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?

I can say that it does but to an extent because a lot children grow up to be anti-social especially when it comes to not knowing how to conduct themselves in public because of attachment to technology and not enough human interaction This was definitely more relevant during the pandemic. However, there are other factors in a persons life which are probably more significant in shaping what type of person they are. For example, family, school. This perhaps suggests that maybe it's the more personal/physical interactions with others which will affect a person the most.

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.

It is relevant in the digital age because we are exposed to all sorts of things which people are inclined to act and mimic even if it is unconsciously, they will start to reflect what they consume. As for the second point, I think yes, as young people are more impressionable, especially children. This is not to say that they cannot learn new behaviours in real life which I believe is more likely, but the internet definitely has a bigger choke-hold on the youth than it does compared to other age groups. 

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?

• School shooting panic - I think generally it is fair to believe that school shootings are a threat to society especially because it happens so often in the US, but the out roar was definitely propelled by the media when cases started to be documented more.
• Internet moral panic - The media was definitely responsible as the media becoming more popular and accessible lead to this becoming a problem in the first place. This is also a justified moral panic as access to illegal and legal explicit content and criminal activity does need to be regulated.
• Violent video game panic -The media is responsible because of the popularisation of these games online. This panic probably is not as justifiable as the others as it cannot always be proven that there is a direct link between the two in all cases. 

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

Online child safety, digital privacy, and cybersecurity.

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

Yes, because there is sensitive and harmful content which some should not be able to access e.g minors and other groups. The govt should make it especially hard for this content to be found.

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 internet is definitely creating a fearful population as the influx of bad things being reported online makes certain things seem like a bigger problem than it actually is, making people feel scared that if they do not try to fix this they are at risk of what the problem is; putting people into a moral panic. 

Moreover, people have become desensitised because the mass amount of  harmful content distributed online means it becomes something normally/frequently consumed, and slowly loses the negative impact it initially had, which no longer gives a cause for concern. Finally, the heavy use of the internet can become something to worry about because children’s cognitive development can be damaged by prolonged internet use, including the development of memory skills, attention span, reading, and learning abilities. More so, although the advantages of being to communicate easily and swiftly online have benefited us, it could also be harmful to communities as because of the shift from human activity to the internet, actual human interaction isn't preferred, which can in turn make people suffer from inadequate communication and takes away from the strong/valuable qualities of off-line relationships.