Gone are the days when people used to depend mostly on interpersonal communications, when people used to know about an important happening after a pretty long time. Now days, the media in its every form is so powerful and influential that we not only get the infotainment but also a powerful influence, may it be positive or negative, and conviction from it. According to my point of view, it’s up to the individual that what effects she/he gets from the media, positive or negative.
Literally speaking, if I start writing the list of my own examples to show up the influence of media then it may take quite a number of pages but I’ll sum those examples briefly.
Examples showing positive impact of Media:
We all admit that Television is the most powerful media form. It has both sides, positive and negative. Coming to its positive influence:
– I really keep myself in touch with news and all political debates because of Television so Television is good at providing information and I am good at getting that.
– Television is very influential when it comes to new trends and fashion. I get in touch with all the new trends related to dresses and same kind of things because of this. So Television keeps me up to date with new trends.
– I am very good at making mango dessert because of this Television. I saw that in a cooking program and that really impressed me and compelled me to try that myself.
– I love to know new things, information and news which I don’t know and if I am having good general knowledge then Television has played a vital role for that. Programs like Kaun Banay Ga Crorepati, Tariq Aziz Show and many others are doing a good job by providing information in an entertaining way.
– I went to EDUCATION EXPO 2007 just because of Television because I saw its advertisement on Television and that was a good exposure to all the universities of the world.
– The Public Service Messages on Television are really influential and I learn a lot from them.
– A number of my doubts related to Islam got eradicated by watching programs like Dr. Zakir Naik and Aalim Online. I think these programs are doing an awesome job by telling us about Islamic teachings.
– Newspapers, another form of media, are doing a good job by giving me information all around the world.
– By skimming the news and especially headlines, I get to know what is happening in the world.
– By reading columns, I get brief analysis and criticism on major hot issues.
– Most importantly, by reading columns, I learn a lot about writing. I admit that my creative writing is good because of reading books and news papers’ columns.
– Internet is most useful form of media for me. I think I spend most of my time infront of internet.
– Being a student, I would say that it helps me to know new articles, topics and discussions.
– Now days, it’s better to get information through internet than to search books in libraries.
– Now I don’t have to waste my money on new cassettes because I download my favourite songs through internet.
– I watch new trends in dresses through internet.
– One of my net friends told me that she accepted Islam after reading Islamic teachings through internet.
– Radio is not so popular and influential now a days because it has been replaced by Television, even then when ever I get spare time, I tune in my mobile’s radio to listen to songs.
Examples showing negative impact of Media:
I’ll take start with Television. As it is the most common and powerful media form that is why it has a number of negative influences.
– I really get impressed by new trends of fashion and I waste my money on those foolish things after watching them in any program or advertisements.
– Wasting time on surfing different channels of Television is the biggest negative point of mine.
– Some times, I get impressed by different beauty products just because of their eye capturing advertisement campaigns and then I often get allergy.
– One of my cousins is a big fan of Ali Azmat and he, in order to look like him, got himself bald. This is how our celebrities influence us.
– After watching new foods at Television, I rush to get them without realizing that they can be harmful i-e- hot dogs, new tastes of coffee etc.
– I turn on the TV and I get bombarded with advertisements for junk food, fast food, and stuff that I don’t need.. I see billboards showing me the same as well. This unconciously forces me to buy those products.
– Cross-promotions between food products and popular TV and movie characters encourage me to eat more high calorie food.
– My young cousins snack excessively while using media, and they eat less healthy meals when eating in front of the TV.
– Some times, my male cousins keep long hair and say, “it is fashionâ€___A very negative influence of media.
– Furthermore, the constant ambush of messages from the media especially Television to lose weight and to appear waif-like in order to meet society’s expectations of the ideal woman are possibly behind my female cousins’ little eating and mine too.
Coming to Internet:
– Literally speaking, I spend most of my time on internet and may be that is the reason, I get less time to spend with my family.
– The time I spend using internet displaces time I could be doing physical activities.
– Some times, I spend most of time on ORKUT (website for making new friends) and definitely my many other chores get pending.
– My brother is in Military College Jhelum and whenever he comes for spending holidays, he consumes most of his time on internet. Again, less time for family.
– Whenever I get some time spare, I listen to Radio. Again, that time could have been used for any other useful activity.
Conclusion:
These were just few examples of media influence but I think, they were enough to show that how convincing and influential media is. The growth of media as an industry has accelerated over the past few years with new forms such as DVD and the internet changing the way we, the audience, consume and receive media.So concluding this topic, I would say that it is up to us that how we consume media. It has both pros and cons but let us try to focus on positive points, not the negative ones.
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