How far do the media influence our opinions and contribute to our own sense of personal identity and self-definition?

There have been many debates on whether mass media have a positive or negative effect on our lives. Many people argue that the socializing benefits of media, the fact that distance is no longer an insurmountable issue, and the possibility of sharing information globally proves how mass media have changed our lives for the better. However, the other side of the argument states that isolation, increased risks and the loss of critical thinking are the main consequences that media have had on our lives, changing them for the worse. Paradoxically, both arguments are true as the reality lies in between them.
The effect that mass media has had on socialization is one of the most controversial and debated effects of mass media. Social networks are one example of mass media communication which has had a great impact on our society; Facebook alone has reached more than 500 million users, 65% of whom are teenagers. The reason for this is that there virtual platforms offer the so called “third space” (outside of the home and school), which psychologists claim to be indispensable to teenagers in order to socialize and build up their personality. The opportunity social networks offer is in fact a welcoming, more accessible reality, thanks to which embarrassment and social differences are eliminated.
On the other hand, mass media virtual communication is debated to represent a very ‘unhealthy’ way of socializing, and the impact it is having on our lives cannot be for the betterю Moreover, getting to know a person virtually is very difficult: factors such as anonymity, or even just the fact of not being physically exposed to the other person, induce people to create a new online personality which often does not reflect them as a person. The result of this is the creation of distance between the person and the world, an isolation in a virtual, imaginary character.
Not only social networks have been a concern for the change they have had on our lives. In fact, the internet itself, along with new technology such as smart phones to communicate and share information, has been the center of debates. One of the undeniable and positive changes that mass media has brought is the possibility of sharing information, news, ideas and creativity on a global scale in a matter of minutes. Search engines, such as Yandex and Google, online blogs and applications on smart phones are widely used as facilities to get data and sharing news and thoughts, and blogs such as LiveJournal have been recently related to as “personal outlets”. Distance is not a challenge any more, and all topics can be discussed easily by people living on opposite ends of the world.
However, the benefit of the sharing of so much content in so little time is a subjective evaluation. Many people argue that the availability and bombardment of information, advertisements and others’ ideas have had the result of people losing their ability to think. This represents an issue especially in the education system: many teenagers are now used to not work on their papers anymore, as the internet provides them with all the information and ideas they could possibly ever analyze.
The connectivity, the opportunity to socialize and share information show that mass media have been changing and having positive effects on our modern society.  However, the isolation, the inability to deal with flesh-and-blood contacts and to critically think prove that the negative impacts that mass media have had on our lives are as present and concrete as the benefits. In my opinion, in an advanced and technologic world like ours, it would not be wise to not take advantage of the opportunities mass media offer. The truth is that to maximize the positive changes of this new technology we have, a balance between the media and the real world, and in the use of mass communication must be adopted.
Does the mass media influence people whether we want it or not? This question must be cogitated, because the mass media has never been more active in our everyday lives. TV, radio, www and a bunch of other venues, media is around us, from the time we get up in the morning to the time we go to sleep in the evening and in some cases while we sleep. How has the constant presence of media affected society? Whether we are speaking of youth or adults, we have to consider whether the mass media is truly influencing or lives.
Many ideas have been growing in the area of behavior; seems as though people are becoming more aggressive, particularly when it comes to lascivious and violent actions. Now its a daily thing hearing of inappropriate actions of kids and adults in the homes, schools, and communities. People appear to less caring of others and more focused on self centered interest. Why does it happen? Believe, it’s because of what we watch regularly. The mass media is so consistent and prevalent in our lives, and at times people cannot distinguish from fantasy. We are as a society have been brain washed, self esteem and values are truly affected. Society has embraced tv, movies, and music as way of thinking, incorporating it in their everyday lives. Young and old want to look and like their favorite stars. Not realizing that they are not looking at reality. Make up, body doubles, air brushing, camera angles, plastic surgeries and more make up this image of the perfect people. They are not real but unfortunately we are so inundated that we start to believe and think that we should look, talk, and act as those we see in the limelight.
The things we are seeing on an ongoing basis through the media are overwhelming to say the least, sexual explicitness is at an all-time high and violence is off the charts, crude language is becoming more expectable. Whether watching your favorite T.V. show or listening to music, sex and violence is a constant, involved into everything, even shows specifically managed to kids and teens are becoming more provocative when it comes sexual deviancy and violent behaviors. Again, because of the over exposure of this ideology, this fantasy, many adopt these behavior as their own, being desensitized to the consequences of their behavior and actions. In the movies thing, majorly workout, the guy gets the girl; the girl gets the guy; the hero wins in the end. This is not real life, but as mentioned previously, often times it can be hard to distinguish between the two, particularly with the younger audiences. There is definite debate on this subject; for sure not everyone agreed that the media is creating a negative environment. There are arguments on both ends of the problem.
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Silverstone, R. (1999) Why Study the Media? London: Sage.

‘The influence and effects of mass media’, in Curran J et al (eds) Mass Communications and Society London: Arnold.

Williams, K (2003) Understanding Media Theory. London: Arnold.

The same
Winston, Courtney. "What BMI and Weight Are Anorexic?" LIVESTRONG.COM. Lance Armstrong Foundation, 18 Mar. 2011. Web. 06 Aug. 2012.
Silverstone “Why study the Media”?, 1998
Winston, Courtney. "What BMI and Weight Are Anorexic?" LIVESTRONG.COM. Lance Armstrong Foundation, 18 Mar. 2011. Web. 06 Aug. 2012.
Goode, Erica. "Study Finds TV Alters Fiji Girls' View of Body." The New York Times. The New York Times, 20 May 1999. Web. 27 July 2012.
United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. "Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing 1995." UN News Center. UN Women, Sept. 1995. Web. 29 July 2012.
Kaiser Family Foundation. "Daily Media Use Among Children and Teens Up Dramatically From Five Years Ago." Daily Media Use Among Children and Teens Up Dramatically From Five Years Ago - Kaiser Family Foundation. Kaiser Family Foundation, 20 Jan. 2010. Web. 02 Aug. 2012.
Goode, Erica. "Study Finds TV Alters Fiji Girls' View of Body." The New York Times. The New York Times, 20 May 1999