ipl-logo

Hypodermic Needle Theory Essay

972 Words4 Pages

Effect studies describe the media’s effect on its consumer’s behaviour in a logical way. Within his discussion about these effects, Fourie (2007: 276) differentiates between short-term and long-term effects. Short-term theories refer to the “almost general agreement” (Fourie, 2007: 232) that the media influences people’s behaviour in extreme cases, and the long-term theory believes that the media does not have an immediate effect on the consumer, but rather that this influence happens over a long period. The first includes the two-step-flow, the hypodermic needle and the gratification theory, whereas the latter refers to the diffusion of innovation, modelling, social expectation, stereotyping, meaning construction, accumulation, agenda setting, …show more content…

However, modern-day concern about the effects of media and technology is a result of “the underlying assumptions of the hypodermic needle theory,” meaning that media does have an influence on society (Fourie, 2007: 234). To this, Critcher (2010: 3) emphasizes the study of moral panic; when certain activities are perceived as negatively influencing the dominant culture. This, says Watson and Hill (1984:109), normally happens when a society goes through significant change, such as the South African society has since the early 1990s. During these changes, the media tend to report incessantly on a matter. Through these reports, the South African society’s morals are reflected, which instantaneously encourages debate “to a point of mass hysteria”. This hysteria is evident in the 2015 Xenophobic attacks, where the South African media were blamed for the violence against foreign nationals. According to News24 (2016), sensational headlines and false information on social media platforms added to the outbreak of attacks, especially so during the height of the attacks. This after Goodwill Zwelithini, the Zulu King, was quoted saying that foreigners "should pack their bags and go". Many people saw his statement as the forerunner to the attacks (Al Jazeera,

Show More
Related

  • Summary Of Sex Lies And Jesus Is A Brand Of Jean Kilbourne

    1353 Words  | 6 Pages

    Kilbourne argues that media, specifically advertisements, distorts the way people perceive the world by manipulating their emotions in hopes of selling a product. While Kilbourne more heavily focuses on the effects

    Read More

  • Comparison Of Whispers On The Borderline By Fine And Ellis

    1563 Words  | 7 Pages

    The authors argue that a “rumor is a means of understanding what many see as a new, potentially risky, and poorly understood social reality” (Fine and Ellis, 2010, p. 204). Many rumors, however, stem from ignorance, prejudice and racism, especially those that emerge in times of crisis, as many of the racially fueled 9/11 rumors did. They create scapegoats, but Fine and Ellis (2010) argue that they create a means of making sense of a confusing, sudden event. They argue that this manifestation of rumors is usually what can be considered a premature stage in its development as it will still merge and evolve as it comes into contact with other rumors that are trying to make sense of the same situation. It must, however, be taken into account that many of these rumors never meet the appropriate rumors to dissolve the racist and ignorant undertones.

    Read More

  • Summary Of Letter From Birmingham Jail

    1189 Words  | 5 Pages

    Yet, the idea of non-violent retaliation and the excessive violence used by white racists was also thrown into mainstream media through the publication of this

    Read More

  • Examples Of Scapegoats In The Crucible

    1269 Words  | 6 Pages

    Also like what happen after 9/11 with the muslims, people were always frantic whenever they heard about islamic faith or muslims in general since people thought of terrorist. With the three connected they all had mass hysteria after innocent groups of people were blamed for something they haven't even done and paying for other people's mistakes and problems not their

    Read More

  • Why A Lesson Before Dying Should Not Be Banned

    1214 Words  | 5 Pages

    “Censoring books that deal with difficult, adolescent issues does not protect anybody. Quite the opposite. It leaves kids in the darkness and makes them vulnerable. Censorship is the child of fear and the father of ignorance .

    Read More

  • Moral Panic Sociology

    919 Words  | 4 Pages

    As sociologists Thornton is one of many criminologist who have recognised that from 1960s onwards, society has endured major change. According to her on the study of “the social logical of subculture capital”, Thornton and McRobbie argue that Cohen’s view of moral panics has changed in societies prospective and therefore needs updating as it does not relate to the problems society is facing. The world is now more technologized media has greater plurality of views and individuals perception. Thornton and McRobbie (1995) continue o say this makes it ‘impossible to rely on the old models with their stages and cycles, universal media, monolithic societal or hegemonic reactions’. Miller and kitzinger (1998: 216) correspond that the concept of

    Read More

  • Miss Representation Essay

    539 Words  | 3 Pages

    Jennifer Newsom argues, successful business women are viewed as emotional, manipulative, and irrational. Her argument is substantiated by the laundry list of facts that are presented in the film Miss Representation. The film reveals the many circumstances that are a threat to women’s advancement in America. The film expressed the sorrow of our young teens; scared and teased for what they look like, and the sadness they have for being different from media ideals. Jennifer Newsom effectively convinces the audience of Miss Representation that the driving force for the suppression of women is due to media, myths, and objectification.

    Read More

  • Essay On Moral Panic

    949 Words  | 4 Pages

    “Cohen has a strong view that media itself jumps to conclusions and overreacts to behaviour which happens which is challenging to the social norms. Cohen’s work illustrated how those reactions influenced the formation and enforcement of social policy, law, and societal perceptions of threats posed by the youth groups.” (Dr. Bonn, Scott 2015) Moral panic by society is seen in the media, which fires further social unacceptable behaviour. Within a moral panic the media identify a group as a ‘folk devil’, it can be identified as a threat to society’s values, the media also distorts the group in a negative stereotypical way in which it is then exaggerates the scale of the

    Read More

  • Why I Just Asked My Students To Put Their Laptops Away Analysis

    644 Words  | 3 Pages

    The main objectives in chapter 9 include the ways media attempt to influence people’s attitudes, beliefs, and/or behavior, ways media technology can be disruptive and have adverse effects on behavior, the positive and negative influences of certain kinds of media, such as advertisements or reality television programs, on self-image. Even though media is a great outlet, media has changed our generation causing effects on self-image and human interactions. Because of its pervasiveness in American culture, the media affects people in both obvious and subtle ways. Modern media comes in many different formats, including newspapers, magazines, television, social media, etc.

    Read More

  • Cultural Studies: Adorno And Stuart Hall

    1435 Words  | 6 Pages

    In The views of The Birmingham School, media culture induces individuals to conform to the established organization of society but it also lends resources that can empower individual against that society. (Kellner, D (1995)) In conclusion, calling attention to mass media, cultural studies relates to how the audience can decode the messages put forward by the media. More specifically in relation to their individual socio and economic background. This in turn can lead to the rejection of the dominant ideology.

    Read More

  • The Uses And Gratification Theory By Elihu Katz

    1253 Words  | 6 Pages

    The wellsprings of the media picked are unmistakable. As Jay Blumler brings up in his book The Use of Mass Communication, where he asserts that studies have demonstrated that crowd satisfactions can be gotten from no less than three particular sources: media content, introduction to the media in essence, and social connection that encapsulates the circumstance of presentation to various media (Blumler 1974). It is clear that groups of viewers invest energy utilizing the media as a part of different ways. Whether they are killing time or utilizing it as a social instrument, every medium is novel in its motivation.

    Read More

  • Essay On Needle Stick Injuries

    819 Words  | 4 Pages

    Needlestick injuries are injuries due to exposed and improper use of needles or sharps. The ANA in 2010, commemorated the 10th anniversary of the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act, which improved protection against these injuries that expose health care workers to potentially deadly blood borne pathogens. These injuries, unfortunately, are still occurring today and far too often. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in March 2000, estimated that approximately 62-88 percent of sharps and needlestick injuries are preventable. Health care workers that handle sharp devices or equipment like scalpels, sutures, needles, phlebotomy devices or blood collection devices are all at risk but nurses are at a very high risk for being exposed to these preventable injuries which exposes them to numerous bloodborne pathogens especially deadly viruses such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDs.

    Read More

  • Limited Effect Theory Of Mass Communication

    862 Words  | 4 Pages

    According to Baran (2012) mass communication can be defined as “the process of creating shared meaning between the mass media and their audiences.” This essay aims to discuss the degree to which we are shaped by our interaction with the media. In order to achieve the aforementioned aim of this essay I will focus on the following: limited-effects theory, two-step flow theory, attitude change theory and agenda setting. The limited effects theory sets out that media influence is based on individual and social characteristics.

    Read More

  • Influence Of Media On Society

    998 Words  | 4 Pages

    Media are platforms of mass communication that can be categorized as either new of traditional media, with new media being forms of communication that make use of technologies such as the Internet, and traditional media being more conventional forms of media such as newspapers. Media, primarily new media, is getting more popular and influential, especially in today’s day and age since we are exposed to it a lot more than in the past and also since media is more easily accessible now. The media can shape our behaviours, perceptions and opinions, and it is important to know how people are influenced and impacted by it. The media can influence someone’s perception of social reality, or perceptions of beauty or even influence people’s behaviours and habits and therefore, the media does shape who we are. One way that the media can shape who we are is by influencing our perception of social reality.

    Read More

  • Uses And Gratification Theory: Literature Review And Critical Theory

    925 Words  | 4 Pages

    The theory explains “how individuals use mass communication to gratify their needs” (Burgeon, Hunsaker and Dawson, 1994, cited in Udende and Azeez, 2010, p. 34). The theory holds that “people influence the effects that mass media have on them” (Anaeto et al, 2008 cited in Edegoh, Asemah and Nwammuo, 2013, p. 23). The assumption of the theory is that people are not just passive receivers of media messages; rather, they actively influence the message effects. Media audience selectively choose, attend to, perceive and retain media offerings on the basis of their needs, beliefs, etc., thus, “there are as many reasons for using the media as there are media users”

    Read More

More about Hypodermic Needle Theory Essay

Open Document