Interview three individuals (adults, BYU students, not members of this class). Ask them the following questions and report your findings: 1) Are you ever affected by the media? If so, explain how and to what degree. 2) If you saw a persuasive message in the media, would you be more, or less, affected that your close friends? Other BYU students? The public in general? Under what circumstances and why? 3) Why are some people so easily influenced by the media? 4) Why might you be less influenced?
Due: Tuesday, May 08 at 3 p.m.
Andrea Wise
ReplyDeleteI interviewed three people named Brie, Miranda, and Brandon. I seemed to find similar results for each of them. They all felt like they were not effected by the media, but I think it is because they do not really realize how it affects them. Brie said she is not affected except for when she watches a scary movie because she tends to think about that scary movie for a while afterwards. My friends Miranda and Brandon both said that the media does not affect them because they do not find things scary. All three of my friends said that a persuasive message would affect them less than their close friends, or other BYU students. They did say they might be more affected than the general public just because they do not really watch rated R movies so they may not be exposed to everything that the general public would be exposed to. When I asked them why they thought people were so easily influenced, Brie said she thinks it is because other people find the media appealing to them so they let it affect them more. Miranda said that she thought it might be because other people might watch things in the media more than she does. And Brandon said that he thinks it is because other people really let things get to them. They all said that they feel like they do not let the media affect them, so they are less influenced than others. I feel that they really are influenced; they just do not know how the media affects them personally.
Spencer Cornett
ReplyDeleteAfter interviewing my friends about how affected they are by media it was clear to me that most people do not believe that the media has a very strong influence over them. Only one of the three mentioned that they thought they were affected by the media in a more than minor way. Even in that circumstance that individual really only said the only effect that the media had on him was that it controlled what he was exposed to. He didn’t really think it was very persuasive. This, to me, seems to support the theory of agenda setting which, if memory serves me right, says that the media doesn’t necessarily tell us what to think, but it does tell us what to think about.
All three of the people I spoke with felt like they were actually the exception to the rule when it came to the effects of media. All three of them said that they felt the general public are probably very influenced by the persuasive messages present in the media while they, themselves are not. All three people I spoke with are graduates of BYU and they said that they believe their level of education is what keeps them above the influence of the media. In other words they believe themselves to be smarter than the people creating the messages in the media. This kind of thinking actually can lead to media illiteracy which in turn can lead you to being more influenced by media than others. In a class I took last semester we spoke of media literacy and one of the major obstacles blocking our ability to be media literate was what we called elitism. Basically it means that we do not pay the messages of the media the proper attention because we believe ourselves to be above their persuasive abilities. By ignoring these messages we actually open ourselves up even more to their possible influence. This exercise really showed me just how rampant “elitism” is amongst my peers and it made me take a second look at myself to see whether I fall in to the same trap.
After the interview, I felt like none of them was affected by the media as much as I expected. They all have their own values and beliefs which affect more than anything. Most of them said that someone that they love can influence them a lot more than something they watch on the TV. I agree with that. Even though TV still is a great way to know what is going on in the world, it does not mean that I am really affected by it. It is more informative and awareness rather than the action or change of behavior. In conclusion, I learned that the media can affect people temporary, but not permanently unless if the media involves them specifically such as church news or friends are on the media.
ReplyDeleteA BYU Student (Female)
1) Are you ever affected by the media? If so, explain how and to what degree
“I think sometimes when I watch a movie with a girl who is skinny and beautiful, I feel more inclined to be like them or inadequate about myself. Sometimes that could be a bad thing, but sometimes I see some movies with "cool" girls who can be my role models.”
2) If you saw a persuasive message in the media, would you be more, or less, affected that your close friends? Other BYU friends? The public in general? Under what circumstances and why?
“I think less affected by my own friends. I feel like I believe in what my friends say than the media. The media is trying to be persuasive, but does not affect a person as much.”
3) Why are some people so easily influenced by the media?
“I think that many people try to be cool and to have a higher self-esteem such as being trendy. If they could do that better than their schoolmates, then that gives more self-worth.”
4) Why might you be less influenced?
“I feel like when I was younger I was more influenced. As I grew older, I gained more confidence and self-esteem that the media did not influence me as much as it used to.”
BYU Student (Male)
1) Are you ever affected by the media? If so, explain how and to what degree
“Yes. I used to skateboard a lot, so I would dress like my favorite skateboarder”
2) If you saw a persuasive message in the media, would you be more, or less, affected that your close friends? Other BYU friends? The public in general? Under what circumstances and why?
“I would say less affected because I am very skeptical all the time and don't like to believe everything the media portrays. I am always that way that I research a lot of things before I make any decisions.”
3) Why are some people so easily influenced by the media?
“Because some people think that everyone is doing the same thing that media portrays, so they want to copy everyone else.”
4) Why might you be less influenced?
“Like I said earlier, I am very skeptical and realistic. I do not like to be influenced by other people or media.”
A family friend who has two kids
1)Are you ever affected by the media? If so, explain how and to what degree
“We are all affected by the media. Very smart people who are great at what they do make sure that we are constantly bombarded with media of all sorts.”
2) If you saw a persuasive message in the media, would you be more, or less, affected that your close friends? Other BYU friends? The public in general? Under what circumstances and why?
“It would completely depend on the message and where it was coming from. If the message reflected something that I felt strongly about I might be more affected than others.”
3) Why are some people so easily influenced by the media?”
“People are influenced by all sorts of things. Apparently BYU courses influence people to interview their friends. :) Why? I guess the short answer is that there are very powerful social forces influencing us to do all sorts of things.”
4) Why might you be less influenced?
“I don't know.”
After interviewing these people I found that people are all influenced very differently by the media. One of my friends is from Canada and she finds herself listening more opinion leaders than just any random Joe. Another one of my friends has young children and she admits that she sees herself being more influenced by the media when it comes to issues relating to her children. My last friend is married to the girl with kids, and for him he's not really influenced by the media directly, rather he's influenced through his wife's opinions.
ReplyDeleteWhen it came to persuasive messages, my Canadian friend said that she thought that politically she would be a lot more affected by it than most people because of studying history and politics in school. My mom friend said that she tries to read multiple sources to make sure she's getting the best message. Though she did admit that she is a staunch republican, so those messages would probably influence her more than the average bear. For my husband friend, he doesn't really pay attention to messages too closely, so he feels that he would be less influenced by a persuasive message than most people.
My Canadian friend thought that people can be influenced by media because a lot of what they see they take at face value and don't ask questions beyond that. My mom friend said that it's probably because it's the only source of information that they are exposed to. My husband friend said that people are probably so influenced because they don't form their own opinions on things.
The consensus on why my friends are less influenced than most people is because they all try to read more than one source.
After interviewing three individuals about the media, I got a wide range of responses. The first girl I talked to, Kathryn gave the most detailed responses. She is studying Media Arts, and it was very apparent she has thought about media and its effects previously. She said that the media affects her more than it probably should- it affects what she wears, her body image, her thoughts about others and other cultures, and it shapes what she defines as normal. She believes her friends and others are influenced more because of a lack of self-confidence, lack of a good foundation with good parents and religious background, and because they have a desire to live differently than they should. She personally is not influenced to this level because she does have confidence, she was raised with good parents and religion was and is a big part of her life.
ReplyDeleteAnother friend, Taylor, said that she too is influenced by the media in regards to self-image. She pointed out that the media gives you a false perception of life, especially in the sense that a girl always needs to have a boy at her side. She believed she is more sensitive to the media than her friends because she isn’t as exposed to it. Even though she may not act upon the messages, they are more heightened towards her. She believes that others are more influenced because of ignorance- they don’t realize they really do have a choice in life. She isn’t influenced as much because she was raised in a way contrary to the media and she is aware that real life doesn’t have to look like media life.
The last girl I interviewed, Casey, also said she was influenced by the media through the latest trends and fashions, but she is still able to keep her own opinion. She believes her friends and others are influenced by the media because they want to fit in; they want to be and do what is popular and cool –they don’t want to be considered weird. In contrary, she believes she isn’t as affected because she doesn’t care as much about what others think of her and doesn’t feel the need to be just like the celebrities; she likes to do her own thing and be her own person.
Abbey Christensen - Sophomore at BYU studying advertising, born and raised in Provo
ReplyDeleteUm... That’s tricky. I would say yes I am effected but I am not sure to what degree.I love watching commercials but I guess since I am in advertising I know what they are doing so I look purely on the outside. But scary movies effect me very strongly so I refuse to watch them.
Less effected. People, friends and family effect me much more than media does.
People that don’t have friends spend more time watching TV and consuming media so it is what they interact with thus they trust it more
I am less effected because I don’t spend a lot of time with it... Social media is much more effective for me than traditional media because it combines media with relationships. Facebook gets me every time.
Michael Farnsworth - Junior at BYU studying accounting from Colorado
Yes, obviously because it is all around us. We are all effected by it every day. It sucks away my time but it also lets me know what’s going in the world. And it provides entertainment.
Depends on the subject. If I know my friends don’t know anything about the particular subject than it definitely effects me more than them but if they do know about the subject than it would effect them more than me. I feel distant from the media...
They don’t have set standards and foundational knowledge on the subject - regarding news... movies don’t effect me at all they are strictly for entertainment.
Because I have my own beliefs and standards that I think are right and I don’t let anything sway that belief.
Michelle Brook - Adult living and working in Provo
Yes and no... I can watch anything on the news and it doesn’t phase me but I don’t like movies that portray bad morals because we have control over what content is made in movies but we don’t have control over people that do stupid things that get reported on the news
Probably the same or maybe more than my friends... I like to think that the media effects me but I know that it does. I tend to have a hard time letting go of things
I am sensitive and I let things get to me while others have the talent to stay disconnected from bad influences...
I am trying to be less influenced because I know that there are negative messages in the media that I don’t want to consume but unfortunately I think due to my sensitivity I am influenced often...
For this post I interviewed three of my friends, two of whom are students are BYU and one who is a student at USD which is a Catholic university. I was curious to see if someone with another religious viewpoint had differing ideals of how they are or are not affected by the media.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I found interesting from asking my friends these questions was that they thought that they were less influenced by the media than those they surround themselves with. They all acknowledged that media surrounds and intertwines with every aspect of their life but were reluctant to admit that they were influenced. The LDS friends that I asked thought that because they were members of the church they were less subject to be influenced because of their morals and values. They both said that they were more critical of the media because they do not always reflect what they believe. My non-LDS friend was very aware that the media could influence her but she felt that she was able to discern what she wanted to be influenced by and what she wanted to keep out of her life.
My friend that is not LDS made the statement that those who are easily affected by media are passive viewers and do not actively try to understand the messages the media is trying to get across to viewers.
Lorne Sleem
ReplyDelete1. Yes I am. It has affected because this is now my career as I am in advertising! I am everyday involved in the media looking at trends, both past and present. Because my future career involves the media so much, I have to keep up to date about what is going on. This however, can make me feel that I am wasting my time on the Internet. This can be negative in nature because of the amount of time I have to spend. However, it can be positive because it helps to provide a job I enjoy.
2. I feel I would be less affected than my close friends, BYU, or the public in general. This again is because I am so heavily involved in decoding messages that are provided by the media. I can see the general “Big Idea” and strategy behind what is exposed to me in the media.
3. People are influenced because they are gullible. They allow the emotional reaction to overpower their rational way of thinking.
4. I already answered this.
Michelle Brodrick
1. Yes, it makes me want to buy stuff and it influenced me enough to help me choose my communications major.
2. I would be more affected than all those groups. The general public ignores the underlying messages. I am the person that tells my close friends to shut up when watching messages on the Super Bowl. BYU students aren’t as sensitive to the messages as we are.
3. Some people are easily influenced because we choose to be. I can easily turn myself off like my other friends but you choose to allow what the media is saying to impact you and help to decide what you are going to do.
4. Because of the classes that I am taking. We look at the theories that we are taking in. If there is an education of what you are doing and seeing you are more inclined to not take in what is happening.
Morgan Crockett
1. Yes, I don’t watch as much TV per say but I am online a lot. It is a big issue and affects the way that I view things. I listen to lots of music and affect me I guess.
2. I can see more so than others what they are doing and the tactic that they are using. I would be affected to a degree. I would probably be less affected because I do understand those tactics that are being implemented.
3. I think a lot of people are trusting of the media. They think that what they see is what they get. I wouldn’t say that they are naïve but some people are so accepting of what they are seeing. It is easier for some to connect with the media.
4. Due to their media habits. How much are they consuming? Where they are with different mediums and what they are using in their day to day life will make people less influenced.
I was shocked at how everyone's answers were the same even though I interviewed very different people. I am coming to the conclusion that everyone thinks they are less affected by the media than their neighbors and that they are particular about what they let in and therefore less affected.
ReplyDeleteEveryone I interviewed said they were less affected by the media than their friends, BYU students, and the general public except one girl, Kelsey. She said that she felt equal to other BYU students in being affected by the media. I thought this was interesting because I think our perceptions of us compared to others very often show how we feel we are more educated than others around us and therefore we must be less likely to take in media.
In my political science class I think the teacher mentioned somewhere there is some theory that the more education you have the more you recognize that you shouldn’t be influenced by the media. In addition to that those who are uneducated don’t think that they are influenced, but in reality they are heavily influenced.
I also think that the people I interviewed as well as the public majority automatically think just 'news' is media, rather than understanding that billboards, books, music and word of mouth can all be forms of media. I think their answers might have changed if they had taken that into consideration. Just a few days ago I was realizing how my world is completely shaped by media. The clothes I see people wear, the public policies, the music, just about everything influences the way I think and feel. In order to not be affected by the media I think we have to restrain ourselves to some degree. I have also realized, particularly with fashion, the more involved I am with the media the more I believe particular styles are what everyone accepts as normal. I am always shocked to realize that my fashion feelings are very heavily influenced by how much I am paying attention to the media.
Brittany Bergstrom
ReplyDelete1. Yes, my ideas changed a lot because I just got off my mission. I recognized the negative effect it has. It warps mt perception of reality.
2. I am less affected because I have just recently had an outsider view from the media. BYU students and my friends are sometimes very closed-minded so I am probably similar to them.
3. It's how we have been taught. It's often implied that the media is truth. Our society feeds off the media for knowledge.
4. Since I served a mission, I saw my life without the media and I saw the effects of those I taught and served. It weakened their spirits. It centers on selfish themes and comparing ourselves. It distorts the idea of beauty and makes it harder for people to remember they are children of God.
Clark Andersen
1. Yes, they influence how I spend my money and time. Ads encourage me to buy certain products and services.
2. I am less affected because I am less of a TV watcher. I only watch about 3 hours a week. I use common sense when watching.
3. Some people do not know where to turn for truth. It is because of a lack of education.
4. I am less influenced because of my education especially when it comes to nutrition because that is what I am studying.
Chris Kiser
1. Yes, I am affected, especially when it comes to politics, the way I view things and my mood.
2. I am probably affected similarly to my friends and other BYU students. As I am attending school right now I am probably less affected than the general public because I am focused on my studies.
3. The media often makes it feel like everyone is doing it. People accept the media because they yearn for social acceptance.
4. My beliefs and the way I was raised with moral values keeps me grounded and less influenced by the media because it is not my main source of influence and knowledge.
By the way, this is Sara Anderson :)
DeleteElise
ReplyDelete(1) Yes I am affected by media. I buy things that I see advertised on TV. I decorate my house like HGTV shows that I like. I’ve tried recipes that look good on Food network. I’m definitely affected by the media.
(2) I’m less affected by media than my close friends and other students. I consider myself a skeptical person and don’t believe everything I see. I’m more skeptical than others.
(3) Why are some people so easily influenced by the media?
People are influenced by the media because they don’t bother to do their own research on politics and news. I get my information from multiple sources. I watch the news. I read articles online. I talk about the issues with people. I do my own research instead of just being told in some political ad that this is the way it is.
(4) I’m less affected than others because I’m generally more skeptical than others and because I do my own research.
Devin
(1) Yes, I am affected by media because I don’t keep up with the news or advertising so I’m affected by what I DO see.
(2) I’m affected by media less than close friends because I don’t watch as much as they do. It’s the same for BYU students and the public in general. I’m affected less by media than both groups. I don’t interact with much media.
(3) We are affected by media because we grow up with it. Our focus is on movies, what’s popular and what’s fashionable. People feel like they need media to get a leg up on the competition.
(4) I am less influenced by the media because I don’t spend as much time with it as others.
David
(1) I am definitely affected by the media. Sometimes I think about things in terms of status updates and if I would share something with others in social media.
(2) I’m not affected as much as my peers. I question everything. I consume more so I know more. I’m a very skeptical person. I consume more therefore I am affected more than my immediate friends, BYU students and the public in general.
(3) Other people are easily influenced because they don’t question the news or advertising. They trust the news as an authority figure. They trust their friends on Facebook. Trust is a big factor. I consume multiple sources of media. Others consume from less media sources and so they believe everything they consume from that source.
Is there some kind of "everyone else is more influenced by the media than me theory"? I had one friend tell me that because he consumes less media he is influenced less by it. My other friend told me that because he consumes media from many different sources he is less influenced by it. Looking forward to tomorrow's discussion and the answers to these questions.
DeleteActually, there is. We're going to talk about it and its psychological foundations in class.
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