Media Log: Entry 3 | Analysing and Evaluating

Media Log: Entry 3 | Analysing and Evaluating

Monday, 29 February 2016

Throughout the Media Audiences module I have learnt about various different media theories, each of which are exciting and thought-provoking. This blog post is going to focus on a few of the theories I have studied and how they can be applied to the findings from my media log. When thinking about these specific theories, it is easy to see how they fit into my everyday life despite not noticing them on a daily basis. I found it interesting to apply these theories to my usage of media, and throughout this process I've realised that there is much more to just interacting with media than meets the eye. 

I found that I could see links between the Two-Step Flow Theory by Paul F. Larzasfeld and Elihu Katz (1955), and what I had noted down in my media log. The Two-Step Flow model talks about the significance of 'influential figures', and how these figures are known as 'opinion leaders'. Opinion leaders can be anyone who is deemed as 'trusted' by those in 'social contact' with them.

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Media Log: Entry 2 | Findings

Media Log: Entry 2 | Findings

While conducting my 72-hour media log, which has documented every moment I've actively used media throughout the three days, I found myself coming across various difficulties. I first had to think about what I would define as media, and while I knew I would be surrounded by constant forms of media throughout the three days, what would I actually class as myself interacting with it. I mentioned in my first blog post about this, and what I would be logging down as 'media' in my log - you can read this here. 

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Media Log: Entry 1 | Preparation for the Media Log

Media Log: Entry 1 | Preparation for the Media Log

While I have never really thought about it before, it is important to look at how media integrates into my life on a daily basis. I think because I have always grown up surrounded by so much media, it goes unnoticed as to how much of an effect it actually has on my life. 

"In everyday life, media are always there and, indeed, everywhere, as they have become part of the very fabric of culture and society... They provide possibilities for interconnectivity around the globe, they compress time and space... Besides structuring the daily agenda, media have become constant mobile companions'. - Kaun and Schwarzenegger 2014.

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Media Audiences: Thinking about Media Effects

Media Audiences: Thinking about Media Effects

Tuesday, 16 February 2016

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The previous seminar was spent thinking about media effects, and how these effects can impact on our lives. We thought about what types of media effects people worry about and what a moral panic is. Prior to the seminar, we were asked to take a look at Bandura's 'Bobo Doll Experiment' (1961) and think about the purpose, strengths and weaknesses of the study (you can watch the experiment here). 

I personally think that while the study had some strengths, in that it showed that children do copy behaviour presented to them, its weaknesses definitely outweighed this. The study was in an artificial environment which meant that there is no way to tell whether or not the same results would occur in a real situation, let alone with a real person being beaten. However, while there are other ways in which the Social Learning Theory could be put to the test, there are ethical issues that may stand in the way of this - psychologists must prioritise this. 

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Media Audiences: Media and My Everyday Life

Media Audiences: Media and My Everyday Life

Wednesday, 10 February 2016

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In last week's seminar we were asked to take a look at the media and how it fits around our everyday lives. I touched slightly on this in my last post, which you can read here, however I wanted to write about how media integrates with my life on a daily basis in more detail.

Media plays a huge role in my life, even more so than I first thought, here are a few examples...

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