Negative impacts of the media representations

Question 1

Negative impacts

Answer 1

Exposure to media products can have a negative effect on people’s ideas and behaviour, ranging from anxiety in response to news reports, to unreliable expectations of body images or violent actions after watching a film or playing a computer game.

Question 2

Negative copycat behaviour

Answer 2

Studies generally show a link between violent media content for example in TV shows and video games, and having aggressive thoughts or behaviour in the audience. Aggressive responses are more likely when media violence seems to be
Committed by people who are attractive or similar to the viewer
Humorous
Sanitised
Justified within the narrative
Rewarded

Question 3

desensittisation

Answer 3

The belief that being repeatedly exposed to distressing behaviour or circumstances in the media reduces the impact of such behaviour or circumstances in real life. People who have grown up seeing thousands of acts of violence on TV may identify with perpetrators rather than victims and see violence as normal problem solving device. They may use or accept violence in their everyday life as a perpetrator or a victim. People can also be desensitised to images of suffering.

Question 4

Examples of negative representations

Answer 4

News often portray young men as gang members or criminals. The public may apply this to all young men, even to the majority who make a positive contribution to society.

Question 5

Moral panics

Answer 5

News media are often accused of encouraging the idea that negative situation is out of control and threatening society as a whole, and of passing a judgement on who is to blame that might not be accurate for example
Terrorism
Immigration
Flu epidemics
Deviant behaviour of young people
Influencing who the public votes for and who they choose to help and support in their community.

Question 6

Objectification

Answer 6

treating someone as an object rather than a person, with no thoughts, feelings or rights. The term usually refers to womens bodies being presented only as sources of sexual pleasure, but can also refer to men, or to any objectifying role such as mother nerd or slave.