We live in the 21st century. This is the time of modern technology, the time when news and information travel fast. All the different kinds of media, like newspapers, radio, television, internet, have become an inevitable part of our lives. They all affect our lives in both positive and negative ways.
One of the good points of the media is the fact that they spread the information. People get informed about things that happen daily in their own countries or around the world. Information about politics, economy, scientific discoveries, natural disasters and diseases, reaches every home in no time. It doesn't matter whether we read the papers, listen to the radio, watch TV or surf the internet, we share the same information as we share the same planet.Another good point of the media is the fact that they play an important role in education. Education is no more limited to classrooms.
The fact is that students, and people in general, have better access to informative and educational materials. Channels such as National Geographic, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, discover a whole new world for many people who can't see and experience it in real.It is also important to say that the media help people communicate with each other and help people connect. It is amazing that we can talk to our friends in Canada by using the computer, or that we can all watch the British Music Awards on TV and listen to Madonna on the radio.
The media can instantly connect millions of people.However, there are some negative points of all the influence that the media have on our lives.One of them is the fact that very often the media are used to manipulate people. Editors present the kind of information that they want people to believe in.Another disadvantage is that the media also provides opportunities for children to be exposed to more inappropriate content such as sex and violence. This is something that will affect their lives in the future.
We said that the media connect people, but they also isolate them. We sometimes forget to talk to the others. We are happy to play computer games, watch TV and turn into real couch potatoes, but we forget to go to Vodno or ride the bikes with our friends.I know that it is almost impossible to live without the influence of the media. But we need to learn how to choose what is best for us and be able to select the kind of information that would be more useful for us.
