The Allure of the Media's Influence

Are people influenced by the media? To what extent? Is this a benefit or setback for society? No matter how philosophical critics become with these questions there will almost never be a definite answer to this timeless question.  I hope to provide an answer that is close to certain. Conduct writers of the late 18^th and early 19th century such as John Gregory and Hester Chapone thought that books such as Gothic ones would influence girls to have a skewed view of reality. They advised to steer away from books that evoke irrational imaginations and behaviors. To some extent this is true. However, I do believe that people need to broaden their perspectives on life. The spreading of ideas is necessary for society. These so called Gothic or adventure novels usually have hidden meanings and it is useful to discover the meanings in order to learn something new about a culture or society as a whole. On the other hand, I do believe that it is possible for people to be influenced by film, television, and books in positive and negative ways. However, it is the individual’s prerogative as to which sources of media he or she is exposed to. Who is to decide what is wrong or dangerous to expose an individual besides the person? Some sources of media may be relevant to that person’s life. Whether it reminds the person of horrific events or pleasant events will influence how he or she reacts. For example, the issue of whether children should be allowed to listen to rap music has been up in the air for some time. People against rap music argue that rap will influence children to engage in such activities because it is glorified on television (with the music videos) and in the songs. So the bigger question regarding the rap music industry is whether the songs are born out of participation in this violence or from voices advocating for change in the communities depicted. To what extent are each of these sides true? Honestly, it depends on the person (rapper). Some rappers come from these neighborhoods and go on to receive an education. In order to raise awareness about these communities, they decide to express the events through their music. Some rappers might participate in violence indirectly through their actions towards other people. This is why parents are reluctant to allow their children to listen to rap. An example of how media influences people in negative ways is the shooting in Aurora, Colorado. The shooter was obsessed with the Batman series, more specifically with Joker. So he decided to begin behave like the Joker in Batman and begin shooting everyone in sight. He did not even consider the humanity of others when he decided to carry out his plan. This is clearly a dangerous consequence of media’s influence but I do believe there are other underlying factors that can cause someone to believe the violence they see in movies and television are true. For instance, an individual could have psychological issues that skew their view of reality in general. So is it safe to blame maladaptive behavior on media or the mind and environment?