IX. The relationship of Media and Society.

Hey there! How'r you doin'?

So, in this blog entry.. we're going to be talking about two things; Media and Society. I've actually talked about Media in my very first blog entry right here.. but it was just a brief definition so this time, i will be going more in depth as it will be a part of my main subject of this entry.

To recap, Media is the main means of mass communication or it is a platform where people are able to write or publish news, writings, photos or drawings.

But, what is society? Society is the world surrounding us. It's the people that live their lives and are constantly moving, speaking, being productive and such. Well, at least that is how i see the society. According to the internet, Society is the aggregate of people living together in a more or less ordered community.

Now, how are these two things intertwined or connected? Society has its own specific groups that stick to a certain opinion or idea, this is called the Social Norm. How are Social Norms shaped and fixed? They're formed by the outspoken media. Ideas that are spoken out in public or the internet and agreed by the majority often become a social norm. Society can change the way we see things in this world. An example might be that the rise of awareness in mental illnesses. 

Mental Illnesses were neglected back then but since the rise of deaths caused by depression and suicide, the issues about mental illnesses are now being brought into the light.

However, as the relationship between Media and Society may be positive and can bring good intentions, It can also bring negativity and promote the wrong idea or thing to the public and society. The media may be wrongly used by 'netizens' to promote the wrong idea about a certain issue. An example about the wrong use of Media and Society is  PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of  Animals). PETA claims to be the largest animal rights organisation in which they do whatever they can to protect animals in the world. 

To summarise what they have done wrong, they have justified the killing of animals by using the words "putting the animals out of misery" as a cover-up. Instead of saving the animals, they have transferred animals to farms and shelters that are not necessarily 'no-kill shelters'.

So how does affect these two elements in the aspect of creative activity? Modern artists and singers nowadays such as Panic! at the Disco in 'Girls/Girls/Boys' promotes homosexuality where it talks about how homosexuality should not be treated as something that's 'out of the ordinary'. Another example might be 'The Middle' by Jimmy Eat World which talks about how suicide is not an option and speaks about how there is more to this world than it's cruelty. Art wise, we have Pablo Picasso's 'The Young Ladies of Avignon' which speaks aboout how women should not be entitled to be the stereotypical feminine shown on the media (sitting prim and proper, being not violent and such). 

A simple way to say how Media and Society are related is we see the world not as it is but as "picture in our heads." "Pictures of things that we have not experienced personally are shaped by mass media" as quoted by Paul Lazarsfeld.

Media truly shapes how our society works and hopefully in time, we will have a better society that truly potrays the truth to our current world.

Sources: x