty states in his article. In addition, Carr states that everyone has stopped reading books and articles including those who write them due to the Internet. For example, “Scott Karp, who writes a blog about online media recently confessed that he has stopped reading books altogether’. Therefore , Scott Karp is experiencing exactly what Carr has experienced. Because Carr shows that he is not the only one experiencing this, the reader can be convinced that this others are experiencing his issue. This causes the reader to relate and trust Carr’s experiences, appealing to ethos.

However, Carr also provides different studies and experiments in order to appeal to logos. For example, he writes about a “study of online research habits, conducted by scholars from University College London”. Carr is using this as evidence to support his argument. Carr focuses on that people don’t read like they used to due to the speed of the internet. Carr states that, “research that once required days in the stacks or periodical room of libraries can now be done in minutes. A few google searches, some quick clicks on hyperlinks and I’ve got the telltale fact or pithy quote I was after”. He uses logo to show the advancement of google and the internet compare to the days before computers. Carr also uses metaphors to appeal to logos. For example, Carr writes about how the clock causes us to stop “listening to our senses” and start “obeying the clock”. Even though the clock is not the Internet, his shows how advance technology has affected us. Therefore, Carr shows that new technology really does change the mind. This helps achieve Carr’s purpose since the Internet is a new technology, it begins to control us just like clocks have.

Nicholas Carr uses three rhetorical devices to help achieve his argument: Ethos, Logos and Pathos. The rhetorical devices ethos is allows there to be a connection with the reader and he author by providing example that the readers can relate to. However Logos is presented most in this article since it contains a lot of supporting information and references. Logo is presented to often in the article that it results in the reputation of information. By repeating so much supporting information, it will cause hem to really think about Carr’s argument. Pathos was developed through the use of installing fear into the reader by expressing the possibility of being overtaken by new technology like the Internet. These rhetorical feature help achieve Carr purpose of his main argument in the article against the Internet. By using these devices, it helps the readers view technology differently and leave readers wondering. Carr indorses his argument in a logical, emotional and relatable way that convince the reader that the Internet has indeed affected us. Due to these rhetorical devices Carr does achieve his purpose of persuading readers to believe his argument. However, even if the readers don’t agree or believe that technology is harmful they will still view technology different.

All over the world we’ve read or seen how people were born and raised before technology. Changes began when light, machines and newer inventions were made to when the newest smartphone, watch, and devices were created. Some of us have experienced throughout these changes when our world was introduced to the Internet and how it brought impacts to our society today.

Technology shouldn’t be used as a distraction that will separate us from our social world. It should bring benefits to our education, opportunities to contact close ones who are far away from us, or access to any interest/concerns/questions we want to be answered. The Internet was created to help communities in a positive way but now people are misusing it which has made it seem like a negative impact.

In this century we’ve seen how people, including children, are becoming antisocial, lazy, shy, or overweight because they are not being active socially and physically. I remember when technology was rising, on the kids channel there would be commercials about a lazy potato watching television all day instead of being active and going outside to play. The purpose of the commercial was to motivate kids to go outside to be active instead of being home all day watching television. This indicates that adults and adolescents are spending more time at home using phones, iPads, computers, watching TV, or playing video games; which also relates to social media and other apps. Regardless of social media’s pros and cons, it has been a distraction for people during school, work, and driving.

The rise of technology has created changes to our society. From the way we think to how we manage our daily lives today. Nicholas Carr wrote an article called, ‘Is Google Making Us Stupid?’. On page 88, he stated, “I’m not thinking the way I used to think. I can feel it most strongly when I’m reading. Immersing myself in a book or a lengthy article used robbery easy. My mind would get caught up in the narrative[…] I’d spend hours strolling through long stretches of prose. That’s rarely the case anymore. Now my concentration often starts to drift after two or three pages. I get fidgety, lose the thread, begin looking for something else to do. I feel as if I’m always dragging my wayward brain back to the text. The deep reading that used to come naturally has become a struggle”. This is a perfect example how the internet has changed our society in both good but also bad. It’s good that with just a few quick clicks we get to see what we looking for link after link. In fact the author isn’t the only one who feels the same way, several of us do too.Though, the way we were taught to read has changed the way we write today and also the way we learn today. Most of us learn better through an audio, video, or a visual example and not so much by reading. Which is an important thing to do during school, applying for jobs, signing important papers, buying cars, or anything important that requires reading and following instructions.

Instead of the Internet bringing better changes, people in our community have misused the usage of technology. For instance, we see less and less people being aware and alert while they are walking, crossing streets, driving, or riding in the bus. By this, I mean that people are constantly using their phones everywhere they go. It’s almost like an addiction or a trend to our society, “everyone around you does it, so should you”. Just like in a recent article by George Orwell, ‘Shooting An Elephant’. The main character knew it was wrong to shoot the elephant and in reality he had empathy towards the wild animal. But because he was a police, people in his community expected him to kill the innocent animal with the weapon he was carrying. It’s the same experience realistically today. A personal experience was when I went out to eat with my parents. While we were waiting inside the car in the drive thru line, there was a young man standing still waiting. This man looked very bored and lonely while everyone around him were on their cellular devices. I said to my mother, “Look ma’ the guy over there looks very award just standing there”. My mother’s response to me was that the reason why the man looked so odd to me was because we’ve become adjusted to a society where it’s impossible to see a person unattached to these devices; it has become a natural habit. In other words, we are expected to have a phone or else we look strange, just like the police was expected to shoot or else he’s considered a careless white man.

In contrast to how technology has created bad habits to our communities, there are still positive things remaining. The Internet gave us access to video calls and quicker access to contact friends and family that are miles away from us. People in our community create websites to view educational videos. Apps to listen to music to keep concentrated while doing things we have to do like clean or going for a run. We have access to view movies or episodes we’ve missed before and we’d like to watch on our break. And there are several other useful things we are able to be a part of by just pressing a few buttons. To me the title, ‘Is Google Making Us Stupid’, is ironic because whoever invented Google is a genius. Google has answered all of our questions and concerns within seconds. Not to mention, it gives other useful resources and articles that can answer what you are looking for. On page 93, Carr quoted, “More than a hundred years after the invention of the steam engine, the Industrial Revolution had at last found its philosophy and its philosopher[…]. His ‘system’, as he likes to call it, was embraced by manufacturers throughout the country and in time around the world. Seeking maximum speed, maximum efficiency, and maximum output, factory owners used time and motion studies to organize their work and configure the jobs of their workers”. At some point in our history, there was the Industrial Revolution where there were several men working in factories when new machine were invented. Sure many were killed and injured but this event in our history is what shaped and created the way our society is today. This man succeeded in making these machines and have access to several people with jobs during these hard times in history.

In conclusion, technology has its pros and cons. The way it impacts our society will be determined by the people who are being involved with our new technologies and how we choose to use it. Regardless of how beneficial the Internet can be to our lives, at the moment, I believe our society has made it as a negative impact because of how addicted we are to use it for the media or any idiotic sites.

Mass media can be defined as technology that is intended to reach a mass audience. It is the primarily means of communication used to reach the huge majority of the general public. The most common platforms for mass media are newspapers, television, radio, magazines and the internet. Mass media has become more powerful over the years because of its usefulness as a medium for advertising and propaganda. The way in which mass media is being used to manipulate, persuade and influence people’s minds and way of thinking demonstrates the concepts of assumption of mass media, propaganda and propaganda theories.

Mass society theory emerged at the end of the 19th century. It is a perspective on western industrial society that attributes an influential and largely negative role to media. It views the media as having the power to shape our perceptions of the social world and manipulate our actions without conscious awareness. This theory argues that media influence must be controlled (Baran and Davis, 2021, p. 33). Mass society theory critic Edward Shills (1962) (2021, p. 37) wrote, “Power is concentrated in society, and much of the power takes the form of manipulation of mass through the media of mass communication”. The mass society theories that were developed in the last century make several assumptions about individuals, and the role of the media.

The second assumption also known as the direct effects assumptions or hypodermic needle assumed that media has the power to reach out and directly influence the minds of average people so that their thinking is transformed (Davis, 1976) (2021, p. 38). Media can act independently of all the other things influencing people in their daily lives (Baran and Davis, 2021, p. 38). This assumption is still relevant in today’s world because individuals are submerged in their screens, receiving all kinds of information and the fact that most people get their information from the masses shows how everyone trusts that the information they are receiving is reliable if not they wouldn’t rely on the masses for information. So this makes it easier for the masses to manipulate and take advantage of people. According to sociologist James Carey (1996) (2021, p. 38), “The media collectively, but particularly the newer, illiterate media of radio and film, possessed extraordinary power to shape the beliefs and conduct of ordinary men and women” this is because of the fact that media has such a powerful impact that most people shape their beliefs or morals, values from television or social media.

The third assumption is that once the media transform people’s thinking, all sorts of bad long-term consequences may happen, creating social problems (Marcuse, 1941) (2021, p. 38). This assumption also applies in today’s world because people’s involvement with the constant use of social media platforms, not only makes them more vulnerable to believe everything they see and read and more easily manipulated, but also shapes their behaviour, leading to possible negative consequences for example, teenage delinquents have seen to many gangster movies and played to many violent video games that may shape their behaviour. Teenage girls hate their bodies because of the beauty standards made by magazines, movies and social media applications that shape their perception of a “perfect body or a perfect life”.

Mass society theory fourth assumption is that average people are vulnerable to the media because they have been cut off and isolated from traditional social institutions that previously protected them from manipulation. When people are stripped from their “comfort zone” provided by a traditional community, they often turn to the media for guidance and replace messages from social institutions that have been left behind. It can be very easy for the media to become the trusted source for individuals. People turn to the media for information about politics, entertainment, education, religion and more. People tend to learn new information and develop new ideas on important subjects from the media, making the media really powerful to change your opinions and values on important matters (Baran and Davis, 2021, p. 39).

One of the most popular forms of persuasion used in the media is propaganda. The term propaganda refers to a certain type of strategy involving the use of communication to propagate specific beliefs and expectations. The ultimate goal of propaganda is to change the way people act and leave them believing that their actions are voluntary, that the adopted behaviors and opinions are their own. To accomplish this, propagandists change the way people conceive themselves and their social world (Baren and Davis, 2021, p. 46). Michael Sproule (1994) argues that effective propaganda is convert, it persuades people without seeming to do so, features the massive orchestration of communication and emphasizes tricky language designed to discourage reflective thought. The propagandist believes the end justifies the means, meaning that it is necessary that lies be used to convince people to abandon ideas and adopt those favored by propagandists. Propagandists also rely on disinformation, meaning they spread false information about opposition groups. US theorists studied propaganda and came up with different types of propaganda that influenced people’s minds (Snowball, 1999; Becker, 1949) (2021, p. 46).

One type of propaganda used to draw attention from the truth is called white propaganda, it involves intentional suppression of contradictory information and ideas plus it promotes highly consistent information that supports the objectives of the propagandist. It is used to draw attention away from important events happening (Baron and Davis, 2021, p. 46). This means that they show us what they want us to see, not what is relevant or important, they show us what is going to be useful for them. Gray propaganda involves transmission of information that might or might not be false, making us believe and make our opinions on matters that are necessarily not true. Black propaganda involves the deliberate and strategic transmission of lies (Baron and Davis, 2021, p 46 & 47). This means that they show us false information that passes as true information, they show it to us as if it was true and we make our own opinions and assumptions with information that is not true, they present lies as facts making us believe that everything we read is true when it’s not. All these types of propaganda are used to manipulate, change and influence our way of thinking, for propagandist mass media is a very practical means of mass manipulation, an effective mechanism for controlling large populations. If individuals came to share the same views as them they were said to be converted meaning that they abandoned old views and took those promoted by propaganda.

Most of the propaganda theories like the Harold Lasswell propaganda theory developed during the 1930s were strongly influenced by two theories: Behaviorism and Freudianism. Behaviorism, John B Watson argued that all human action is merely a conditioned response to external stimuli. Meaning that most humans were conditioned to act in certain ways by positive and negative stimuli, we act to get rewarded or to avoid punishment. Freudianism, Sigmund Freud argued that the rational mind is controlled but sometimes other parts become more dominant. Human action is often a product of another darker side of the self – it’s the egocentric part of ourselves that the rational mind must struggle to keep under control (Baron and Davis, 2021, p. 50 & 51). These theories were combined to create propaganda theories that viewed average people as incapable of rational self-control. Both of these theories saw people highly at risk of being manipulated by the media using propaganda.

Harold Lasswell propaganda theory mixed ideas from behaviorism and Freudianism into a particularly pessimistic vision of the media and their role in structuring modern social orders (2021, p. 51). He stated that propaganda typically influenced people in slow and subtle ways, creating new master symbols that could be used to induce new forms of thought and action. His theory assumed that the media could operate as external agents to manipulate essentially passive mass audiences. Lasswell’s claims contribute to the thinking that mass media can manipulate us. It can be really easy to manipulate an audience if they are at their low, when people are confronted by powerful threats, they turn to propaganda for reassurance so it can be very easy for the media to take advantage of us and manipulate our way of thinking.

In conclusion, the evidence and theories shown in this essay prove that mass media can easily manipulate, persuade and influence people’s way of thinking. By using propaganda that transmits lies, using information that is not always true and by drawing attention away from problematic events. Also by taking advantage of peoples state of minds and by showing us false realities that may cause bad long term consequences for people. We can see how nothing of these has changed today as mass media is more powerful than ever making it really easy to get into peoples minds and manipulate their way of thinking.

Reference

1. Baran, S. J., & Davis, D. K. (2021). Mass communication theory: Foundations, ferment, and future. New York, NY, United States of America: Oxford University Press.

As opined by Cheng (2016), the tourism industry over the years had emerged as one of the most important industries of the world on the score of the economic contribution that it makes towards the national economies of diverse nations. For example, the net revenue generated by the concerned industry in the year 2016 was more than $7.6 trillion while registering a growth rate of more than 7% which is way higher than the other industries. Schweinsberg, Darcy and Cheng (2017) are of the viewpoint that one of the most important aspects of the tourism industry is the fact that it supports a plethora of other industries like hospitality, transportation, entertainment a1nd others and also the revenues earned by them as well. However, it is seen that the tourism industry over the years had undergone a significant amount of change and different kinds of new emerging trends are dominating the concerned industry presently. One of the most important emerging trends in this regard is the emergence of the genre of adventure tourism in contrast to the other popular forms of tourism like leisure tourism, medical tourism, cultural tourism and others which had dominated the tourism industry over the years. More importantly, the effective usage of different kinds of media platforms as well as advertisements or media campaigns for the promotion and the marketing of the same had contributed in a substantial manner towards the emergence and popularity of the concerned genre of tourism. The major problem arises because of the fact that the different kinds of media platforms just show the thrills or the positive aspects of adventure tourism while subtly covering up the risks which are involved in the same that can actually adversely affected the tourists. This paper will analyze the role of cotemporary media on adventure experience of the tourists in adventure tourism.

Mains, Cupples and Lukinbeal (2015) have articulated the viewpoint that the popularity which the adventure tourism had gained in the present times can be attributed to the inherent desire or the need of the individuals to indulge in different kinds of adventurous activities. More importantly, as opined by Doran (2016), the problem of over-tourism is another factor which has directly contributed towards the emergence of different kinds of adventurous sports and also this form of tourism as well. In addition to this, it is seen that the tourists during their vacations or holidays like to give up the routine or patterned lifestyle that they lead in their everyday life and also to break the monotony of their lives. This is perhaps one of the major reasons why the tourists during their travel vacations or holidays like to indulge in different kinds of adventurous sports or activities which are likely to enable them to release their pent-up energy. In this context, it needs to be said that the global adventure tourism sector is worth more than $89 billion and is expected to grow at an even faster rate. More importantly, the role that the social media and other kinds of media platforms have played towards the rise of these kinds of activities on the part of the tourists during their vacations or holidays can in no way be relegated to the background.

As per the “Adventure Tourism Market Study 2013”, more than 71.9% of the tourists before their vacations or tours like to search the internet to get an idea about the different kinds of adventurous activities that can indulge in the destinations that they are intending to visit. In contrast to this, there are less than 12% of the adventure seeking people does not indulge into such kinds of internet searches to find out the adventurous activities that they can undertake at the concerned locations. More importantly, another study reveals the fact that more than 68.1% of the tourists select the destinations that are going to visit on the basis of the internet or media searches that they made regarding the concerned destination and also the kind of adventurous sports options that it offers. In addition to this, it is seen that the marketing or promotional advertisements and campaigns used by the tourism agencies and also the tourism departments of the diverse nations. In this regard, the contributions made by the online media adventure tourism sources like National Geographic Traveler, Outside Magazine and others can in no way be relegated to the background. For example, it had seen that these media platforms had been greatly successful in creating an aura of glamour or amusement around the different kinds of adventurous activities that the tourists had the options to undertake during their travel vacations or holidays. More importantly, the reviews given by the other tourists and also the pictures or the images shared by them over the different social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and others have significant contributed towards the creation of demand for the services offered by the adventure tourism industry.

Weiler and Black (2015) have articulated the viewpoint that one of the major problems arises because of the fact that the majority of the media advertisements or the campaigns used for the marketing or the promotion of the adventure tourism do not highlight the risks that the tourists are incurring by indulging in such activities. For example, it is seen that the majority of these advertisements or campaigns merely focus on the adventurous activities that the tourists can undertake or the thrill that can get by indulging in such kinds of activities. In this regard, it needs to be said that in the particular context of Canada it is seen that there are various kinds of hard adventurous sports activities like caving, paragliding, hiking, trekking, kite surfing and others which the tourists can undertake during their vacations. On the other hand, there are various kinds of soft adventurous activities as well that the tourists can indulge in like bird-watching, cycling, canoeing, horseback riding, surfing, sailing and others. Furthermore, it is seen that the different media platforms or sources actively promote these activities that the tourists can undertake during their vacations and even recommend the tourists to undertake these activities stating that indulging in them can be a life-changing experience for them. However, as the recent trends suggests that there are many tourists who have ended up incurring different kinds of accidents while undertaking these adventurous activities and in some of the severe cases the tourists have even lost their lives as well. For example, it is seen that more than 17.9% of the tourists who indulge in different kinds of adventurous activities during their travel end up incurring either a minor or a fatal accident. It is precisely here that the problem arises since the media platforms fail to depict this side of the story to the tourists who are very enthusiastic about undertaking different kinds of adventure activities.

The role that the contemporary media plays within the framework of the adventure tourism industry becomes apparent not only from the fact that the different tourism agencies or the tourism departments of the diverse nations are increasingly use them but also from the fact that the tourists are getting influenced by them as well. For example, just like in the business world wherein the prospective customers become influenced by the reviews or the comments given by the existing customers about the product or service that they are about to purchase over social media or other media platforms, the same trend is being witnessed within the tourism industry. The net result of this is that the leading firms in the concerned industry are creating different fan pages and others over the social media platforms for advertisements the wonderful time that the tourists who had indulged in the adventure sports activities offered by them. More importantly, the prospective tourists end up spending more than three to four months prior to their intended vacations or holidays about the different tourist destinations which offer the best opportunities for indulging into diverse kinds of adventure activities over the various media sites. However, what these individuals fail to look up over these media sites or search about is the damage that these activities are likely to cause to health or well-being. Thus, it becomes all the more important for the travel agencies to clearly state the risks that are involved in such activities and also the individuals need to know precisely the thing that they are getting into by signing up for such adventurous tourism activities. This is important because of the fact that it is directly related to the experience that the tourists are likely to have during these adventure trips or vacations. For example, if the tourists incur any significant health or well-being issue because of the adventure activities that they undertake during the trips then it is likely that they would have a negative experience and it is probable they would not undertake such activities in future. This in turn is likely to adversely affect the prospects of the concerned industry itself by reducing the number of tourists or participants that they get. Thus, it can be said that the effective usage of media to convey important information like benefits, risks, safety or security concerns and others become all the more important for the concerned industry.

As opined by Chang et al. (2018), one of the most important reasons for this trend seen within the adventure tourism can be attributed to the fact that the concerned agencies and also the media platforms are taking the help of unethical marketing strategies rather than opting for the usage of the social and ethical marketing measures. In this regard, it needs to be said that the media outlets used by the tourism agencies and also the tourism departments of the different nations rather than focusing of the dangers that the diverse kinds of adventurous activities cause to their health or well-being simply state the thrill or the benefits that they are likely to get by indulging in such activities. Thus, it would be apt to say that there is a need for change not only in the manner in which the media is being used for marketing or promoting the adventure activities but also to cascade important information regarding the risks and health or well-being issues that such activities pose to the tourists. One of the most important measures in this regard as already mentioned is the full-fledged usage of the process of social and ethical marketing through which the concerned firms and also the tourism departments of the different nations would be able to convey the desired information to the tourists who are about to undertake such kind of activities.

Hickman et al. (2018) have articulated the viewpoint that one of the best possible manners in which the different media platforms can be used for enhancing the experience of the tourists who plan to participate in diverse kinds of adventure tourism activities is to educate them regarding the safety aspects that they need to take into account while undertaking such activities. For example, if the different firms and also the tourism departments of the different nations update the safety or security parameters that the tourists would be required to follow while undertaking adventure sports activities over the media platforms it is more likely that the prospective tourists would read them while undertaking research regarding the destinations that they want to visit. This in turn would not only educate them in an effective manner but at the same time would enable them to make better decisions regarding the choice of the destination and also the kind of adventure activities that they want to indulge in. More importantly, this is also likely to elevate the experience of the tourists who intend to participate in such activities by mitigating the risks or health or well-beings issues that they might face during such activities through spreading awareness.

An important measure that the tourism agencies which offer adventure sports facilities to the tourists during their vacations can use is to offer short safety or security courses over the online media platforms. In this regard, it needs to be mentioned that although the tourists before indulging in any adventure activities are being briefed about the things that they need or do and also the things that they should not do yet they often do not prove to be fruitful (Cheng et al., 2018). One of the probable reasons for this is the fact that the tourists are briefed only for a few moments and majority of the time it is seen that the instructors do not even bother to check whether the tourists have understood the instructions or not. This in turn had contributed in a significant manner towards the large number of accidents or hazards that the tourists had to face while undertaking such activities and thereby heightened security and safety concerns. However, if such information or education is being provided to the tourists prior to their actual trip or tour then the tourists would not only get adequate time to understand them but also practice them as well so as to avoid accidents during the trip. Thus, it is likely that in absence of any accidents or health issues the tourists would have a positive experience during such trips or tourism activities.

To conclude, different kinds of adventurous activities have gained a significant amount of prominence within the cannon of the contemporary tourism industry and are being used extensively to enhance the experience of the tourists during the vacations or the trips. More importantly, it is seen that the different media platforms play an integral role not only for the promotion of such activities to entice the tourists but at the same time to educate the tourists regarding the safety or security precautions that they need to take while indulging in such activities. However, it is seen that the majority of the marketing campaigns or the advertisements used by the different firms for the promotion of such activities merely focus on the thrill or the benefits that the tourists are likely to derive rather than highlighting the risks or the health concerns which are involved in the process. Thus, it can be said that there is a need on the part of the firms to use the concept of social and ethical marketing and taking the help of media not only highlight the risks which are involved in the process but at the same time educate them as well so that they can mitigate the associated risks.

Teens are being heavily influenced by social media profiles, and this influence is leading to drugs and deaths. Tess Henry was a young mother and a very loving daughter… until a drug addiction took over her life. The addiction took her from her son, blurred her perception of reality, then got her mixed up with gangs and debts owed. This addiction led her to lie to her closest family, sell her body to get money and drugs, then eventually make a bet she could not fulfill, one that cost her her life. Because of Cocaine, Xanax, Vicodin, and various other drugs, a son lost his mother, while a mother lost yet another daughter to drugs. She ended up only making herself part of another statistic. Beginning with tobacco products, the addition lead to something that took her life.

Trust from consumers is becoming more important than trust with professionals. There has shown to be an impact in sales depending on the “link between trust in a brand and brand evaluation” and this can be seen in Juul with their heavy trust from social media influencers but lack of safety and regulation in underage sales. (Hahn, Ivanete Schneider, et al). “If a brand has built a sufficient level of trust with consumers” (qt. Yacoub) trust with consumers will almost always override trust with manufacturers or even leaders of the company and can lead to dangerous products being evaluated as safe.

Companies are paying social media influencers to show their product on influencers’ platforms. Lorenzo De Plano, the co-founder of Solace Vapor, said in an e-mailed statement that the company will be reviewing and ending relationships with influencers ‘who may not be compliant with our marketing policies.’ the founder added that ‘internal packaging, marketing, and nicotine warnings are compliant with FDA standards and that the company “does not endorse the use of [their] products by people who were not previously tobacco users” (Scholl, Lawrence, et al.). To break down consumerism through social media, Ivanete Hahn describes in the article “Consumer trust in an emotional response to advertisements on social media and their influence on brand evaluation” that it is more than just visually being attracted to something and then moving on to another visual attraction, but in fact is much more complex, emotionally. Social media can lead to a dependence on what one sees. The viewer starts to want what is shown and eventually buys it to fit into their standards of what is becoming normal to them. It also can have something to do with the natural embrace of wanting pretty things or things that pretty people have in the hopes of boosting their image to themselves, however, there are several drawbacks, one being the appeal of drugs on average people.

Underage usage and deaths stem from the portrayal in the media. In “Drug and Opioid-Involved Overdose Deaths — the United States, 2013–2017” an article by the CDC, statistics given show that ever since the boom of social media, there has also been a recent boom in drug usage. Yet despite the recent boom in social media, this stat has been covered up and is much less known by the general public. However, these used in the stats of recent deaths and injuries such as Percocet and Vicodin, as well as vapes such as Juul and Sourin are very commonly known by people, from music and such. In the article “US agencies go after companies that paid social media influencers to promote vape products” the authors Michael Nedelman and Arman Azad talk about companies that are paying to promote their products via social media accounts, as well as paying social media influencers to advertise their products positively. Trying to boost their sales ‘definitely’ not to underage users despite the social media influencers’ fan bases often being of underage kids who can not legally buy their products as is. The article goes in-depth to talk about the increase in vaping by teens, which is about 80% higher than it previously was by 2019, with a 50% increase by Middle Schoolers. Obviously, there is something that is appealing to these kids, something that goes farther than just pictures.

The specific mental aspect of advertising is a lot more effective than many might think. Substance abuse behavior can stem from bullying through social media and looking to influencers for comfort, then wanting to fit in, seeing the influencers using a product- most likely a drug, then -underage- getting that drug to feel better about themselves. It is all connected very specifically. (Herbert, Patrick). Certain influencers can use music to help advertise their ‘product’ that they are trying to get others to enjoy or overall just the products that they are being paid to display on their profiles and in posts, etc… they do not use “music lyrics according to how truthful they were about the consequences of substance abuse” (Herbert, Patrick). Sometimes influencers are completely untruthful to the real shame and problems associated with those drugs or substances involved in the song, the power is uncanny.

Media influencers overall hold a lot more power over the use than previously thought. Social media influencers can be heavily influenced by what they advertise and ultimately get people to buy, “a social media user’s relationship with a brand may be influenced by other contacts” and this influence can be fueled by false promises or even with the intent of harming those being influenced. (Hahn, Ivanete Schneider, et al). While most advertisements are coming from social media and influencers of those social media (Hahn, Ivanete Schneider, et al) companies have lost control of their brands and influencers have gained all the power of the impact of consumers’ wants, as a way to mentally influence them as they become familiar with things they see and ultimately end up wanting the mental pleasures of.

Apps like Instagram and Twitter need to look over the popular posters that have younger audiences to try and lessen the impact they have over their audiences. Social networking/social media influence of vaping can be stopped if they only paid more attention to the larger accounts that are abusing their status and giving new light and reason for the use of tobacco products and nicotine products. “The rising toll of opioid overdoses in the past decade has been declared a prescription drug epidemic by the Centers for Disease Control” touching base on how opioid addictions can come from nicotine or tobacco addictions, the want of something a little more takes over, and people give in. (R. Scott, Kevin, et al.). ‘Dr. Sharpless made it very clear that no action would be taken to ban kid-friendly vaping flavors during this President’s term in office” (Michael Nedelman and Arman Azad). “‘It became clear during my meeting with Acting Commissioner Sharpless that he has absolutely no intention of taking legal action he is empowered to take to protect our nation’s children from the addiction of e-cigarettes,’ Durbin said in a statement in May. The messages will most likely continue, so it is big social media companies’ responsibility to try to stop them.

Listening to the silent messages that are not particularly clear will help stop the growing epidemic of drug use on teens. “Researchers have utilized social media to gain insights into use patterns and prevailing attitudes about various substances. Social media has the potential to enhance the screening, prevention, and treatment of addiction. With future funding, they should be leveraged to advance understanding of prescription drug use and improve treatment and prevention of abuse” (R. Scott, Kevin, et al.). Note #2: “(…) We also found that the emotional response to the advertisements on social media will positively influence brand evaluations. If the consumer has a positive emotional reaction to an online advertisement of the brand, the more positively the consumer will perceive the brand. This link between emotional response to the advertisements and brand evaluation contributes to a better understanding of the role of the online media and how this media influences performance variables, such as brand evaluation.” (Hahn, Ivanete Schneider, et al.). If profiles promoting these drugs and substances are stopped, the community can turn social media around and instead of promoting the drugs, educate viewers on the deadly statistics and completely flip what was happening previously.

Spreading the word or making this more obviously horrific can help bring upon the end of teen drug use. “Digital Social Media, Youth, and Nonmedical Use of Prescription Drugs: The Need for Reform” really shows the side of drugs and vapes that the media normally tries to cover. The youth is being impacted by nicotine, addictions, and wanting to fit in, and in the case of this article that mindset had ultimately led to a couple of deaths of kids. The amount of kids vaping has gone up significantly since the boom of social media. Tim Mackey wanted to get across his point of this problem, and how this is a HUGE problem, and will eventually start to impact or change the lives of everyone if it continues to go unaddressed. The solution he gave would be something similar to targeting the accounts that are promoting these products, and the drug companies. In terms of reform, its needed in the ways of “(…) examining amendment and modernization of the RHA to improve its scope, effectiveness, and enforceability over illicit online NUPM promotion of prescription controlled substance drugs where it is actively occurring” the end goal is to stop the controlled way of obtaining or being influenced by drugs on social media, but the way to do this could just be at its source, to try and stop drug companies altogether. (Mackey TK, Liang BA et.al). This can work, Juul was almost shut down when told to stop selling the popular/good flavored ‘pods’ as that was a factor playing into getting teens to buy it, and for a limited time, sales dropped substantially, but these methods were quickly met with other brands coming up with new ‘good’ flavored nicotine juices for vapes.

To stop sales and addictions we need to realize what is promoting them, and what the appeal really is. “The tragic death of 18-year-old Ryan Haight highlighted the ethical, public health, and youth patient safety concerns posed by illicit online nonmedical use of prescription drugs (NUPM) sourcing, leading to federal law in an effort to address this concern” (Mackey TK, Liang BA, et. al). This boy started vaping because he saw it becoming more and more common all around him, the vaping addiction turned into an opioid addiction as he wanted a heavier, more lasting fix. In “An Examination of How Alcohol Brands Use Sport to Engage Consumers on Social Media.”, the article is giving many examples of companies taking advantage of social media platforms and the such to further their sales of a substance that is not so good for anyone and is used to demonstrate just how easily influenced people can get by advertisements and especially social media. The amount of propaganda that even kids know due to commercials, songs, tunes, or accounts of Instagram just shows how impacting these things truly are to the average person or even kid witnessing them.

Overall, in order to effectively stop or lessen the usage of drugs by teens, companies need to focus on the larger profiles with younger audiences that might be advertising or showing drugs on their accounts. To these accounts, they either need to come with a warning label or be shut down completely to truly be effective. Instagram, Twitter, etc… need to start taking their influences seriously and show that they mean business when it comes to underage usage. The correlation to these accounts is uncanny, and obviously, there is a problem, however, this method is hard to completely come to a conclusion of whether it will in fact work out or not, at least until it is tried. Drug use has grown substantially throughout the past few years, so nothing like this has ever been tried before. With the right push towards social media accounts to take this seriously, the end goal of lessening teen vapers can be reached.

1.1. Biodata

• Name: Mohd Najib Bin Asaddok
• Originated: Benut Pontian, Johor
• Age: 36 years old
• Profession: Ceo and Founder of Momentum Internet Sdn Bhd

Since 2009, he has started this internet company starting with the sale of physical products in local & international markets by testing and sharing experiences and the effectiveness of the product to sell it to his friends and relatives.

At first, it was really tough for him to sell the product since he have no experience. If he only thinks about any negative things such as being shy of selling products, it would bring nothing to him. So he kept going off what he is doing to change his life since he doesn’t have a wealthy family background and it actually develop his sales skill of himself.

He learned about online marketing strategies through the first online marketing seminar he attended. From no basic business knowledge, he was able to adapt the learning and apply it the fact that online business actually does give benefits, so he used the guide he learned from the seminar to start a business online. Until then, he’s been practicing internet marketing strategies and managed to expand his business not only by selling physical products but also by selling digital products that he produced.

After 6 years in business online, he is finally an online entrepreneur and an expert for thousands of entrepreneurs and supports many entrepreneurs, both beginners and unknown business people who wanted to develop an online business platform through internet marketing.

1.2 Social Media platform used

Most people will agree that social media has taken over our lives and grow the communication between individuals is fast increasing worldwide. People are investing more time online preferring posts on Facebook, sharing tweets, posting photos on Instagram, and so on. Without social media we can no longer envision a world or how it was before that time. There are currently 2.6 trillion active social media users and 1.9 trillion active mobile social users on this planet. The social media usage population is 10 percent up compared to 2015 and the mobile social users have grown 17 percent compared to 2015. Hence, social media platform has becoming one of the ways of expanding business worldwide.

In this case study, there are a few social media accounts that have been utilized for the purpose of business including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. In fact, he also created a website for his rocket business seminar for people to reach him for a Rocket business seminar which is made to share knowledge of his achievement in online business to a majority of new entrepreneurs in a low price. Basically, people who are interested to participate in the seminar can make a deal with him among these platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or the Official website.

The most active social media accounts he has been using is Facebook and Instagram. In fact, his first online business platform was Facebook right before Instagram become the first preference of the social media user. At that time, the average person who spends at least one hour and 40 minutes a day on social media.

For brands and corporations, what does all this mean? It could be one of the ways of making the brands is known to the public and therefore cut the cost of advertising products which is quite pricy for the people like him who just started to do a business. It seems impossible and a bit difficult to make a profit by further on advertising his products in television with the minimum budget so he began starting a business online in Facebook to get the trust from the customer.

Advertising on social media or television is actually having the same role of making people notice about what they are selling. In consideration of the cost, it only incurs the cost of data usage rather than advertising products on television that require an expensive payment. People would notice whatever things are posted on social media as it spreads quickly.

Many marketers would take the grant by utilizing the use of media to promote their products. As well as Najib Assadok use Facebook to make his products available in marketing. He created an official Facebook account for the purpose of business and make a video of him demonstrating his products with confidence and a fine explanation as that is enough to attract people of purchasing the product. In essence, he also provides the best customer care to the customer if they are having loads of questions to ask and problems to solve such as giving immediate response to the customer with a good attitude. Once customers are happy with the service, they would become regular customers. Hence, the more people convince with his products, the more customers become loyal.

1.3 Social Media Highlights/Analyse

Facebook is still considered as the dominant area of social media as it is the place where connected people worldwide. Facebook has evolved more than a gathering place for friends into a platform for businesses to interact through customer engagement and self-promotion.

The main social media that have been actively used by Najib Assadok is Facebook. He personally owns about 170 thousand followers on Facebook rather than on other social media accounts as he is well-known in Facebook. The majority of the number of his followers consists of entrepreneurs since he assists many entrepreneurs all over the country to succeed in business.

The sharing of the input of marketing strategies makes him become an expert of online business which is it actually works on others. A lot of people say that the seminar helps them to obtain limitless information as the seminar runs within four hours with informative and effective data. Najib Assadok offers a very clear clarification that is easy for them to understand with the simple keyword in addition prepared a printed source for them to refer to as he uses slides in teaching during the seminar.

One of a good example is Tuan Muhammad bin Bilal who used to be a regular guy that just graduated from Yemen and were jobless finally decided to participate in the seminar and ended up earns a profit of around RM1.19 million in the first year of selling trade jewelry ring after applied the technique advise by Najib Assadok on his business. It shows that the business strategy that Najib Assadok teaches is efficient as a lot of people succeed in business by using his technique.

As he getting his name famous among entrepreneurs, he successfully created his name on the billboard with the success he has been working for about 6 years. Since then, he received a lot of positive feedback and admire from others in assist them in the making of business growth due to his intelligence and skills of delivering a message that he has. It should be noted that being an influencer does not have to be a celebrity as long as that person have knowledge, skill, passion, proper plan, intensity and confidence to attract other it would be fine to aim the target.

1.4 Positive Influence

First and foremost, social media assist in promoting business all over the world. The advancement of technology has caused changes of marketing strategies which is a lot of easier to be managed. Social media influencers are suitably used to advertise product details and latest promotions to online followers through a variety of social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as the influencers of social media typically engage their supporters through regular updates with the latest news. When consumers are interested in what they sell, they will still keep track of up-to-date information and encourage others indirectly to purchase the product.

Next is it helps to improve consumer perception of better product understanding. Marketing influencers prioritize the use of influencers to carry the message of a company to attain the target market. As the main core of Najib Assadok is business, one of the ways to make sure people would notice his recent posting about his product and seminar are by using a channel platform that everyone actively used such as Facebook. The customer does not have to be bothered asking the seller as the message is delivered as it also attached with an infographic or short video that is created for better understanding. As a result, the seller would gain many customers. There’s no doubt that the organization could gain profits from only maintaining a social media account, which can create a large audience for the business through daily usage.

Third is faster and easier communication. Customers can contact a customer service delegate quicker and simpler now at anywhere. Companies can receive, evaluate and reply to consumer feedback more efficiently and easily than ever before. Challenges may even now remain, depending on the sector and the issue, but the communications line that was once difficult to build is no longer as difficult to do. It’s quicker now than ever before to get in contact with the right people, and sometimes without even requiring to pick up a phone, and it’s only becoming easier because more people and companies use social media platforms to keep in touch with people who matter most to their company. Customers can now share real feedback in real-time like never before, something that businesses have been trying to do for a long time.

1.5 Negative Influence

In a part of marketing strategies, companies are progressively utilizing social channels to focus on their customers and persuade them to make purchases or even to make them loyal. Brands and organizations, through social media, are being created in order to encourage strong brand connection, increase their adherents and clearly increase commitment.

The brands used distinctive social networks to influence their crowd. Nevertheless, the media influencers were used unnecessarily. Sadly, few brands are doing it correctly, because there are no requirements for influencing. In fact, anybody can be an influencer as long as they have a large number of followers.

The negative influence that I found in this study is Najib Assadok once caught of being unprofessional in addressing political issues in his seminars. He disrespects the Prime Minister and his wife by saying negative things as other people watched during the seminar. This action may influence others to create negative perceptions as he kept mentioning about the political issue in such mean words and not in the line of positive things he was trying to implement to others.

Having unpleasant issues regarding with politics is not a key that allows him to do whatever he wants even it is his program. As a public figure, there is always pros and cons have be to take note such as professional behavior that should not be ignored even he has been experienced of organizing a seminar for many years. With one mistake he did, he might lost the people who respect, supports, admire, and inspiring him which contributes to the failure of his business.

Next, the fees for joining the program are likely to change depending on the number of participants. Fees are available for approximately RM 100 or above for 4 hours per session whereby some people would feel overwhelmed by the price offered. How is it possible for participants to be able to use marketing strategies practically as the tutor teaches when the tutor wastes too much time talking about irrelevant content, such as politics? The seminar participants will be frustrated, disturbed, and unable to concentrate because the issues discussed are way far from the objective of the program. It is time-consuming and wasting time if they can’t get the input after paying RM 100 fees. As a business expert, he should have emphasized on keeping people away from the political element. This is viewed as wrong because they may face the consequences of being arrested or sued by the government and, worst of all, it may affect of the collapse of the business.

1.6 Lesson learnt/Summary/Conclusion

To sum up, influencers have been an incredible device for advertisers affecting purchasing practices and demonstrating the extraordinary effect. Social media influencers can be a person who promotes a lifestyle brand are most successful in interacting with consumers when they are authentic, confident, and interactive in their content. Most of social media influencers become known in public due to their popularity among social media users either the talent that they own or their fluency in speaking to convince people.

This study focused on Najib Assadok, an influencer in social media, has used technological advances for the nationwide growth of his company. In lifestyle public relations initiatives, the use of social media influence marketing has broken the wall of customers, brands, and followers through social media content. Advertising to brand customers was unilateral until social media impact developed. Until social media is the focus of consumers, a consumer could see a product only through print advertising, banners, radio ads, and Tv commercials. The same is likely to happen to other products marketed by public relations firms and advertisers, from automobiles to electronics to household products.

As people have moved away from conventional media and invested more time on social media, trendsetters have formed into increasingly relatable influencers. It is no longer just celebrities who affect the preferences of society, but influencers in social media play an even more important role. The social media icons with loyal audiences built up through strong, daily contact with their followers are considered as modern influencers.

A customer can now engage with a product through social media. The utilization of a trustworthy source such as the official website for example, allows the user to feel they made the best decision when they are making a purchase. Through research, it is apparent that social media influencer promoting has, indeed, changed the manner in which brands connect with purchasers in a positive manner. The achievement that brands may expect is because of this two-way intelligent advertising strategy and assists with clarifying why social media influencer marketing is considered as the biggest trend of 2017.

There is a few things should we be inspired and take note of his success such as passion of what are we targeting, confidence, putting the customers as a priority, and authenticity and attractiveness. As mentioned earlier, he started his journey of business by promoting other’s company products to gain experience as a step of building his own business. At this point, it should be noted that intensity is the key of success. A passion without any effort is nothing if we just rely on someone in the hope it would change our life.

References:

1. Akram, Waseem. (2018). A Study on Positive and Negative Effects of Social Media on Society. International Journal of Computer Sciences and Engineering. DOI: 5. 10.26438/ijcse/v5i10.351354.
2. Hwa, Cheah. (2017). The Impact of Social Media Influencers on Purchase Intention and the Mediation Effect of Customer Attitude. Asian Journal of Business Research. DOI: 7. 19-36. 10.14707/ajbr.170035.
3. Belia, Bangkit. (2017, October 22). Facebook. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/BeliaBangkit/posts/senang-buat-duit-tipu-sesama-melayupagi-tadi-saya-hadir-ke-satu-kelas-perniagaan/1442178195899292/
4. Najib Asaddok. (2019, May 19). Blog Najib Asaddok : Siapa kata jual cincin tak boleh nak onlinekan bisnes. Retrieved from http://najibasaddok.com/
5. Maciejewska, Nicol. (2019, October 27). The Teen Magazine. Retrieved from https://www.theteenmagazine.com/the-negative-effects-of-influencers
6. Savvy Sprout. (2014). Retrieved from https://www.savvysprout.co.za/social-media-influencer/

Introduction

The relationship between the media, politics, and the public is a complicated one. The changing face of the media landscape, including how we disseminate and access news content, as well as how politicians and government institutions choose to communicate, is constantly evolving and begs the question; what consequences does this have on the democratic process, political agenda, and public opinion?

This essay will critically discuss how the media influences politics and public opinion. It will do so by drawing on Brian McNair’s ‘An Introduction to Political Communication as a backdrop to a wider discussion focusing on two specific journal articles, namely; Florian Foos and Daniel Bischof’s ‘Tabloid media influence on Euroscepticism: Quasiexperimental evidence from England’, which examines the role the media plays in influencing public opinion, and Durante, Pinotti, and Tesei’s ‘The Political Legacy of Entertainment TV’, which examines the role the media plays in influencing politics.

While the question posed is a straightforward one “How does the media influence politics and public opinion?” the answer is less so. Despite analysing different types of mass media, voter attitudes and behaviour, the role of agenda-setting, and the power of political communication, I will argue that this is a difficult question to answer.

Main Body

How the media influences public opinion:

The term ‘public opinion can be traced as far back as the early sixteenth century when modern European countries began to transition from autocracy to liberal democracies, and newspapers began to deviate from simply providing news content to providing a platform for analysis, opinion, and debate (REF). For the first time ever, issues of public interest were open to everyone and the press established itself as a key part of the democratic process.

While it is difficult to pinpoint the degree to which the media influences public opinion, one example can be seen when we look at tabloid media’s effects on voter attitudes and behaviour. Florian Foos and Daniel Bischof’s paper ‘Tabloid media influence on Euroscepticism: Quasi-experimental evidence from England’ provides insight into how a prolonged boycott of “the most important Eurosceptic tabloid newspaper” The Sun affected voting attitudes and behaviours in Merseyside in the 2016 Brexit vote (Foos and Bischof, 2019, p.1).

The boycott was a direct result of The Sun’s coverage of the fatal Hillsborough disaster in 1989 which saw 96 people lose their lives. In order for us to understand the journalistic ethics of a tabloid newspaper like The Sun, it is worth reminding ourselves of the paper’s reputation. Former editor of The Sun Kelvin MacKenzie, who was responsible for The Sun’s infamous front page headline ‘The Truth, defined ethics as:

“Ethics? As far as I’m concerned that’s the place to the east of London where people wear white socks.” (Chippindale and Horrie, 2013)

The fallout from this front-page story, which ultimately led to a ban of The Sun in Merseyside, continues to this day with local taxi drivers displaying a “Do not buy The Sun” sign on their cars (Sledge, 2018), and the majority of shops refusing to stock the title (Taylor, 2016). The blacklisting of the paper even extends as far as local daily newspapers such as The Liverpool Echo refusing to explicitly state the name ‘The Sun’ in its reporting, instead referring to it as “The S*n” (Kay and Bloom, 2017).

While The Sun has always been notorious for displaying an anti-EU sentiment, with circulation figures plummeting in Merseyside less people were exposed to news headlines such as ‘BeLEAVE in Britain’, and ‘See EU Later’ (Martinson, 2016). Foos and Bischof’s research (2019, p.15) argues that this resulted in a change in public opinion towards the EU, leading to more positive and encouraging sentiment. Further, they make the case that this reduction in Euroscepticism in Merseyside influenced how local people voted for Brexit in 2016. While Merseyside voted slightly more in favour of Remain, Foos & Bischof argue that this is down to changes in voting behaviour as a direct result of the boycott of The Sun newspaper:

The results show that following the boycott, counting areas located in Merseyside county were significantly less likely to vote for the Eurosceptic option. (Foos and Bischof, 2019, p.15)

How the media influences politics:

Nowhere is the media’s influence over politics more evident than in the run-up to and during an election campaign. The media “set the agenda”, by deciding which candidates and political parties to cover, as well as determining how much air time or column space campaign issues receive (McCombs and Shaw, 1972). Lang and Lang reinforce this sentiment and are quoted in McCombs and Shaw as saying:

The mass media force attention to certain issues. They build up public images of political figures. They are constantly presenting objects suggesting what individuals in the mass should think about, know about, and have feelings about. (Lang and Lang (1966, quoted in McCombs and Shaw, 1972, p.177))

This is evident in Durante, Pinotti, and Tesei’s paper ‘The Political Legacy of Entertainment TV’, which centres on former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s private television network Mediaset and the influence it has had on the political landscape in Italy.

Berlusconi’s election to the Italian parliament in March 1994 marked the first in a long line of conflicts of interest for the businessman. For the first time, his ownership of Mediaset and his political ambitions could be leveraged to his advantage. Durante, Pinotti, and Tesei (2019, p.2499) found that those with early access to Mediaset and who, as a result of this were more exposed to light entertainment compared to news or educational content, were more prone to vote for Berlusconi in 1994 when he first sought election.

However, the research also found that this was not an isolated incident and TV viewers, particularly those who watch the most TV (primarily the old and the young) continued to vote for Berlusconi throughout the next five elections until the party was dissolved in 2013 (Durante, Pinotti, and Tesei, 2019, pp.2498-2499).

Durante, Pinotti, and Tesei (2019, p.2498) describe this as a “remarkable” effect on voting behaviour and attribute it to a number of different reasons including; the engagement levels of people who consume entertainment TV, the cognitive effects of this, and the recognition factor of Berlusconi. Although today’s media landscape is vastly different to what it was in the 1980s, a similar comparison could be made between Berlusconi’s Mediaset and the voting preferences of Fox News viewers in the US (Lalwani, 2019).

According to McNair (2018, pp. 41-42), individual political parties often attempt to shape the media’s agenda in a bid to highlight their views on certain predetermined topics. While this is not unusual, the lines become blurred when there is a clear conflict of interest between the two parties, with one holding leverage over the other such as with Berlusconi and Mediaset. Nonetheless, this is not an isolated case and we have become attuned to influential business people dipping their toes into the media landscape. In recent years, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos purchased The Washington Post, while billionaire businessman Sheldon Adelson bought the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

A study carried out by Professor Michael Bruter, Professor of Political Science and European Politics at the London School of Economics & Political Science analysed what he referred to as the ‘time bomb’ effect of one-sided news, which demonstrated the power of media manipulation and how it can exploit even the most educated readers (Bruter, 2009). Further, Professor Bruter’s research makes reference to the influence of sustained media exposure of partisan TV outlets such as FOX and MSNBC (Burns, 2009).

The media can also influence politics through public opinion polls. Although not an exact science, opinion polls do provide an insight into voting attitudes and behaviour. According to McNair (2018, p.36), opinion polls can act as a causal factor in voting behaviour. Knowing this, it is easy to understand why politicians place such prominence on surveys:

If politicians have become more sensitive to public opinion as measured in polls they have also, it is frequently argued, become prisoners of that public opinion, allowing it to dominate the processes of policy formulation and decision-making. (McNair, 2018, p.42)

While it is difficult to ascertain just how much power the media holds in influencing politics, it should be overlooked at our peril, warns McNair (2018, p.49) who says “…political communication is too important to be ignored by those with a concern for the workings of modern democracies”.

Conclusion

Journalism is highly contextual and the degree to which the media can play a part in impacting public opinion and the democratic process depends very much on the country in question. Italy is a perfect example of the Polarized Pluralist Model, features of which include high political parallelism, strong state intervention, and a weak newspaper market leading to a more dominant role of television. (REF TABLE 4.1). Countries that fall under the Polarized Pluralist Model may be more susceptible to mass media influencing politics and public opinion compared to the Liberal Model.

Similarly, while there are cases where a change in public opinion is determined by a single event (for example, former Irish presidential candidate Sean Gallagher’s ‘brown envelope’ gaffe during a live RTE debate in 2011), these are the exception rather than the rule and it is difficult to quantify the true impact of the media on public opinion.

To summarise, the media, politics, and public opinion are intrinsically linked. While we fundamentally believe mass media have the power to exert significant influence over us and determine public opinion and politics, this is not an exact science and in essence, we may never know the true impact of a particular newspaper, broadcast, or opinion poll has had.

The Kardashian Clan: one of the most famous families in America. With their huge social media platforms, containing millions upon millions of followers, they make a huge impact on many social media users. On these platforms they post many aspects of their lives: vacations, family, the products they use daily, etc., these posts are impacting their followers in many different ways such as self-image, mental health, and materialism. Social media influencers, like the Kardashians, have taken over the lives of many. Without them even realizing it. When scrolling through Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat stories, social media users are constantly seeing celebrities and social media influencers posting their lives all over for many to see. The controversy is that the lives they portray for all to see, are typically just the good parts, the ideal parts. Social media influencers can give advice, share life stories, and spread awareness about topics and different products for which they have been paid to advertise. Social media influencers are often trusted by their followers, so brand companies are taking advantage of the influencers to advertise their products because their followers will see the ads in a superbly presented way. Social media influencers can shape their followers’ opinions on controversial issues and change the way they think about many different things, just by one post. In addition to the impact on their followers’ views on different topics, social media influencers also can change the way their followers view themselves. The posts by the social media influencers are most often edited, flawless, and always happy. This is not always a bad thing but it leads to their followers constantly comparing their lives to the social media influencers’ lives, which is not an accurate or fair thing for them to be comparing their lives to. Influencers have more negative than positive effects on their followers by making them have an unachievable, perfectionist desire, growing their materialistic wants, and leading them to have a bad body image.

Social media influencers make their followers believe in an unachievable perfection. Most social media users envy the lives of influencers. Social media is all based on the impression people make on others which leads to high comparison standards. For example, depressed people might see attractive profiles and become even more envious. Followers then feel the need to present themselves as put together on social media as well due to their want to be the social media influencers. There are three different types of perfectionistic self-presentation. The first is perfectionistic self-promotion. These types of perfectionists post only their flawless aspects and promote themselves as successful in every aspect of life so they can gain others’ approval. The second type of perfectionist is the non-display of imperfection. These perfectionists hide their less-than-perfect behavior and make sure their mistakes and failures are not revealed to others. The last type of perfectionist has non-disclosure of imperfection on social media. This means they will not be critiqued by others and they will not demand their perfection of others (Hellman 18). These types of perfectionists are more likely to be depressed as seen in Figure 1 from Emily Hellmann’s “Keeping Up Appearances: Perfectionism and Perfectionistic Self-Presentation on Social Media”. This leads to how perfectionism leads to mental health issues. Social media influencers display a luxurious life that followers desire. Being driven by an intense need for perfection like this leads to intense self-scrutiny, self-doubt, and self-criticism (Hellman 2).

An example of perfectionism and mental health issues is told in Hellman’s article. There was a woman who experienced rounds of self-harm as a result of her exceedingly perfectionistic standards. She experienced panic and a bad mood, which made her believe that her life was terrible. She began getting depressive symptoms and stopped participating in her normal activities. This then led her to believe her decreased productivity was evidence of her worthlessness. It was a cycle that continued to feed itself. Research like this shows a clear link between perfectionism and poor mental health (Hellman 3). The perfectionistic standards are unachievable, yet social media influencers’ followers do not understand that, leading them to believe they are worthless because their lives will never be as good as the “perfect” lives of influencers.

Social media influencers also encourage materialism in their followers. Their constant advertising of products leads to increased materialistic views in their followers. They can shape the followers’ attitudes and purchase decisions because of their influence and power. According to Frontiers in Psychology, “One of the reasons for this trend can be that social media influencers are considered as more “relatable” trendsetters than traditional celebrities, and they can spread advertising messages to the viewers in a more authentical and natural way” (Lou and Yuan). There was a test done with 171 university students that showed materialism and compulsive buying are correlated with celebrity worship. It also showed that celebrity worship, materialism, and compulsive buying are related to lower levels of well-being and empty self-theories. The results of this test are clear evidence for addiction to using celebrities as an escape from reality. (Reeves, Baker, and Truluck). This test shows that the more obsessed social media users are with social media influencers, the worse their materialistic wants will be because they worship the lives of these influencers and believe the items the influencers have will make their lives better too.

Along with personal materialism, social media users begin to judge people’s worth based on the things they own due to the following of social media influencers. The advertising seen daily on their accounts has a role in this mindset along with people relating their worth and others’ worth to material items. The belief that people are worth more based on the more they own is not true, however, because people with more material items are found to be less happy than those with less. But people have begun seeing others’ worth based on what they possess rather than their wisdom or personality (“Social Media Influence on Materialism” Divi).

Introduction to Social Media Influencers

Digital platforms of social media have been in place for just a few years but they have changed and reshaped the social life of people. Jay Bolter anticipated that social media platforms could change the lives of people through engagement in online activities. Online platforms have changed the cultural ways in which people viewed identity. The evolution of technology in the twenty-first century has popularized social media platforms, which are the major places for the production of digital identities. The relationship between the human and the social networks has caused implications on what people do and engage in when socializing. The human race is social and always utilizes every opportunity to socialize. Most researchers have looked into the social media platform, networking and identity. The essay will be about identity and the five main dimensions of the online persona. The five main dimensions of persona include; the public, mediatized, performative, collective, and intentional values (Marshall, 2010).

The essay will look at the social media practice of influencers. A social media influencer is an internet user who has a large following. The influencer woos followers through the creation of textual or visual compelling articles that show an explicit lifestyle and they are able to convince people that they are leading a happy and prosperous life. The influencers use these platforms to circulate enticing quotes, memes, and other enticing things in return; they integrate adverts in the posts. The work of an influencer starts as a hobby in most cases but graduates to become a full-time career.

Authenticity in Influencer Marketing

The media persona is sometimes different from the real-life of the person. Social media gives a person a feeling of show off to scare other people. Facebook and other social media platforms do not have features that can detect if someone is lying. People live a life they desire on online platforms but cannot achieve such a life in the real world. Once a person gains a huge following, the idea of commercializing the online profile arises. This moment gives rise to social media influencers. The codes of conduct between the social media persona and the real person often differ. One becomes a celebrity and a star that can influence people (Hansen, 2015).

The Evolution of Influencers and Micro-Celebrity Culture

The culture of micro-celebrity started to flourish in early 2010, at this moment the social media platforms had gained popularity among the young generation and people were well conversant with the use of smartphones and the internet. The world population has a majority constituent of youths who spend most of their time online. Instagram had special attraction features that promoted the users to engage in creating the platform they wanted. The influencer industry rose and young people started engaging in the business. For the young people to gain popularity among peers and other social media users they had to portray a life of success. Prior to the rise of social media influencers, the influencers in the industry were football players and other sportspersons. This set the bar high for a person to be an influencer thus making most people start creating portfolios that portrayed them as popular and successful (Marwick, 2013).

The mass media platform had already established influencers who enjoyed the publicity of media. The social media influencers looked for ways to differentiate their work from that of the media personalities. The influencers started to create false hope for the audience and engaging in acts that make people happy. The influencers started to create an illusion of accessibility because they are always online to answer any questions asked by the audience. They used the criteria of telling people what they want to hear but not what helps them to grow and better their lives (Marwick, 2013).

The practice of online influencing is on a rapid rise. The influencers can do anything to ensure that their followers enjoy the online space. The influencers have become micro-celebrities with the ability to convince people. The influencers take part in offering tricks to live, and personal lifestyles that contribute to a happy life. The mainstream media personalities work hard to ensure they reach their goals but online influencers have an enjoyable job because they choose the things to engage in, such as beauty, charms. Since the influencers have people’s trust, it is easy for them to endorse products to the audience.

The Reality Behind Influencer Lives: A Case Study

In the case of O’Neill, she is one of the best social media influencers with a large following. She uploaded a clip showing how the social life of the influencers is not authentic. The factor of the authenticity of life among the influencers is a big question that needs answers. O’Neill was instrumental in revealing to people the life that influencers lead behind the expensive and prosperous life portrayed in their platforms. According to anthropologist Crystal Abidin, the act of social media influencers lacks authenticity and there are no transparent standards in place to monitor the activities of the influencers.

The words in the picture are not real expressions from the United States president. The words are there to represent another person’s opinion. The authenticity of the words in the picture is questionable but most people looking at the image may think the words are from Trump. The influencers can use this image to sell a concept to the audience. The image also gives the influencers an option to appeal to the people who love Trump. In this case, the Trump supporters will have a light response to the next thing that the influencer displays because they have already build a sense of togetherness. The same image can be used by the influencer but with different words to appeal to the people who hate Trump. This proves that influencers make proper use of a situation to pass their information across social platforms.

The rise of memes is another attribute that has improved the way social media influencers work. A meme can be used to entertain and also portray information in a funny way. Most people like funny quotes or funny videos for recreation. The social media influencers ensure that they have the memes, which correspond to the products they require to advertise. The memes have gained popularity in recent times on social media. Most phones nowadays have applications that create memes in just a few seconds.

Authenticity is the truth and openness found on both the outer and inner self of a person or any other item. Authenticity in facebook, twitter, or other social digital frameworks is similar to traditional authenticity. The act of posting forged images and posts on social media is being dishonest. Other than influencers showing the public their real livelihood they display false information that can attract followers. This indicates that most influencers use lies to gain traction and following. The online life of influencers is completely different from their day-to-day life and activities. An influencer can post an image showing him or her in an expensive hotel but in the real sense, the image is forged. According to Nathan Jurgenson, the influencers exhibit digital dualism whereby they live in the public eyes is perfect while in the real world the influencer is struggling (Baym, 2010).

The Strategy of Porous Authenticity

According to Abidin, ‘porous authenticity’ is when the influencers leave loopholes between digital life and real life. The influencers attract curious people to investigate them by leaving scattered holes. The main reason that influencers leave room for investigation is to gain more traction and validation. The authenticity of the influencer is determined through a comparison of the off-duty and on-duty actions. The off-duty information comes from the curious audience who looks for leaks in the life of the influencer. The comparison is difficult and requires enough time and determination to know the truth (Abidin, 2018).

The best case of porous authenticity was on the scandal by the Australian influencer, Essena O’Neil. The influencer created a video that showed the dark side of social media influencers. In the video, she was crying because of the pressure to keep her brand and remain relevant to the audience. She revealed how she was struggling with depression while her social media life showed happiness. The influencer used to post pictures, which she was smiling, and happy but in the real sense, she was depressed and unhappy. She encouraged other social media influencers to stop engaging in lies in order to gain followers. According to O’Neill the commercialization of social media influence was not the right thing to do for a living because of the difficulties it causes to the normal life. She took the step of deleting her website and changing her instagram account to private (Abidin, 2018).

The attempt by O’Neill can be viewed as a way of quitting from the social media influencer world but on a critical view Banet-Weiser termed the act as “commodity activism.” The act of commodity activism gives the activist the upper hand in rebranding and becoming more attractive in the market. O’Neill was on the verge of creating a new way of gaining attraction by closing the gap between the truth and real-life activities. The influencer life is not long enough to last a lifetime because things change rapidly in the social media world. O’Neill was looking for the best way to catch a bigger audience compared to the one she had before. The industry needs well-seasoned influencers and this was a part where she was showing how best she was in turning the events to fit her ambitions. In this case, she was proclaiming to the world that she desires to be real and will continue to be real in her life.

O’Neill’s revelations show that porous authenticity is on the rise and the followers have started to be fed up by the acts of the influencers. People have realized that the vicarious life of the influencers is not real and there is a need for verifications and collaborating truths showing the life of the influencers. The audience needs something real from the influencers, for example, the influencers need to perform the tasks in the real environment while the audience is watching. O’Neill took the chance to show the audience that she was like them, struggling like them and even depressed. This act can gain her new group of audience who are engaged with the truth.

Conclusion: The Quest for Authenticity in Social Media Influencing

In conclusion, the cry for authenticity in social media is waking to the realities of life. People have realized that the things that trend online are not real in most instances. Sometimes the truth is hard to sell compared to fake. People fake things so that they may get followers. The audience has the right to know the truth and the search for truth has necessitated the rise of porous authenticity. The era in which people believed in facts without proving has now passed and most people have devoted their time towards getting the truth. Those people who yearn for the truth take their time in digging into the lives of influencers and differentiating the facts from the lies. The nature in which the influencers act has to change for them to retain or add followers. In the O’Neills case, she has redeemed herself from other influencers and in most cases, her followers may believe in her when she presents facts. Therefore, authenticity in all facts contributes a lot when one wants to portray facts and attract believers. Social media influencers must embrace new methods that can help them to gain an audience without lying to them.