The media has profound effect on masses throughout the world.
The media helps shape peoples attitudes and perceptions thus influencing people's life and lifestyles. The media is at the forefront and always sets the agenda. However the media has negative effect on people too .For instance the link between aggressions in life can in some instances be traced to screen violence. These sources of entertainment have had disastrous and even deathly consequences. Some scenes also represented are repulsive and odious.
In the article The Military Nintendo Complex the authors John Naisbitt, Nana Naisbitt and Douglas Philips explore the phenomena whether video games and television have taken up the role of raising children. They refer to these phenomena as electronic parenting. They pose this question and clearly illustrate how television and video games have become the new parents. Similarly Marie Winn in her article Television: The Plug in Drug posits clearly the fact that television has taken over in family lives.
He further shows the effect that television not only has on children but also on how it has affected how family members relate with each other. She states that television has become part of daily life to the extent that it is now a legal necessity (Naisbitt 80). Marie Winn does not solely blame the television for the decline and undermining of family life. She says that other factors such as the rise in numbers of mothers joining the workforce, breakdown in communities and increase in divorce are also to blame. The television role is that as a dominant medium in family life it has perpetuated the complacent and laid back attitude thus preventing the family members from regaining the earlier richness that the family possessed. The television leads to passiveness since people are more concerned with watching television programs instead of engaging in other gainful works.
The television leads to strain on family ties and children life is ultimately consumed by television and in extension family life becomes unsatisfying to all members. In the article Te Military Nintendo Complex electronic games have led to the creation of weaker soldiers unlike the days gone by. General Schwarzkopf states that since war is now fought in computers unlike before when war was by shooting the enemy by gun at close range. Field training is what determined who joined the military or not. This is because field training makes the soldier aggressive and strong. A soldier who has been through hardship, deprived off food and sleep and out in cold unfavorable conditions is what a soldier worth his salt about.
Therefore introduction of technology has made the soldier man a weaker machine.Marie Winn illustrates the negative effects television has on an individual's relationship with real people. Although the relationship when watching television is one way this is not the case when relating with real people. Eye to eye contact in real life is important in that it speaks a lot about a person's personality. Eye contact helps improve human relationship through openness, trust and even shows an individual confidence and ability to relate. Television strains the relationship with real life in that an individual listens passively from the television.
An individual does not converse with the television personalities. Therefore persons who are glued to television for long cannot air their opinions, grievances and even arguments in a proper and coherent manner. This is also attributed to the fact that conversing and communication only takes place during commercial breaks and even this is kept n a bare minimum. Similarly in the article the Military Nintendo complex also supports this claim that television and video games affect an individual's socialization process and interaction.
For instance since video games are addictive children are glued to the screens .Such children are not able to tell the difference between realty and fantasy. So when a person is shot maimed, killed or stabbed on screen they cannot tell the difference. To them what they perceive of these actions is that they are real.
These kids have no ability to identify with the enviironment in which they are in. The effect this has is psychological and they produce emotional intensity and stress. Marie Winn posits that the television has also influenced change in family rituals. She defines these rituals as the frequent, dependable, regular happenings that give a sense of belonging. This rituals act as bond and sense of belonging between family members. These rituals are not material in nature but social and cultural.
These rituals create a bond and interaction between family members (Marie 5).Rituals make the family feel good about itself. Due to this sense of pride and belonging he family will always strive to continue engaging in its family rituals. Rituals can therefore be used as indicators of the interests shared between family members.
In the good days gone by families held on to their common rituals. However in the modern day society when family spend time together the family rituals are forgotten and passed by. Instead the family will be glued on television and special qualities that families took pride in are thus increasing becoming uncommon.In the article The Military Nintendo Complex parental response towards media interaction is relative. The authors posit that the same way parents would be reluctant to strangers interacting with their children they should also be wary of electronic parenting in equal measure. However some parents engage in escapism and use television and their electronic gadgets to free them from their obligations.
This in itself is counterproductive since the child becomes invisible and goes unnoticed. The child thus does something that will lead him being noticed. For instance the boy who killed his fellow students in school in 1998 was driven by the urge to get noticed for he felt neglected and invisible to his parents. Television and video games have become a culture by themselves and this is a worrying trend. The authors also digress that computers are educational for young children.
In any case these are facts propagated by media productions through advertisements in a bid to drive their sales.
