When we speak of media nowadays we usually mean Internet. But originally this term included all tools of communication with masses – television, radio, telephone and so on. Today media is a powerful instrument, some people even call it the “fifth estate of power”.
The influence media has on us is crazy, we are surrounded in an ocean of information that it produces everyday and sometimes it’s even hard to know what’s real.
From the very young age media plays a significant role in our development – the cartoons we watch, the songs we listen to and so on. So parents must be very careful with what they present to their children. Media also plays a big role in entertainment industry. All those superstars are basically media products. Producers tell them how to act and what to say to be likeable by public.
Most of the modern advertisement goes through different kinds of media, so it’s practically unavoidable. Even when you’re driving your car you still can see billboards with ads all across the road. Or even the radio you listen to when you’re bored. So even when we don’t realize that, we still are influenced by it.
But media sure has bright sides! For example it’s a lot more easier to communicate with people now that we have internet. You can talk to anyone, no matter where they live. The same thing about news – you can easily have access to the latest updates on what is currently going on in the world.
Also media is a great tool to control large groups of people. For example during the earthquake people can be warned about it in advance and informed about safe places to wait it through. The same idea with different social or political protests that often occur on the streets.
All in all – media is a powerful tool that sometimes can be even dangerous, but it’s very efficient if it is used smartly.