Category: Media

Harmful Consequences Of Media Violence

“Violence is like a strong perfume. It may seem good from afar, but as soon as you get close it is sickening”. Today we live in a society where violence is everywhere, it seems every movie is an action blockbuster, every song is more vulgar than the last, every video game is based on killing another human being, and every TV Breaking News is a story about a mass shooting. Violence in the media leads to aggressive behavior, a desensitization to violence, bullying, fear, anxiety, nightmares, and depression. Violence is defined as “behavior involving physical force intending to hurt, damage, or kill someone or something”. This viewing of negative behavior is not beneficial to ones’ mental well-being, should not be popularized by the mainstream media; in fact, it is more harmful than entertaining.

Firstly, there is strong evidence that exposure to violence in the media will lead to aggressive behavior. A 1960 study demonstrated this theory. Researcher tested how preschoolers would react when shown a film of a man beating a doll. After viewing the film, the children were put into a room with a variety of toys, including the exact same doll shown on the film. According to Psychology Today “they beat the doll with a mallet, and they punched and kicked it. What was most surprising was that the children found new and creative ways to beat up the doll, and they played more aggressively with the other toys in the room as well” .

In addition, people with mental illnesses are especially affected by violence in media as compared to other mentally healthy people. If someone is more vulnerable to violent media, then there is a strong possibility that they would pick up the characteristics of the action hero, video game character, or model the violent behaviour that is constantly portrayed by the media. In 2000, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) found school shooters tend to have a mental illness of some kind, and that violence in media played a contributing factor in the school shootings. Also, in the past forty years, news articles were eight times more likely to mention video games as a motive in the report following school shooting.

The amount of violence in media has skyrocketed in the past few decades. Whether it be in TV, movies, music, or video games, this leads to a big problem with the over exposure of violence and people starting to become desensitized. The children who become desensitized tend to “become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others” , lose empathy, increase their aggressive thoughts and actions, and become more fearful to the world around them. This change to their personality will turn children into more aggressive and emotionless adults.

Children also tend to copy what they see on tv and video games. If a child sees people fighting, they will copy it, most likely it will be on another child. This leads to physical aggression between children as well as bullying. Violence does not have to be physical, “Violent episodes can take the form of physical altercations as well as emotional taunting” , because of the increase in anger, aggression, and temper the children will take out their rage on the other children by hitting or insulting their classmates.

Fear is another factor in how violence effects children. Fighting, murder, aggression, and vulgarity will cause emotional upset, fear for violence, and anxiety in children. With the constant violence in movies, tv, and video games, the number of children who have suffered from these problems must be significant. The more gruesome portrayal of the real world in movies and video games has also been proven to create a false sense of the real world and scare children into thinking that fiction is reality.

Sometimes the fear can lead to problems that will affect everyday lives. Did you know that people who watch violent movies or play a mature video game before bed are 13 time more likely to have bad dreams and nightmares? If a child were to watch one of these movies or play one of those games before bed constantly, they could then develop problems like insomnia and night terrors. The children who do develop problems will not want to sleep and will suffer from sleep deprivation. Other symptoms are moodiness, fatigue, headaches, and an increased risk of a stroke.

The most common long-term problem with an exposure to violence in media is an increased risk of a person’s psychological well-being deterioration. “Among the various mental health problems, depression is one of the major problems they encounter” . In fact, depression among children aged twelve to seventeen has “increasing from 8.7 percent in 2005 to 12.7 percent in 2015” , and that is only for the people who have been diagnosed with clinical depression. What are the odds that in a day and age where violence in our media is so prevalent and our depression rates are drastically increasing both at the same time? The group of people who have had the sharpest increase in diagnoses are the target demographic for violent video games as well as action movies.

Aggressive behavior, a desensitization to violence, bullying, fear/anxiety, nightmares, and depression are all symptoms of an exposure to violence in media. If the mainstream media did not glorify this behavior, it is my opinion, we would have less aggressive people and a decrease of mental health related cases.

Bibliography

1. LoBue, Vanessa. “Violent Media and Aggressive Behavior in Children.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/the-baby-scientist/201801/violentmédia-and-aggressive-behavior-in-children.
2. “Violence in Media.” American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, https://www.apa.org/action/resources/research-in-action/protect.
3. Brown, Patrick, and Cheryl Tierney. “Media Role in Violence and the Dynamics of Bullying.” Pediatrics in Review, American Academy of Pediatrics, 1 Oct. 2011, https://pedsinreview.aappublications.org/content/32/10/453.
4. Soron, Tanjir Rashid, et al. “Media Violence and Childhood Depression.” Journal of Psychiatry, vol. 21, no. 2, 2018, doi:10.4172/2378-5756.1000439.
5. “Depression Is on the Rise in the U.S., Especially Among Young Teens.” Search the Website, https://www.mailman.columbia.edu/public-health-now/news/depression-rise-us-especially- among-young-teens.

The Differences In Propaganda Methods In The Past And Present

Over the past century, the ways in which governments have used propaganda to influence the masses have changed dramatically. In this essay I will be analysing two pieces of propaganda, one historical piece (Is This Tomorrow? America under Communism, a 1947 comic book) and one contemporary piece (Donald Trump’s 2016 Presidential Campaign slogan “Make America Great Again!”) . I will look at the ways in which each piece was used to influence its target audience and for what reasons they were used in the context of the socio-political climate of their respective time.

The ideology of the comic is closely linked to the philosophy of the American government during and after WW2 (The Second World War). Before the war, the United States was in a period of isolation, in which the country had minimal involvement in international affairs. After the war, the united states were well and truly involved in international relations again, this led to a rise of Xenophobia across the nation, both in government and in ordinary Americans. The USA, as a distinctly capitalist government, have always had opposing principles to that of communists regimes, so when the end of the war led to the creation of a new global superpower that was ruled by a communist government, The USSR, the US government was concerned that the ever expanding reaches of communist ideologies would infiltrate the nation and corrupt the minds of the American people. The purpose then of this comic book was to respond to the spread of communism by instilling a fear of communists into the American people, creating a negative image of communism and what America would look like under communist rule. The USA has had a long history of anti-communism prior to WW2, for example, the mass deportation and prosecution of American socialists during the years following WW1. The end of WW2 led to a second “Red Scare” which would come to last decades by virtue of the Cold War.

This comic strip was produced in the formative years of the Cold War, “Is This Tomorrow? America Under Communism” was published in 1947 by the Catechetical Guild Educational Society, based in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was written by F. Robert Edman and Francis Mcgrade and the art was done by Charles M. Schulz. Catechetical teaching refers to catholic religious education, as such, the catechetical Guild of St. Paul is a Catholic Organisation that produced educational materials for Catholic children. The leader of the organisation was Father Louis Gales, who created the very successful Catholic Digest, which is still being published to this day. This comic therefore had the target audience of catholic children as well as catholic communities. Since before WW2, The Catholic church was already involved in the anti-communist movement in America, which was due to the increase of immigration of Italian Catholics who were seen to have more radical political views than the more conservative Irish Catholics. By the start of the start of the war, the conservative Catholics in the church held most of the power, so when the war ended most Catholics already had a negative view of communism.

In the introduction of the comic, its apparent purpose is stated, “TO MAKE YOU THINK!”. It states the large numbers of the communist party members in the united states and that they are already in positions of power. The fictional story that follows focuses on the USA during a catastrophic drought which leaves the US weak. The communists are shown to adopt racial, ethnic and religious hatred of different organisations. The tactics used by the communists during the takeover in the story seem to mirror those of rise of the Nazi’s in Germany in the 30’s, riots leading to national emergencies resulting in terrorist attacks which kill the leaders of government. The Catholics in the story suffer greatly in the revolution, members of the church are killed for trying to stop the communists and a mass persecution of Catholics begins. This sort of anti-communist propaganda was actually very common after the war, it uses historical examples of similar events to make its point. The comic appealed to a mass audience as many would recognise the symbols used in the comic from school or from news headlines. The authors of this comic used the Catholics’ fear and anxiety of being a minority in a mostly protestant government , as well as the long history of the prosecution of Catholics across Europe, to instil fear into its readers.

To know the purpose of trump’s campaign slogan during his presidential election, we must first look at the ideology that trump holds. Donald Trump has stated many times that he is a “total nationalist”. A nationalist is someone who strongly identifies with his own country and vigorously supports its interests, especially to the exclusion or detriment of the interests of other nations. The purpose then of this slogan is to gain support from voters by appealing to their nationalistic views. During the 2016 election campaign, there was a large majority of Americans who believed that the country was in decline. The slogan became a huge pop culture phenomenon and the famous red “Make America Great Again!” Hats went on to sell millions. Both his supporters and people who have opposed him have used the slogan for their own means and countless parodies have been made of the slogan. The slogan was created by Donald Trump himself in the lead up to the start of his presidential campaign, A similar slogan was used in the 1980 presidential campaign when Ronald Reagan coined the phrase “Let’s make America great again” to which Trump said he had never heard before and that “I(Trump) don’t like it(Reagan’s slogan) as much. With this campaign, Trump did not really have a specific target audience but rather it was more of a “backshot” approach to his message where he attempted to influence anyone and everyone that would listen to him. In studies done on Trump’s voters, it was found that most did not go to university( voters were 65% less likely to vote for him if they had a degree) , most live in parts of the USA with a lot of racial resentment , most are men , most are over the age of 30 , most have a low income and they are mostly white or English-speaking Hispanics . By using the phrase “Make America Great Again!” he is saying to his voters that America, which was once a great nation, is now a punching bag for other countries such as China and Mexico. With just these four words Donald trump was able to garner the support of millions around America. The reason this slogan is so powerful is because of the last word “Again”. Using “Again” invites a with-us-or-against-us reaction, you can either question whether America was ever great or assert that America is still great, or you accept the slogan and support trump in his goals.

Overall by comparing the historical evidence to the contemporary, we can see that propaganda is just as successful today as it was seventy years ago. The same methods are still being successfully employed to influence people today and with technology, trying to discern whether something is or isn’t propaganda is becoming even harder.

Media Discourse Analysis In The Publications Deutsche Welle, Unicef, India Today, Al Jazeera And Prothom Alo

Every year from July to September Torrential rain, flooding and monsoons are the norms for South Asia. The annual event is unpredictable in its danger, death, and destruction. In 2019, the first onslaught of catastrophic monsoons hit on July 12 in the South Asia region in countries such as Bangladesh, China, India, and Nepal. Numerous Publications have covered the event from differing perspectives to their respective audiences. From local viewpoints, foreign opinions and ultimately transnational behaviour the event is perceived, constructed and consumed in a variety of ways. By using discourse analysis to identify meaning from the language used by these publications’, traces of socio-cultural, political and ideological influences surface. Transnational behaviour is observed; however, publications of origin within the affected areas in distinct ways concentrate on local experiences and reporting. As society attaches meaning to language, the realms of knowledge and culture become inextricably connected. Using media outlets from Germany, Qatar, the United Nations, India, and Bangladesh, publications like Deutsche Welle, Aljazeera, UNICEF, India Today and Prothom Alo present this connection through the reporting of current events; such is the South Asia Monsoons and Floods of 2019.

Deutsche Welle provides a humanitarian viewpoint in the wake of the Rohingya refugee crisis as a flood ridden Bangladesh struggles to cope with large camps of refugees and makeshift ‘shantytowns’ via the desolation of the Monsoons and Floods. The article ‘Rohingya refugees struggle to survive in monsoon season’ reintroduces the Rohingya refugee conversation, from its 2017 beginnings during their persecution from Myanmar. Through a video format, Deutsche Welle aims to move beyond language in written form and instead evoke an emotive response through visual means concerning their continued plight. Communication takes an oral form to convey the devastation the events of the monsoon season have brought to the already harsh reality of life in a refugee camp. The video itself also provides a means for easily translatable content as sound recordings can be dubbed over and text re-written in one of the 30 languages Deutsche Welle operates online. As a conservative German International Broadcaster; their content and mission focus on their motto ‘Made for minds’ to reach their audience of “international decision-makers, to people who have or will have an influence on opinion-making” — reaching an estimated 197 million people a week.

The word ‘Minds’ insinuates that their target audiences are of education and the lens through which they view the natural disaster taps into socio-political issues regarding refugees and the actions of governments in addressing the increased devastation to this particular group of people. Another Humanitarian view was taken by UNICEF, the United Nations organisation for the preservation and long-term improvement of the needs of children and women in developing countries. Created by the United Nations General Assembly in 1946, the organisation targets its media material towards governments, corporations and the general population of developed countries. Through their similar humanitarian lens, they use emotive language to invite their audience into the reality of the people affected by the monsoons and floods; especially women and children. The article ‘Monsoon rains bring severe flooding and landslides across South Asia, affecting more than five million children’ is characteristic of their mission statement shifts to focusing on UNICEF’s involvement and “the most urgent needs” conveying an immediacy as all the articles similarly portray solutions to the devastation. “Clean water, hygiene supplies to prevent the spread of disease, food supplies and safe places in evacuation centres for children to play” . Praying on socio-cultural ideals of a child’s standard quality of life is key to receiving the intended outcome of UNICEF as an NGO requiring support and donations for ongoing work.

Prothom Alo, a Bangladeshi Newspaper published a host of articles on the Monsoons and Flooding; themes differentiated from local to lifestyle as devastation reports and jewellery protection. The article to be discussed, ‘Taking care of yourself in Monsoon’ focuses on the self-preservation nature of the monsoon’s effects on individuals. Remedies and precautions to take on the advice of Dermatologist Nivedita Dadu “Staying hydrated will also help to prevent any headaches or infections which you might normally have during monsoon” . As the publication date of the article precedes the events; the nature of the report focuses on pre-emptive measures and a prediction of the impending risks and adverse effects of the monsoon season as an annual event. “The monsoon season brings relief from the scorching sun, but it also brings along allergies, infections, frizzy hair, germs and more. Take care of your body from head to toe, suggest experts” . The cultural attitude attached is highlighted as a reminder of the annual event within an air of comfort and familiarity. The embedded attitudes towards the 2019 instances were individualistic as it appealed to the everyday reader of the media outlet as the casual majority who already have an understanding of the events to unfold; however, the degree of severity is always an unknown.

In contrast, the Aljazeera news outlet has focused on a transnational accumulation of sources and views as it covers the Indian subcontinent. The three reporters Asad Hashim, Roshan Sedai and Faisal Mahmud all report from Islamabad, Kathmandu, and Dhaka respectively have provided information interdependent of one anotherfor the article ‘Monsoon floods: Death toll rises to more than 660 in South Asia’. Apart from the consistent references to government and health officials in all the articles provided; meteorology experts were consulted by Aljazeera to anticipate further flooding and destruction in the northern regions of the affected countries.

A final note alludes to the poor infrastructure and quality of dwellings that are common in these regions. Ultimately the subject reignites the obvious disadvantages the people affected already have. The “Heavy losses due to the yearly monsoon rains are common in South Asia, where many rural homes are built of mud or stone and mountainous regions are prone to landslides” . Aljazeera’s platform aims to provide an alternative viewpoint from the perspective of the Arab world in the English language in comparison to the dominant western media viewpoints like the New York Times, Reuters and Bloomberg. As a state-owned publication controversy is not absent from the narrative of Aljazeera as confusion between the Aljazeera Arabic and English channels were misconstrued to be the same; as a perceived direct translation of one another. Each station provided by Aljazeera is unique in its efforts to target specific cultural audiences, and the cultural ideologies and languages of that audience have contributed to the perceived political affiliations of the media outlet as one unit. This criticism by Oren Kessler who believes in during the Obama administration and since 2001 Al Jazeera “deliberately fans the flames of Muslim outrage” . State-owned entities always retain some form of political risk in the media industry as socio-cultural dimensions of organisation and ideologies shape opinion and viewpoints. The reader understands this dynamic as a substantial quantity of past controversy has not involved the South Asia region and therefore poses little risk in the coverage of the South Asia Monsoons and Floods.

India Today has generated a local perspective of the urban populations affected by the floods and monsoons in Mumbai and Bengaluru in comparison with destruction seen in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The widely circulated article ‘Mumbai, Bengaluru worse than Dhaka in water access: Report’ reaches approximately 8 million people to whom they provide a politically centre-right lens upon the events. The focus of the article is to shed light on the devastation sustained by the economic centres of India regarding a clean water supply; which has already been compromised in Chennai. The article has various a traditional text magazine format with a highlights section summarising the inadequate piping facilities in Mumbai compared to Dhaka, São Paulo, Colombo and Caracas. The article proceeds to take the form of a transnational comparison of ‘Global South’ cities and their access to a regular supply of piped water. With references to the formal institutions of the World Bank, WHO and UNICEF; the argument is that due to the increased catastrophe the recent monsoon season has brought in its early stages more destruction, injury, illness and death. Socio-economic issues arise later in the article addressing the wealth-gap as another factor contributing to the devastation. A final note on safe water access addresses the crisis in a global context as $US141 billion would be required to provide universals safe drinking water to the world in five years, compared to the current 260 billion dollars in annual global losses for contaminated water . India Today focuses on the water supply and piping via the Monsoon season coverage to address an issue that also exists outside of the principal events.

Through an analysis of language, structure and visual aids presented by the publications Deutsche Welle, UNICEF, India Today, Al Jazeera and Prothom Alo a condensed variety of contextual information and sources has been compiled to understand the direct effect of the interpretation of current events. Discourse analysis has allowed for understanding these interpretations in a way that highlights language, culture and form as frames for consideration.

References

1. Anonymous. “Monsoon rains bring severe flooding and landslides across South Asia, affecting more than five million children”. UNICEF. Published 18 Jul 2019.
2. Anonymous. “Rohingya refugees struggle to survive in monsoon season”.
3. Deutsche Welle. Published 17 Jul 2019.
4. Discourse Studies”. 3L: The Southeast Asian Journal of English Language Studies. Vol 21(2): 57 – 68. Published 1 Sep 2015.
5. Hashim, Sedai & Mahmud. “Monsoon floods: Death toll rises to more than 660 in South Asia”. Aljazeera. Published 24 Jul 2019.
6. IANS. “Taking care of yourself in Monsoon”. Prothom Alo. Published 30 Jun 2019.
7. Kessler, Oren. “The two faces of Al Jazeera”. The Middle east Quarterly. Published Winter 2012.
8. Rai, Dipu. “Mumbai, Bengaluru worse than Dhaka in water access: Report”. India Today. Published14 Aug 2019.
9. Ramanathan, Renugah & Hoon, Tan Bee. “Application of Critical Discourse Analysis in Media. 3L : Language, Linguistics, Litterature; The southeast Asian journal of English Language Studies. Vol 21, No 23 (2015). Published 2015

Media Propaganda During Kashmir Floods In India

Introduction

The origin of the word “Propaganda” goes back to Athens in Greece. Before the First World War too, the term was regularly used (Casey, 1944). Propaganda can be defined as a method that involves persuasion, to ensure that the agenda of governments and people are achieved. This is done by the deliberate act of making false statements and giving wrong information (Bruck, & Manzaria, 2010).

Media is one of the most effective tools used for propaganda. In most cases, media, owned or supported by governments change what is real. For the interest of the government wrong messages are circulated, which people believe. For instance, the government of the United States spends millions for the Voice of America (VOC), which is a shortwave radio. The radio is referred as the ‘official’ spokesman of the US (Riddle, 2016).

In the media, propaganda is similar to manipulation of news. Journalists intentionally write and broadcast news, which say good things about a government or agency. Such things are done for different reasons. It can be done to make a government look effective and concerned about the people. It is also done to clean the bad-images of the government and agencies.

During propaganda, what is written in newspapers is information which are given by the one involved in the propaganda. Those who are behind the propaganda are able to do this by ensuring that journalists do not have contact with any other people. Sometimes, journalists are told that they will not get news if it is not written in favor of the propaganda makers. So stories with headlines telling good-things, which are not true come out. Due to the development of social media, using the media for propaganda has increased (Bruck, & Manzaria, 2010).

About the topic

On September, 7, 2014, the valley of Kashmir in India, saw the worst natural disaster in more than fifty years. The people suffered and there were chaos as over half a million people could not get out. 280 people died and the valley was devastated.

Apart from hospitals, schools and other buildings, the flood took away media houses also. Due to this the media in Kashmir could not do any kind of reporting. But media people from New Delhi came. They were supported by the Indian government, especially the Indian Army. As there were no one but the Army to depend on, all the reporting were done based on interviews of the Indian Army. This led to the spread of news about how good the Indian Army was (Mustafa, 2014).

What the international news wrote was different. For instance, media like BBC online, Al Jazeera, Reuters and the Financial Times, London, wrote about the work done by others and not just the Indian Army. Thus, it becomes clear that the Indian Army, by helping the Indian Journalists, used them as a propaganda machine to clear their image, which has been bad since the division of Kashmir. This incident shows the different ways used in propaganda and also the way media carry out the jobs as a propaganda machine.

After the British left India, in 1948, Kashmir was divided into two parts. One was Indian-controlled Jammu and Kashmir, and the other Pakistani-controlled part of Jammu and Kashmir. There is a big presence of Indian Army in Kashmir. By the beginning of 1990, people in Kashmir began to go against the Army. The Army reacted back. There were issues of human rights violation by the Army. The image of the Indian Army was not good. Due to this, the flood was a good opportunity for the Indian Army to use media as propaganda and clean their bad image (Khalid, 2016).

Analysis

After the flood, it was mainly the Army that had access to everything. They had helicopters and boats. So reporters had to depend on them. Because of this, journalists were taken to places where Army was carrying relief works. Interviews were taken from the army. So, all stories that came out were from the army’s side. For instance, the army said that more than one hundred thousand people were rescued. Reporters had no ways to cross check (Bukhar, 2014).

One of the journalists, who were a Kashmiri, said that the Army had conditions. Not wanting to say his name, he told that the Army said “they would air lift,” him only if he made a story, “favouring the army and the air force and covering their relief and rescue efforts.” “I refused to go. Instead, I waded through the …. The majority of the media outlets from New Delhi were operating from the military airbase in Srinagar. They were embedded and did not shy away from openly running a public relations operation for the military. It seems they were reporting for the military, and not for the flood victims,” the journalist said (Khalid, 2016).

An analysis was done on reports of the Times of India (ToI) and New Delhi TV (NDTV). It found that coverage was done on behalf of the Indian government and armed forces. 57 percent of the ToI’s coverage was particularly on the army’s relief works. Both had ignored what was done by others, such as volunteers. Khalid (2016) says that the “Indian media coverage was also notably security-centric, possibly to create sympathy for the Indian army, typically viewed as an occupying force in the region.”

Mustafa (2014), wrote that stories just projecting the Army as heroes, have ignored people who were affected.

Photo stories, headlines, captions and even editorials written by the Indian papers spoke for the Army. All four photo stories on ToI’s online site had the armed forces, involved in rescue works. Headlines used were such as: “We salute Indian army,” “Without Indian army, J&K rescue efforts could not be possible (Khalid,2016).

When reports from local media came out 18 days after the flood, stories were different. It was not the Army only, but local population and volunteers who helped the people by establishing temporary houses and managing food (Qazi, 2014).

Similarly, international media’s reports were different and had interviews with the locals. Al Jazeera reported that thousands of people were still in flood areas even one week after the floods. News about people saying that Indian soldiers were first saving families of government officials and the rich came out.

The New York Times reported: “At a mosque where residents had set up a relief camp, Ghulam Hassan was coordinating efforts to feed 2,000 people. He said the volunteers were on their own”.

Qazmin, (2014) writes in The Financial Times: “Stories are relentlessly repeated of how Indian television stations have glorified the army, while troops have insulted Kashmiris by flinging down packets of out-of-date food from helicopters and ignored appeals for help from flood survivors on the upper floors of their homes.”

Conclusion

Propaganda, by using the media is examples where the true story is not told. The intention is political in most cases. Propaganda is also used to change the image of an organization. During the 2014 floods in Kashmir, India, the Indian Army found a golden opportunity to use the disaster mainly to show to the people and the world that they are not enemies of the Kashmir people. The Army provided support to media who wrote good stories about them helping the people. The media covered only stories based on Armed forces.

But reporting by the local and international media exposed intentions of the Indian Army and media agencies who had helped the Indian Army use the flood and relief measures as propaganda for their self-agenda.

Reference

1. Aljazeera. (2014). Thousands still stranded in flood-hit Kashmir. Retrieved from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia/2014/09/thousands-still-stranded-flood-hit-kashmir-2014910982186136.html
2. Bukhar, S. (2014, September 18). Volunteers wade into Kashmir floods to rescue thousands. BBC Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-29218301
3. Bruck, J. & Manzaria, J. (2010). Media’s Use of Propaganda to Persuade People’s Attitude, Beliefs and Behaviors. War & Peace: Media and War. Retrieved from stanford.edu/class/e297c/war_peace/media/hpropaganda.html
4. Casey, D, Ralph, (1944). What is Propaganda? School of Journalism, University of Minnesota. Retrieved from https://www.historians.org/about-aha-and-membership/aha-history-and-archives/gi-roundtable-series/pamphlets/em-2-what-is-propaganda-(1944)
5. Kazmin, A. (2014, September 7). Kashmir Flooding kills more than 150. The Financial Times Retrieved from https://www.ft.com/content/e5dc508a-364b-11e4-95d3-00144feabdc0
6. Khalid, W. (2016), Media Propaganda and the Kashmir Dispute, University of Oxford. Retrieved from https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/research/files/Media%2520Propaganda%
7. Mustafa, S. (2014, September 17).The Media and the floods in Kashmir, The Citizen. Retrieved from https://www.thecitizen.in/index.php/en/NewsDetail/index/1/602/THE-MEDIA-AND-THE-FLOODS-IN-JAMMU-AND-KASHMIR
8. Qazi, W. (2014, September 19). Kashmir floods and the national media: A saga of shame and cynicism. Firstpost Retrieved from https://www.firstpost.com/india/kashmir-floods-and-the-national-media-a-saga-of-shame-and-cynicism-1720545.html
9. Riddle, L, (2016). American Propaganda in World War II’ warhistoryonline.com. https://www.warhistoryonline.com/world-war-ii/american-propaganda-world-war-ii.html

The Role Of Media In Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas focuses on the racism that black communities face in modern America. Throughout the novel, Thomas highlights the impact of the media, particularly how it influences society, elevates racism and creates bonds between characters.

In The Hate U Give the media strongly influences society and encourages racism. One of the forms of media used is music, during a Garden Height’s riot following the grand jury’s conclusion that officer one-fifteen is innocent the N.W.As ‘F*ck Tha Police’ blasts, the title of the song alone portrays the mood of the characters. They sing out “fuck the police […] a young nigga got it bad ‘cause I’m brown” (pg.388) emphasising how hip-hop connects to the pain the black community is experiencing, with the lyrics reflecting that Khalil was murdered simply because of the colour of his skin. Mainstream critics dismiss hip-hop as a violent genre of music forming a stereotype around it that fits in with how the media in The Hate U Give refers to Khalil’s neighbourhood as “ghetto” (pg.74), alluding to the stereotype that black youth are threatening. Although, to compare Khalil’s neighbourhood to hip-hop, they each hold more meaning below the surface. For instance, Khalil explains Tupac’s definition of the acronym “Thug Life” (pg. 21), Khalil explains to Starr, “Pac said Thug Life stood for ‘The Hate U Give Little Infants F*cks Everybody” (pg.21). Despite the phrase initially sounding like it glorifies gang violence, one explained, it is clear that it highlights the circumstances that create violence in black communities. Similarly, the TV news alludes to black stereotypes to justify racism, displaying “a photograph of Khalil’s black hairbrush, the one he used in the car” (pg.214), following this officer one fifteen’s claim that “he saw it in the car door, and assumed Khalil was reaching for it. The handle was thick enough, black enough for him to assume it was a gun” (pg.215). The underlying connotation of the brush’s description relates to Khalil’s skin colour, suggesting that “Khalil was black enough” (pg. 215) for one-fifteen to assume that he would be a violent threat. The media influences society through the allusion of stereotypes and, as a result, encourages racism within the community.

Officer one-fifteen symbolises racism in the American law enforcement system throughout the novel. However, his actions are condoned through the sympathy he receives from characters; this is displayed through the use of pathos to appeal to characters emotions through the media. One-fifteens farther speaks for his son in a news interview saying, “soon as I pulled him over, I had a bad feeling” (pg.243). This comment encourages Hailey to sympathise one-fifteens situation, saying what he is going through “is awful […] that poor family” (pg.244). This ultimately demonstrates how the media elevates racism by manipulating the story to portray their favoured side, resulting in society accepting racism. Starr refers to the one-fifteen by his number rather than his name, dehumanising him to represent how he saw Khalil as a black threat rather than a human being. Referring to him as one-fifteen is also highlighting that he is a statistic that is a part of a much larger system that condones police brutality against black communities, emphasising that the problem is the entire system not one officer. The media’s approach to justifying the shooting was to release the news headline “Khalil Harris, a suspected drug dealer” (pg106). It is evident that the headline comes with negative connotations, immediately moving the blame of Khalil’s death onto himself by associating him with gangs, suggesting that he was violent and dangerous. Thomas’s use of pathos and negative connotations effectively illustrates how the media elevates racism by displaying it as socially acceptable.

The media plays a critical role in forming relationships in The Hate U Give, particularly between Chris and Starr, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air creates a bond between the two characters when, “one Saturday [Starr] reblogged a bunch of Fresh Prince GIFs and clips. [Chris] liked every single one” (pg.85), foreshadowing Chris and Starr’s future relationship that sparks from their common interest in the show, also suggesting Chris’s commitment to Starr that does not die out. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is a motif that recurs throughout the novel, representing Starr’s struggle to be herself in white communities such as Williamston High. By Chris calling Starr his “Fresh Princess” (pg.85) it implies that he promises Starr that he will continue to accept her as every version of herself. After Khalil’s death Starr created a Tumblr page named “The Khalil I Know” (pg. 202), the title emphasises that he is not what the media is portraying him to be. After creating the page, “in just two hours, hundreds of people have liked and reblogged the pictures” (pg. 203), here the media has allowed hundreds of people to connect over their shared sadness for Khalil, ultimately spreading his true story rather than the stereotypes other forms of media have been alluding to.

Angie Thomas’s The Hate U Give highlights the significant negative and positive impacts the media can have on people lives. Ultimately displaying how it can influence societies view on black communities, elevate racism by alluding to stereotypes as well as create bonds between characters.

Media Analysis Of Domestic Violence In Australia

Legal definition of the Crime

Domestic Violence is defined by the (Family Law Act 1975) as ‘violent, threatening or other behavior by a person that coerces or controls a member of the persons family or causes the family member to be fearful’ (AMA, 1998). “…any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty” (United Nations, 1993).

Statistics on Family Domestic Violence

A national survey (ABS, 2017) showed that one in six women and one in seventeen men have experienced sexual or physical assault from a current or former partner. Around two thirds of the households where domestic violence are occurring have children living with them. The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Personal Safety Survey (ABS, 2013) found that 21 per cent of women living outside capital cities had experienced violence from an intimate partner since age 15 years, versus 15 per cent of women living in a capital city. (The Australian Longitudinal Survey on Women’s Health, 2014) found that more women aged 18-23 years living in rural, regional and remote areas (15-16 per cent) had experienced partner violence than women living in capital cities (12 per cent)

Thesis Statement

This media analysis will exhibit the trouble of home violence is a complicated one, plenty more complex that the term may convey. Indeed, domestic violence is complex in terms of its very definition, complicated in phrases of gender and complicated in terms of interventions to envision and deal with its occurrence. It will also explore the impact and importance the media has reportage and broadcasting of Family Domestic Violence whether it be newspaper articles, news reports via television or on broadcasting stations and networks. Sensationalism in media can also be defined by the volume of passionate responses from the public. There are also many news stories of domestic violence that aren’t reported on, for whatever reason, due to lack of sources or just lack of interest, bury our heads in the sand mentality. Media in Australia have the potential to be more precise in reflecting the reality of family violence and in turn, ease the communities concern as to how is it reported. Points to be covered on this topic include Family Violence, the role the media have on reporting these incidents and the impact it has on the community and how it affects the public on a whole. Professor Jenny Morgan of Melbourne University (Vic Health p. 1) states there is little doubt that media coverage matters. Women are more likely than men to experience domestic violence and family violence and be injured as a result. (Webster, K., 2016).

Content Analysis from three sources, ABC News, The Guardian and The Age for 9News on Domestic Violence.

This content analysis will be looking at the devastating effects Domestic Violence has on the victims, extended families and the wider community which has been reported through various media outlets in the last eighteen months. There has recently been a vicious attack on a mother and her three children resulting in their deaths and a suicide of the alleged killer, her estranged husband. Various news outlets have reported on this horrific crime and to analyse the dozens of reports this topic needs to start at the beginning. The common theme in these news stories are the victims, the mother and her three children. The media frame the discussion of the issue by repeating the elements of the story and by using common comparisons such as quoting family members reflections of the victims with local MP’s comments, stating more should be done to prevent more people dying. (The Guardian, 2020). Nine News political reporter Fiona Willan (Nine News, 2020) interviewed two members of parliament, Rebekha Sharkie, member of the Australian House of Representatives and Zali Steggall, OAM, Australian Politian and Lawyer in family Law, and discussed their disbelief and shock at the events that took place while also not surprised the system failed, and continues to fail many unprotected families. This report was outlining the shortcomings of the system the government has in place, mentioning the social, emotional and financial hardships many families experience while feeling isolated from family and friends. There are also the devastated families, holding vigils, trying to make sense of such an overwhelming circumstance. However, there is no reporting in any articles regarding domestic violence inflicted on men. A national survey (ABS, 2017) stated that one in six women and one in seventeen men experienced domestic violence from a current partner or formal partner. This is not reflected during reportage of domestic violence or family violence in any of the articles researched. Some articles were overflowing with tributes to the deceased mother and her children, which also printed family photos in happier times. The reports state the actual crime, describing in some detail the events that unfolded on the day but instead reporting on the support for the family of the victim. The constant use of the word ‘alleged’ or ‘accused’ was found to be used throughout the articles but instead the content language used in The Age was ‘funding’ and ‘need more resources’. This in turn delivers to the reader a compassionate and bias view of the day in question and leave the reader feeling the injustice women and children suffer at the hands of men. It must also be said that each report and content researched ended with a variety of support networks and hotline numbers that can offer support if needed. ABC News headline, Brisbane vigil for Hannah Clarke and her three children hears a ‘beautiful’ mum and her ‘joyous’ kids leads in to the tragic deaths of a mother and her three children who were burnt alive in an alleged domestic violence attack in Brisbane in February. This news story was inundated on social media posts and talk shows in response to domestic violence and why this alleged killer, Rowan Baxter, was able to carry out this vile act with a DVO, Domestic Violence Order, in place at the time of the offence.

The ABC News article was overflowing with tributes to the deceased mother and her children, which also printed family photos in happier times. The report states the actual crime, describing in some detail the events that unfolded on the day but instead reporting on the support the family of the victim, Hannah Clarke, received at a vigil held in honour of her and her children, Aaliyah six, Trey three and the youngest child Laianah four. It also covered a political side with Queensland’s Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington expressing their heartfelt despair at the ‘Domestic Violence epidemic’ gripping the nation. Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner also expressed his despair, saying the community failed the victims. This could be seen as a political opportunity to reinforce to the public the support the government does or does not contribute. The was also a call to fast track a recommendation from Quentin Bryce’s Not Now, Not Ever report to tackle the issue. The report made 140 recommendations based on the insights gathered from 5 months of engagement with communities and individuals. (Bryce, 2015) If anything comes out of this I want it to be a lesson to everybody that family violence happens to everybody no matter how nice your house is, no matter how intelligent you are, it happens to anyone and everyone (Marshall et al. 2014).

Lastly the article ended with various support helplines and Family Violence support services, yet no representative was quoted or sourced for comment regarding such a nationwide outcry for the end of Family Domestic Violence.

References

1. ‘Family Law Act 1975’. Legislation Australia. Commonwealth Government of Australia. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
2. ABS Personal Safely Survey, Australia, (2013).
3. Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2017). Personal Safety Survey, Australia, 2016. ABS.http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4906.0
4. Australian Medical Association. Position statement on domestic violence. Canberra: AMA, 1998.
5. Easteal P, Holland K, Judd K. Enduring themes and silences in media portrayals of violence against women. Women’s Stud Int Forum. 2015;48:103–13
6. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-23/hannah-clarke-brisbane-camp-hill-vigil-domestic-violence/11992398
7. https://www.csyw.qld.gov.au/campaign/end-domestic-family-violence/about/not-now-not-ever-report
8. https://www.news.com.au/national/queensland/news/rowan-baxter-hannah-clarkes-killer-had-planned-to-murder-expartner-and-son/news-story/5a8632ce994364e82b2c98b05f6e7fb3
9. https://www.news.com.au/national/queensland/news/rowan-baxter-hannah-clarkes-killer-had-planned-to-murder-expartner-and-son/news-story/5a8632ce994364e82b2c98b05f6e7fb3
10. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/feb/20/brisbane-car-fire-hannah-baxters-family-say-they-tried-to-rescue-her-and-children-from-violent-husband
11. https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/search/top-journalists-honoured-at-eliminating-violence-against-women-media-awards
12. Marshall, Konrad, Rania Spooner, John Silvester, Jessica Wright, and Mex Cooper. 2014. “Father Kills 11-Year-Old Son. Mother’s Grief and Compassion – Tyabb Tragedy.” The Age, February 14. [Google Scholar]
13. Sutherland, G., et al (2015) A state of knowledge review of the evidence on media representations of violence against women. Sydney, NSW: Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS).
14. The Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (2014)
15. Webster, K. (2016). A preventable burden: measuring and addressing the prevalence and health impacts of intimate partner violence in Australian women (ANROWS COMPASS, 07/2016). Sydney: Anrows. hhtp://media.aomx.com/anrows.org.au/s3fs-public/28%2010%2016%20BOD%20Compass.pdf
16. Wooley, S., F 2020 https://7news.com.au/politics/qld

Media Negative Effect On Woman Perception In Modern World: Stereotypes And Discrimination

Do you open media every time you are free ? Did it become the first thing your eyes see in the morning and the last thing you see before you sleep ? I am sure yes. Media became one of the main ways of communication for our next generation. Social media that provided for people pictures and news that are unrealistic to what is considered beautiful in today’s society forced people to take extreme and harmful things which led to death. I strongly believe that media is the main effect on society’s perception of women in a negative way because media focuses on the body of women and they portray women in a certain role and should be dependent on men.

Media influence the way people think and how women view about themselves . This is because how media projects images of women that have been technologically edited. These impracticable women have a greater effect on society’s perception. It is a strong view on how we should look, the more we look to perfect body images and find ideal characteristics not found on ourselves , the more we feel inferior. Starting comparing ourselves to unrealistic body images so there will be more risk to control our body which means extreme dieting , exercises and eating disorder. Images are being of fashionably clad women, , tiny waists, large breasts, perfect skin for example Kardashian and Beyoncé fame , all with no greater than 59 kg. But yet still we are told that these bodies are normal, desirable, required , and achievable. A women that is thin, tall and muscular has become the one who is successful , hardworking , popular and beautiful as for the one who is fat and short is associated as ugly , lazy and weak. Can you imagine that media influenced our mindsets of women and made us to think this way. The media sets sexualized beauty standards and sends out the message that they need to be beautiful in the eyes of the men to be accepted so this makes women feel depressed because they do not look sexy like the models they see that the men are attracted to.

Women roles in media such as advertising , television and news are stereotyped, it present women in stereotyped ways that limit the society’s perception of human possibilities. The study by Lilit Grigoryan, Arevik Ghalumyan and Mane Adamyan entitled “Women’s Image in Armenian Advertisements” and funded by Open Society Foundation illustrates that 78 % of images of women in advertisements belong to the “young” age group (under 30) ,only 10 % of women portrayed in magazines are medium-structured, only 6 % of women in advertisements are portrayed at workplace. Women in advertisements are being located in an unclear environment for example most advertisements include women who is portrayed at home . Society’s perception is based on these advertisements that let them think that women should be at home , housewife. This type of stereotypical representation of women in media can have a negative impact on young girls who identifies themselves with their role model shown in these commercials. Media is affecting the dreams of women of what they like to do and taking their freedom which means letting others control their choices because of what is seen in media. Still not all advertisements include women at home but just 10% of women that are portrayed in working place so it is still a small percentage. Do you know that 70 % of TV staff is men for example directors, camera people, producers, computer designers, etc… and only 30 % is female such as apparel design, makeup, administrator, etc… ?If media doesn’t t stop stereotype the role of women then the society’s perception of women will not change and stay the same so media is the main effect on the way people are viewing the role of women.

In some commercials they always sexualize women where they are mostly given the roles such as not making important decisions at home , depend on men always and need men protection. Media portrayed women as a status who are expected to do everything for men and with the help of men. Media is trying to convey to society that women can’t take essential , main and significant choices while men can.

Media is affecting women perception in a negative way so we all shouldn’t follow and believe what is being presented. Achieve , accomplish and reach your goal and dreams don’t let your life be based on what media is offering for you. Stop comparing yourself with others because you are unique , do whatever makes you feel good and comfortable. Shout back to the media and you can change the perception of women .Never underestimate the power within you, because you may be the only person in the entire universe to solve a specific problem. – Gift Gugu Mona .

Attention, Education And Media Multitasking

Introduction

Attention is the cognitive process of selectively concentrating on one aspect of the environment while ignoring other things(Citation). We use our attention when processing a thought and making a decision. However, unfortunately, there has been speculation on how attention and different functions in the human mind changes through the addictiveness of digital screens, especially our smartphones. If attention is affected, and the brain generally, increasing symptoms of depression, anxiety, bullying, etc, are likely to occur. On a daily basis, an average person picks up their phone 58 times per day(citation), causing possible harm to the brain as too much attention is put on this. As the digital world is relatively new, psychologists and scientists are still in the process of finding a clear understanding of the possible consequences with attention and frequent smartphone use.

Numerous sources(Nielsen, Pew Research Center, comScore, SmartInsights) have stated that, “the average person spends over four hours a day on their devices, where half of it comes from the top 5 social media platforms” Nowadays, people sit behind their phones, preventing and disturbing both the cognitive mind and the sociocultural perspective. Making it more concerning, as according to data from Britain, it seems like young kids are ditching their basketballs and dolls for cell phones as, “70 percent of 11- to 12-year-olds use a mobile phone and this increases to close to 90 percent by the age of 14(cite).” It can be noted that doctors and educators are worried about how overexposure to touch-screen technology can impact developing brains. Not only are smartphones very addictive but also very distracting. In 2014, a 15-year-old, Nayomi Mendez, was killed in San Diego when, while using her phone, she stepped into the path of an oncoming semi-truck. These incidents occur as we pump too high levels of dopamine, a neurochemical created in various parts of the brain and is critical in all sorts of brain functions, including thinking, moving, sleeping, mood, attention, motivation, seeking and reward, while we scroll through social media, creating a desire to seek for more and only focus on one object/subject. It is very interesting how new sources are revealed on how frequent use significantly affects our brain, and creates a danger to society. It is therefore very important and critical to investigate what frequent smartphone use does to attention specifically.

Attention can be explained and supported by two well known theories; Multi-store memory model and the working memory model(WMM). The multi-store memory model(MSM) refers to that memory consists of a number of separate locations in which information is stored. The various memory stores(STM, LTM) are seen as components that operate in conjunction with the long term memory(LTM) through processes such as attention, coding and rehearsal (inthinking). The use of implementing too much screen time can create a disruption in the process of using attention efficiently, influencing one’s performance on a daily basis. Therefore, this can also affect the amount of information we can intake in the long term as attention is a big component in process information from short-term to long-term memory. The working memory model, is a hypothetical model of short term memory(STM) that includes several components in contrast to MSM. One of the biggest component, the central executive, has the capacity to focus attention, to divide attention between two or more sources and to switch attention from one task to another(Inthinking). Therefore, it is extremely important to investigate whether attention is being affected with frequent smartphone users, as it may create obstacles in switching task, multitask, and store memory efficiently, which can affect a lot of other important characteristics as well.

Results from studies on the effects that frequent smartphone use has on attention varies consistently. Some studies show a negative correlation between education and performance with frequent smartphone users, where others show the opposite. As seen in the MSM and the WMM, in order to build new memory, the majority of one’s attention needs to be active. However, studies that explore media-multitaskers and education find that attention is lost throughout the processing of finishing a task. Over the past years, more and more studies have focused on the effects of attention through the lense of media-multitaskers and education, but still receiving different findings. However, the majority of the studies demonstrate a negative correlation, arguing that frequent screen time can affect one’s attention. Therefore, this essay will investigate, “to what extent does frequent smartphone use affect attention?”

Education and Media-Multitasking

In order to fully comprehend how education and media-multitasking explain the effects that frequent smartphone use has on attention, the framework and the correlation have to be illustrated and understood first.

The concept of cognition refers to processes of thinking and decision-making, creating new memory in the short-term and long-term, and processing mental representations of experiences. Cognition is also related to one’s personal experience. As we interact with the world around us, we create mental representations – that is, conceptual understandings of how the world works(inthinking). Frequent smartphone use disturbs the cognition, creating possible disorders or general changes within the human brain. One aspect that has been tested on and will be analyzed is attention.

Attention is an important factor in the cognitive processes, as one has to focus on a task in order to think and make decisions appropriately. When it is disturbed, it is likely to affect other skills or processes as well such as performance, organization, and multitasking. Even though attention plays a significant role in the human mind, it is difficult to be measured directly. Therefore, studies may examine the performance levels, distractibility rates, or areas in the brain when implementing functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, it is usually difficult for the findings to be accurate and valid as other factors may play in the outcome other than attention. On the other, researchers usually use target population in order for some factors affecting the findings to disappear. In addition, performance which is referred to as how efficient a task is done, is usually tested on studies which focus on education.

Media multitasking(MMT) refers to the act of consuming multiple media simultaneously—for example, having a television on in the background while using a smartphone. In this case, multitasking refers to the ability to perform more than one task at a certain time. In order to do that, attention has to be active. Therefore, if performance decreases from a multitasker, we can conclude, but not fully due to extraneous variables, that attention is not effective. Performance and media-multitasking can be correlated in some studies, as due to high media-multitasker(HMM), one’s performance can decrease significantly than low media-multitasker(LMM). Media Multitasking Index(MMI), created by Ophir, which assesses a variety of different media multitasking combinations, thereby providing an account of the overall level of media multitasking during media time(citation), is also used with potential questionnaires to measure the level of distractibility and overall performance.

Media-Multitasking

A wide variety of studies have shown the negative effects frequent smartphone users develop with attentional process. Different methods and techniques are used in order to enable a better understanding of the possible consequences of attention. Cain & Mitroff carried out a study in 2011, aimed to see how media-multitasking affects attention/distractibility through an isolated attentional process by employing a singleton distractor task with low working-memory demands. Cain & Mitroff found that the link between distractibility and media multitasking habits was associated specifically with individual differences in the scope of attention and not differences in working memory. In other words, in their task, it was found that light media-multitaskers(LMM) used top-down information to improve their performance, yet high media-multitasker(HMM) did not(cite). This difference in performance in the attentional capture task, argues that HMMs maintain a “wider attentional scope” than LMMs. The findings by Cain & Mitroff helps discuss the uncertain consequences with frequent smartphone users and attention. That is, that the findings state that high media-multitaskers, have been linked to poorer ability in suppressing distractors. As a consequence, heavy media multitaskers are able to hold fewer or less precise goal-relevant representations. In correlation, Ophir, an author and psychologist, mentions, “‘a phenomenon known as ‘media multitasking’, individuals who regularly engage in this activity, heavy media multitaskers, are more affected by irrelevant information that can intrude into a primary task than light media multitaskers” (—Ophir et al, 2009 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA106 15583). This was credited through the study by Ophir in 2009 with three hundred and seventeen participants (163 male 154 Female) and an age range of 19 to 64 years old, filling out questionnaires and MMI in different samples. Ophir found that the data revealed that those who reported engaging in more media multitasking(HMM) were less able to filter environmental distractions(cite). This data therefore supports the data found by Cain & Mitroff. As these two studies used a different task and amount of participants but concluded the same findings, it strengthens the hypothesis of the possible consequences for frequent smartphone users in relation to attention. This shows, through scientists and well-founded studies, that frequent users are likely to create a barrier as they cannot focus well on relevant information and aren’t able to filter out distractions, affecting their performance. It should be noted that this is definitely related to attention as focusing and practicing are factors with the efficiency of one’s attention and seen in the WMM. However, it should also be noted that these studies are not experiments but correlational studies, meaning that we cannot prove a cause-and-effect relationship but only that two things happen simultaneously.

The current generation of young people demonstrate in more media multitasking behavior (e.g., instant messaging while watching videos) in their everyday lives than older generations. Concerns have been raised about how this may affect their attentional functioning, as studies have shown that the overuse in media multitasking in everyday life may be associated with decreased attentional control. In the current study, done by Moisala et al in 2016, 149 adolescents and young adults (aged 13-24 years) performed speech-listening and reading tasks that required maintaining attention in the presence of distractor stimuli(cite). Brain activity during task performance was measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Moisala studied the relationship between self-reported daily MMT, task performance and brain activity during task performance(cite). The results showed that through the distractor stimuli, a higher MMT score was associated with worse performance and increased brain activity in right prefrontal regions. In addition, it should be noted, that level of performance during divided attention did not depend on MMT. This suggests that daily media multitasking is associated with behavioral distractibility, increased activity in brain areas involved in attentional control, and that media multitasking in everyday life does not translate to performance benefits in multitasking in laboratory. This is a strength in the study, as the internal validity is high, due to it not being tested in a laboratory and the number of participants is above 150. What is also interesting is that there is an increase the external validity, as some participants still have a developing brain(13-20) and others do not, making it more generalisable to a wider range of ages. In other words, just like Ophir and Cain & Mitroff, this study shows a negative correlation.

Even though there is a wide variety of studies done on media multitasking and the attentional performance, there are also studies which limit our hypothesis. Some studies show a positive relationship between media Multitasking and performance. Such that performance increases more for HMM than LMM. In other words, some studies suggests the opposite pattern of the relationship, that high MMI scores or other tests/observation correlate with better performance on certain attentionally demanding tasks. For example, the two psychologists, Lui and Wong(2012) set up a task that required 63 participants to integrate information from, “multiple sensory modalities”(vision and listening). Their results revealed that individuals who reported HMM outperformed LMM in their ability to integrate the information(cite). This study therefore shows that there are different results in the range of studies that study the same topic, making it difficult to identify an accurate conclusion on the effects of media multitasking on attention. Findings also suggest an attentional benefit associated with HMM are also relatable with studies demonstrating positive in training, through repetitive task practice, in divided attention tasks. Another study which found the opposite relationship that contradicts negative consequences in correlation to frequent smartphone users(Ralph et al(2015), Minear et al 2013), is the study set up by Minear et al(2013) with 53 college students. He used the media multitasker developed by Ophir et al, in order to identify the HMM and the LMM. They then tested both HMM & LMM on measures of attention, working memory, task switching, fluid intelligence, self-reported impulsivity and self control. The researchers found that people who reported engaging in heavy amounts of media multitasking reported being more impulsive and performed more poorly on measures of fluid intelligence than did those who did not frequently engage in media multitasking(cite). However, no evidence was found to support the theory that HMMs are worse in a multitasking situation such as task switching or that they show any deficits in dealing with irrelevant or distracting information, as compared with LMM. Minear’s study explicitly demonstrates that through the use of implementing the same method as Ophir et al, but receiving different results, lowers the credentials of both findings, as it is now unclear whether there is a positive or negative effect on attention. This may be due to the difference in population, age, or region which may have affected the results. In addition, Lui and Wong and Minear et al external validity is relatively low, as the findings cannot be generalized to most of the other studies. Also, both studies internal validity is low as well as only 53 college students participated in Minear et al and 63 for Lui and Wong, making the results not be as valuable as the results which showed a negative correlation.

However, even as positive results may be found in the relationship between media multitasking and distractibility through tests such as the MMI, more studies, and well controlled, support that smartphone use negatively affects the attention. For example, Ralph et al(2013) used a series of online self-report measures, examining media multitasking, and its relations to three aspects of everyday attention, “(1) failures of attention and cognitive errors (2) mind wandering, and (3) attentional control with an emphasis on attentional switching and distractibility(cite).” Ralph observed a positive correlation between levels of media multitasking and self-reports of attentional failures, as well as reports of both spontaneous and deliberate mind wandering. Also, as there was no correlation observed between MMT and self-reported memory failures, the study validates the hypothesis that media multitasking is specifically related to problems of inattention, rather than cognitive processes and errors in general. However, media multitasking was not related with self-reports of difficulties in attention switching or distractibility. This demonstrates that individuals don’t notice the change in attention, inattention rates are higher, without participants noticing. This creates a bigger problem as addicted individuals to their smartphones don’t see the possible negative effects of frequent use.

Conclusively, attention, distractibility and performance are shown as significant factors influenced and altered through the frequent usage on smartphones. Even though some studies may show a positive or no outcome, the studies which show a positive correlation lack internal and external validity. Also, results that showed a negative correlation, concurred with the WMM & MSM, as participants were unable to memorize information due to the lack of attention. Therefore, under the studies on multitasking, frequent smartphone affects attention.

Education

Not only is media multitasking tested to measure the distractibility and attention rate, but also performance in education and athletics. Studies have shown negative outcomes between frequent smartphone use and attention during educational purposes.

The focus on education and performances has been quite popular in relation to attention, as a classroom is a more natural environment and not artificial, which means that it is far less likely to have extraneous variables, increasing the ecological validity. Even though athletics and education are not studied in the same environment/, they do both correlate in what they are measuring; attention and performance. Results on education and their performance may also be viable for the athletic environment. In addition, testing one’s performance in an education environment may improve the external validity as it is a higher chance that people are tested in that circumstance. Adolescents and adults are becoming lazy and not outgoing as they spent too much attention on their smartphones(cite). This also affects one’s performance in any given event as he/she loses their concentration, producing below their standard. Dozens of researchers are aiming to show how smartphones and the internet can hinder or enrich brain functions. Dr. Gary Small, head of UCLA’s memory and aging research, performed an experiment how brains change in response to frequent smartphone use. Dr. Gary made two groups: participants with a lot of computer experience and those with minimal technology experience. Through brain scans, Gary discovered that both groups had similar brain functions while reading a book. However, the tech group showed, “broad brain activity in the left-front part of the brain known as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, while the novices showed little, if any, activity in this area(cite).” The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex plays a role in switching attention and working memory, meaning that it took more energy to enhance these functions.

The Nostalgic Economy: The Domination Of Nostalgic Focus In Contemporary Media And Its Influence On Streaming Preferences

ABSTRACT

Nostalgia refers to the mixed feelings of happiness and gloominess that occurs while reminiscing the past. In everyday life, we come across many situations or people, where there is longing for the time begone. This intense emotion has played a major role in building a set of audience for the streaming media, wherein this intense emotion of longing for the past has been put to use to influence or manipulate the preferences of the mass. The interlink between the media and human psychology has influenced the change in choice of the mass. This paper will focus on the on the domination of nostalgic focus in contemporary media and its influence on streaming preferences with the objectives of understanding the concept of nostalgia and its psychological functions,potential of streaming media in evoking the feeling of nostalgia among viewers and how it manipulates our preferences using our fascination towards ‘good-old-times’ and our obsession with the things that we missed out on in the past. The study is conducted based on the primary data collected from 150 samples in Moodbidri.

INTRODUCTION

Nostalgia is a term used to refer to that sentimental feeling of both joy and sorrow on account of a past memory. It if often accompanied by a desire to go back to those ‘good-old-days’. It is an impulse to look back to our happy times and wish that we were there. The term was coined by a Swiss medical student Johannes Hofer. It is a combination of two Greek words namely, nostos which means homecoming and algos which means pain. Thus, etymologically ‘nostalgia’ roughly translates to homecoming pain.

Nostalgia is considered as an emotional experience that triggers the longingness for the days that have gone by. This intense feeling that causes complex emotional surge is, however, at present being used as an effective marketing strategy across products and services all over the world. It plays a major role in attracting and maintaining customers as it is a very fine tool that is instrumental in effective communication. The technique of deceptive advertising wherein the understanding of human psychology is put into use to manipulate the mass by tapping on their emotional soft spot has become rampant in the day.

As known the video and music streaming applications are very popular among the youth, who are more in number in our country. These very platforms are used to induce the feeling of nostalgia among them which would trigger them to perform an action as desired by the marketer which would in turn be used to condition them to make a purchase of a product or service that is associated with it, thereby easily manipulating the preferences of the mass.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

A Review of Nostalgic Marketing by Rubo Cuidiscusses the nostalgia in marketing that is “how it is used as a way to communicate with consumers and is converted into an effective marketing field. It presents the concepts and mechanism of nostalgic marketing, the target group and strategies of nostalgic marketing, etc.”

Consumer Nostalgia Literature Review and an Alternative Measurement Perspective by Justina Gineikienediscusses the “represents an attempt to comprehensively assess extant research in consumer nostalgia field, distinguish developments in the literature by summarizing the main findings of previous research and establishing theoretical trends.”

An Involvement Explanation for Nostalgia Advertising Effects by Darrel D. Muehling &Vincent J. Pascal “seeks to offer additional insights regarding why positive “nostalgia effects” in advertising may be observed, that is, why nostalgic ads tend to elicit more favorable consumer responses than do non-nostalgic ads. Using the personal relevance component of advertising involvement as a theoretical foundation, the study supports hypothesized expectations that nostalgic ads are capable of inducing greater levels of self-reflection and advertising involvement.”

OBJECTIVES

The intense emotion of has been put to use to influence or manipulate the preferences of the mass by interlinking media and human psychology. This paper will focus on the on the domination of nostalgic focus in contemporary media and its influence on streaming preferences with the objectives of understanding the concept of nostalgia and its psychological functions, positives and negatives of nostalgia, potential of streaming media in evoking the feeling of nostalgia among viewers and how it manipulates our preferences using our fascination towards ‘good-old-times’ and our obsession with the things that we missed out on in the past.

METHODOLOGY

The study originated from the need to explain the domination of nostalgic focus in contemporary media and its influence on streaming and buying preferences. Survey method was adopted in the study wherein questionnaires were given to 150 respondents between the age group of 18 to 30.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The intense emotion of has been put to use to influence or manipulate the preferences of the mass by interlinking media and human psychology. This paper will focus on the on the domination of nostalgic focus in contemporary media and its influence on streaming preferences with the objectives of understanding the concept of nostalgia and its psychological functions, positives and negatives of nostalgia, potential of streaming media in evoking the feeling of nostalgia among viewers and how it manipulates our preferences using our fascination towards ‘good-old-times’ and our obsession with the things that we missed out on in the past.

DISCUSSION

The study was conducted on the age group of 18 to 30 years to analyse how the feeling of nostalgia has been put to use to influence or manipulate the preferences of the mass.

By the results if the study, it is indicated that the majority of the people of the age group have access to internet and spend an average of more than 4 hours a day on social media platforms, streaming applications and internet surfing.

Amazon Prime is the most popular video streaming application among this age group with 23.72 percentage of people subscribing to it and Wynk Music is the most subscribed for music streaming application with 42.4 percent subscribers. 74.57 percentage of people have experienced the feeling of nostalgia triggered by various video and music streaming applications and 68.18 percent of them claim that music is the most effective component that triggers nostalgia. Lyrics(74.5) are the component of music streaming applications that induce nostalgia the most.

45.8 percent of people find themselves looking for nostalgia triggering content at times and 60 percent claim to be influenced by nostalgia and associated products while making a purchase of which the major influence is of the movies as indicated by the percentage of 39.2. The majority of people agree that nostalgia is a very effective tool of marketing.

The access to internet, the rapid growth of technology, the process of digitalisation are the major contributors to the increasing number of users for both freemium and premium streaming media.

As far as the choice of streaming applications are concerned, the preference in both video and audio streaming is influenced by the factors such as the affordability of the subscription fee, the marketing strategies and benefits associated with subscribing to them and also the influence of recommendation and trend set by the peers. The difference among male and female is very negligible as far as various dimensions surveyed about are concerned, though psychologically females are considered to be more prone to reciprocate to emotional appeals.

The influence of nostalgia is clearly seen in the consumer trends as indicated by the figures mentioned earlier. Movies, brand names and advertisements play a major role in evoking such trends.

CONCLUSION

Nostalgia undoubtedly plays an important role in altering the preferences of the mass indicating that emotional appeal, irrespective of increased education and advancement in technology still has a strong hold over human decision.

The rapid growth of technology and affordability of various gadgets plays a major role in the increasing number of streaming media users. But there is a distinction as far as subscription to freemium and premium applications are concerned that is, the majority prefers to go for those applications that provide services at minimum affordable prices or that provide a good number of benefits associated with its subscription.

The music streaming applications are more effective in evoking the feeling of nostalgia than video streaming applications. The lyrics and the background music play a major role as far as audio induced nostalgia is taken into consideration. Movies and brands are the major aspects that influence nostalgic purchases.

REFERENCES

1. A. Cartwright, P., Besson, E. and Maubisson, L. (2013), ‘Nostalgia and technology innovation driving retro music consumption’, European Journal of Innovation Management, Vol. 16 No. 4, pp. 459-494. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJIM-06-2012-0062
2. Cui, R. (2015) A Review of Nostalgic Marketing. Journal of Service Science and Management, 8, 125-131. doi: 10.4236/jssm.2015.81015.
3. https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2019/02/05/smartphone-ownership-is-growing-rapidly-around-the-world-but-not-always-equally/
4. https://qz.com/1108122/how-hollywood-manipulates-you-using-your-childhood-memories/
5. Sedikides, C., & Wildschut, T. (2018). Finding Meaning in Nostalgia. Review of General Psychology, 22(1), 48–61. https://doi.org/10.1037/gpr0000109
6. https://musicbusinessresearch.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/volume-5-no-2-october-2016-luck2.pdf
7. http://www.southampton.ac.uk/psychology/about/staff/cs2.page
8. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/mental-mishaps/201105/music-evoked-nostalgia
9. https://www.neurologytimes.com/blog/brain-and-nostalgia
10. Bartholeyns, G. (2014). ‘The instant past: Nostalgia and digital photo retro photography.’ Media and Nostalgia. Yearning for the past, present and future, ed. K. Niemeyer (Palgrave Macmillan)
11. Gineikiene, Justina. (2013). Consumer Nostalgia Literature Review and an Alternative Measurement Perspective. Organizations and Markets in Emerging Economies. 4. 112-149. 10.15388/omee.2013.4.2.14252.

How Accurate Is It To Say That The Media Reflects Reality

In such an era that information technology develops rapidly, media platforms have become the tools of mass communication and main data sources used by all to study about the society. There are many types of media such as Print Media, Broadcast Media, New Media and more. Media ought to be an independent body which give a function in reflect the reality, provide people to browse through the internet to know the latest news around the world effectively. However, the media gradually influence, which lose the fundamental reason which it serves. It also caused media bias and political spin. Notably, the behavior and beliefs of people in mass can be persuasive and consistent with the goals of some people or organizations (P.Fan, 1990). The strong interaction between public opinion and mass media with the invention of the internet. Hence, the influence on public opinion has increased. Thus, in this essay, we will examine how accurate to say that media reflects reality in the modern state under the influence of bias in media.

In general, television and mobile phone have become the essential tools to know the information and news. However, it is already a incontrovertible fact that the identical events are interpreted and shown differently in several countries. The authority will be altered to satisfy the viewer’s needs before the news shown on any platforms. Thus, it is possible to mention that a process of media bias and political bias exists. Parenti also defines mass media as “weapon” which may be wont to protect or against viewers (Parenti, 1986). Parenti persuaded that mass media is misleading belief and shifts it within the necessary reaction (Parenti, 1986). This also affect the accuracy of the media reflect the truth as different country only interpret and shows the news that benefits them. Mass media should be the tools which reflect the reality, but obviously, there are many components affecting the way of reflecting information and the rate of influence of certain factors by the alternation of data. From the author of “Understanding Power: The Indispensable Chomsky”, It says that mass media along with educational system” weeds out people that are independent, and who think for themselves and do not understand how to be submissive because they are dysfunctional to the institutions” (Rotella, 2001). While working for mass media, people cannot use their brains because they must be submissive instead of independent. On the one hand, people often say that the media their preferred reflect the reality. They see the media as biased in their country or abroad. Some people only read the news which is reliable with their preferences instead of the reality. Some conscientious consumers are interest in discovering the truth. The truth restricts media bias. These two components were required to restrict media bias in a very competitive setting. The outcomes reveal the other. They discovered that media bias might increase when the conscientious consumers increase (Xiang & Sarvary, 2007, p. 611) .However, conscientious consumers who might able to recuperate more data from different news sources the more the outlets are biased will not get hurt by the increase of media bias (Xiang & Sarvary, 2007, p. 611) .As we will say that, the effect of media bias on the accuracy depends on how the reader process the data presented by media.

In this modern state, many political factors apply a bad influence on mass media. Money and interest become a source of power that encompasses a significant impact on mass media and also affect the accuracy of media. Mass media usually influenced by a number of the companies and businesses which may gain profits to draw in an outsized audience. Mass media is serving the interests of political and company leaders, instead of the interests of average people, whom it should have served indeed (Parenti, 1986). Political spin is one in all the tools to manage or influence communication to deliver a preferred message in politics. Spin could be a deprecatory term often employed in the context of political communicators. It refers to a particular message which is heavily biased in one’s position, which employs maximum administration of media aiming to maintain or exert control over the situation, often implying dishonesty or control. For example, Mike McCurry, who was press secretary to US President Bill Clinton and has referred to as a “spinmeister extraordinaire “for his ability to keep up appeal and wit while occasionally misleading journalists, intimidating and also courting reporters and manage a series of destructive events (Braun, 2016). However, we cannot say that political spin is totally exerting corrupt influence on media. Mass media is a good platform for public to understand the world easily. The messages presented through mass media can even encourage and produce public attention to the problem which are diverse such as the global climate change round the world. It can also be used as a platform to strengthen people’s awareness of crisis and security. Many social scientists believe that by using the facility of the internet, they might create significant operational space for themselves and use it to highlight the problems that will otherwise go unnoticed (Morozov, 2018).

In media studies, the reader should learn the way to know better the ways which media add up of our world, to people and place. Through the study of semiotics and critical discourse analysis, it can empower them to make their analyses of the media rather than accept how others interpret media. Semiotic as one of the most powerful and influential ways of thinking about media. Semiotics also help us to understand the world of sign and symbols deeply. Semiotics took place in the field of media such as newspaper, advertisement and more to know the way author produces a media content and audience interpretation toward the context. Some authors use media text rather than media content, this is because media text often understood during a variety way (Arackal, 2015).Semiotic reveals on the hidden or underlying meanings on the field of media which apply semiotic on it. For example, the Superman in a comic book represents “American” hero who stands for “justice”, “American style”, “truth” and dedicated to saving humanity from itself (Arackal, 2015) .Media representation often attracts contemporary audiences through the outfit. Semiotics is a study on the ways mass media create or recycle signs for their purpose. According to Norman Fairclough, Critical discourse analysis consists of two main structures which is internal relations and external relations. Internal relations are the way of using the vocabulary and grammar in a text. These are classified under the categories of action, identification and representation (Thomson, 2019). Fairclough states that “ the analysis of text focusing on the interaction of action, representation and identification, bringing social perspective into the center and fine detail of text (Thomson, 2019) .External relations, on the other hand, which include the author social influence and personal beliefs. Readers can also unlock the ideologies and restore the social meanings expressed in discourse (Thomson, 2019).

In conclusion, the accuracy of media depends on how the reader analyses the information presented by media. Media bias and political spin that occur do affect the accuracy of media, but readers can easily analyses in their own way through the study of semiotics and critical discourse analysis. The reflection of reality, with none bias, interpretations, adaptations and other means of misleading the people are the most purpose of mass media, and should not affect the accuracy of the media in reflecting the reality. There is no clear-cut answer but is, in the words of Stuart Hall,” “it must be explanatory-not a debate between the answer “right” and “wrong”, but between equally reasonable, despite it is sometimes competing and arguing, meaning and interpretation”. Media analysis techniques become a way to motivate readers to better understand the different perspective on reality circulating in our society.

References List

1. Arackal, F., 2015. Semiotics and Media Content. [Online] Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/300484241_Semiotics_and_Media_Content[Accessed 18 February 2020].
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5. Morozov, E., 2018. Using Spin To Control Social Media. [Online] Available at: https://www.forbes.com/2009/11/09/social-media-politics-leadership-power-09-morozov.html#4aa841d24df9[Accessed 14 February 2020].
6. Parenti, M., 1986. Inventing Reality:The politics of the Mass Media. [Online] Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/2151380?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents[Accessed 14 February 2020].
7. P.Fan, D., 1990. Predictions of Public Opinion from the Mass Media: Computer Analysis and Mathematical Modelling. Greenwood Press. [Online] Available at: https://academic.oup.com/poq/article-abstract/54/1/144/1901801?redirectedFrom=PDF[Accessed 9 February 2020].
8. Rotella, M., 2001. Understanding Power: The Indispensable Chomsky. [Online] Available at: https://search.proquest.com/docview/197061199/fulltextPDF/D3A7A24001E147C4PQ/1?accountid=14693[Accessed 14 February 2020].
9. Thomson, S., 2019. Differing Opinions: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Two Articles. [Online] Available at: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/Documents/college-artslaw/cels/essays/writtendiscourse/DifferingOpinionsSThompson.pdf[Accessed 18 February 2020].
10. Xiang, Y. & Sarvary, M., 2007. News Consumption and Media Bias. [Online] Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/40057083?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents[Accessed 28 January 2020].