Audience Theory 2

Theory questions and your opinion

1) Social learning theory has been criticised for simplifying the causes of violence in society. Do you think the media is responsible for anti-social behaviour and violence?

Not the media in general, but I feel certain sectors ARE responsible for causing anti-social behaviour/violence. It's more so to do with social media and the lack of moderation parents give their children.

2) How is social learning theory relevant in the digital age? Are young people now learning behaviour from social media and the internet? Give examples.

Social learning theory is relevant in the digital age seeing as children copy what influencers do online all the time. For example, they could see a trend online, maybe to do with food or lifestyle, and try copy it themselves after seeing their favourite person do it.

3) Research three examples of moral panic from the last 50 years. To what extent was the media responsible for these moral panics? Was the concern in society justified? How have things changed as a result of these moral panics?

- Dungeons and Dragons: People were concerned that the board game, Dungeons and Dragons was making children sin and advocate for the devil. The media is 100% responsible for this moral panic, as they deliberately made the game seem like it was Satan. The concern in society was not justified, seeing as it's a harmless board game. As a result, parents, more so the ones who are religious, forbid their children from playing the game.

- Violent video games: There were concerns that violent video games were affecting the youth and making them more destructive and/or dangerous. The media had a help in spreading the word, but this was more so the doing of overprotective parents. The concern in society was debatable, seeing as violent movies and TV shows still were fine, but video games were apparently not. However, it was important to note that video games weren't regulated like other forms of media, which was a very real panic. As a result, systems were created to regulate video games just like television and movies.

- Rock/metal music: Similarly to D&D, people and parents were concerned that rock and/or metal music was making children sin. This is more so the result of overprotective parents yet again; the concern was, once again, not justified, as there wasn't any clear link between rock/metal songs and violence in youth. As a result, these genres of music are generally frowned upon by the older generation.

4) Read this introduction to an academic paper on technopanics. What examples are given of technopanics that create fear in society?

"Fear appeal arguments" which extend to online child safety, digital privacy and cybersecurity. They contribute to "fear cycles" which spread in society.

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

I think there should be more regulation, however it would be next to impossible. The internet is massive, and global, and there's no way the government can try to control/mandate the whole internet.

6) Apply Gerbner's cultivation theory to new and digital media. Is the internet creating a fearful population? Are we becoming desensitised to online threats, trolling and abuse? Is heavy internet use something we should be worried about in society? Write a paragraph discussing these ideas.

The applicability of Gerbner's cultivation theory is dependant upon the individual in question. Similarly to television, those who utilise the internet extensively tend to espouse beliefs that are more or less extreme in comparison to those who engage with it less frequently. The issue of heavy internet use in society is a cause for concern, as it has the potential to desensitise individuals to violent content. The challenge lies in the moderation of online behaviour, which is often lacking, regardless of whether the device used is a computer or a mobile phone. Mitigating these issues would require individuals to exercise greater control over their internet use.

The effects debate: Media Factsheet

Complete the following tasks using Media Factsheet 030 - The Effects Debate available on the Media Shared drive. You'll find it in our Media Factsheet archive: M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets. You can also access it via your school Google login here.

Read Media Factsheet 030 - Media and Audiences -The Effects Debate and answer the following questions:

1) Complete the questions in the first activity box (beginning with 'Do you play violent games? Are you violent in real life?')

a) Yes I do. I play a lot of horror games like Dead by Daylight and Resident Evil. No, I am not violent in real life.

b) It depends on what it is.

c) Not necessarily, at least, not one that I can directly recall from memory. 

2) What are the four categories for different effects theories?

- Direct effect theories
- Diffusion theories
- Indirect effect theories
- Pluralist approach

3) What are the examples provided for the hypodermic needle theory - where media texts have been blamed for certain events? 

Child’s Play – The murder of Jamie Bulger

Marilyn Manson – The Columbine High School shootings

Natural Born Killers – a number of murders committed by romantically linked couples

4) What was the 1999 Columbine massacre? You may need to research this online in addition to the information on the factsheet.

The Columbine High School massacre was a school shooting and attempted bombing that occurred on 20 April 1999 at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado, United States. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, 2 12th-grade students, killed 12 students and a teacher. 10/12 victims were in the library, where Harris and Klebold committed suicide. The Columbine massacre was the deadliest school shooting in US history until 2012. Columbine is still one of the most infamous school shootings in the US.

5) What are the reasons listed on the factsheet to possibly explain the Columbine High School massacre?

- The ease of access to firearms and the social acceptance of gun ownership 
- The alienation felt by teenagers who felt as though they did not fit in 
- The hopelessness caused by living in an area where unemployment was high and was economically disadvantaged 
- The general desensitisation caused by access to a range of violent images: film, TV, the news, the internet

6) How does the factsheet describe Gerbner's Cultivation theory?

Media is seen as part of our socialisation process, communicating "appropriate" attitudes and the norms + values of the culture. According to this theory, while any one media text does not have too much effect, repeated exposure to certain ideas and values may make the audience less critical of the ideas presented as they appear "normal".

7) What does the factsheet suggest about action films and the values and ideologies that are reinforced with regards to violence?

People may become desensitised to something through repetition

8) What criticisms of direct effect theories are suggested in the factsheet?

They assume audiences are all the same and/or assume they are stupid.

9) Why might the 1970s sitcom Love Thy Neighbour be considered so controversial today? What does this tell us about Reception theory and how audiences create meanings?

At the times, its values were seen as the norm. But as times changed, so did people's values and/or perceptions. Nowadays, it's considered racist and offensive in modern standards.

10) What examples are provided for Hall's theory of preferred, negotiated and oppositional readings?
- The Sun and The Guardian may report the same "facts" very differently (communicating their preferred reading)
- Media producers don't know what audiences will interpret/decode the information as
- External factors influence interpretation (something may become preferred or oppositional overtime)