Audience theory 1: blog tasks

 

1) Read this Mail Online article about the effects of videogames. How does this article link to the hypodermic needle model?

 the article suggests that violent  games such as  call of duty  injects an aggressive emotional response into the gamers playing  it  like  the  hypodermic needle suggests and therefore can have a dangerous effect on the people playing it. 

2) How does coverage of the Talk Talk hacking case (see Daily Mail front page below) link to the hypodermic needle model? Why might someone criticise this front page? 

This article about  the son  of a mother  who is a violent video game addict links to the hypodermic needle model

as it suggest his violent actions are coming from playing the video game. However someone may criticize  the article as it objectifies the video games when the the child has full control of his actions.

3) What do you think of the hypodermic needle theory? . Do audiences believe everything they see in the media?

I think  that Not everyone believes everything they see in the media, but it depends on the person and where they get their information. Some people trust traditional news outlets, while others are more skeptical, especially with social media, where misinformation spreads easily. People who are good at spotting bias and understanding how media works are more likely to question what they see, but many still take things at face value, especially if it fits their existing beliefs. So, while not everyone believes everything, it’s easy for some to get misled without thinking critically. and as for the hypodermic needle theory I believe its becoming outdated as  people now they  will interpret and respond to it based on their own beliefs and experiences rather than  before when their was only traditional media outlets e.g radio, news and tv.

Two-step flow model

1) Summarise the two-step flow model. What is an opinion leader?

The two-step flow model instead suggests the audience are influenced by ‘opinion leaders’ in the media who mediate how the audience react to media texts. The theory suggests the media is not all-powerful and that social factors are important. opinion leaders are  people with a lot of influence in the media who push their ideas to people who follow them

2) How do celebrities like Taylor Swift fit into the two-step flow model? 

Taylor Swift  used her influence to  push her fans to vote for the democratic party showing how opinion leaders heave influence.

3) In your opinion, is the two-step flow theory still relevant today?

The Two-Step Flow Model still holds relevance today, but with a modern twist. Influencers on platforms like Instagram and YouTube now act as "opinion leaders," shaping public opinion, while information spreads more dynamically through peer to peer sharing, often bypassing traditional media.

Uses and Gratifications theory

1) For each of the four categories, write about one media text (e.g. film, TV programmes, newspaper etc.) that fits that particular audience use or pleasure. Make sure you explain WHY it fits the category and use images or clips to illustrate your points. The first one is done for you.

Diversion: Film - Blinded By The Light. Entertaining and offering escapism for fans of Bruce Springsteen or anyone that enjoys coming of age films or culture-clash comedies.

Personal Relationships:  Forrest Gump

you begin to relate to Forest struggle as a whole across the film 

Personal Identity: 

Surveillance:  weather forecast 

Dependency theory

1) Do you agree that audiences have become dependent on the media? What evidence or examples can you provide to support your view?

 Yes as even people that don't use the media for entertainment such as YouTube or Netflix still use it in everyday life  such as  weather forecast, news showing how dependent people are in using the media. 

2) How has the growth of new and digital technology in the last 15 years changed people's dependency on the media? Is this a new problem?

 yes as the increases in digital technology have made people lazier  and more reliant on technology some examples are  Automated tasks: Technology can automate routine and complex tasks, such as data analysis another one is Connect with others: We can stay in touch with family, friends, and coworkers through text, call, email, or video chat this make people get out of habits and rely on technology to do things we use to do usually so now when are are asked to do different tasks  we are lazy and think some of these tasks are now a hassle forgetting that we used to do those tasks manually not to long ago.

3) Reflecting on your own media use, how does your media consumption impact on your emotions? Does the media have an overall positive or negative impact on your health and wellbeing? What is your average screen time and how does this impact on your mood?

 my average screen time is  3hr and 50 minutes  I don't think that my media consumption really effects  emotions as I am used  to from playing video games and watching  Tv and film  to detaching myself form my emotions if  it's something that violent  or that initially made be uncomfortable.