Media effects are measurable effects that result from media influence, or a media message. The effects can be positive or negative, abrupt or gradual, short-term or long-lasting. Not all effects result in change: some media messages reinforce an existing belief. Whether you are a child or an adult, media such as; music, TV shows, video games, magazines and other types of media have an effect on us.
An example of media effecting culture, behavior, and communication is through movies and television shows. A kid, for example, might learn a new phrase or term from watching Dora or Spongebob. I myself have experienced this growing up and watching new movies and TV shows. When you learn this new term or phrase, you begin to say it more often especially if you find it amusing. It starts off with the child just repeating what they heard. After a while they may have influenced their friends to start saying it as well. Now it has become an insider to the group of friends and a term/ phrase that has become a part of their dialect. That whole process was an effect that one TV show had on a child and changed into something much bigger. This happens all over the world in many different ways.
Have you ever wondered how a particular state has its own slang? States such as Texas, Georgia, California, Florida, and many others have their own ways of communication. If you ask a kid from another state to act like they are from Texas, they will most likely pretend to be a cowboy. This is because outside of experience, the media has a huge effect in shaping our perspectives. Media puts images inside of our heads and through co-construction, as we use and create media, it uses and creates us. When people act like they are ninjas or special ops agents they most likely do not have any training at all. However, through video games and movies, some people believe they are capable of being like this character. In doing this some people actually go further with it because they are so interested and are passionate about learning more. Think about mixed martial artists and how they may have been heavily influenced by Bruce Lee.
Through media, we find our passions in life. It is not easy to sit down and decide one day that you want to be a chef or a professional dancer. As for me, I fell in love at an early age with football. I would always love to watch it on TV. My love for the sport did not grow only through playing it, but also from playing video games and watching highlight videos with music that makes you want to suit up and play. These emotions that media brings us can either have a huge effect on a person or a small one, depending on the person. For generations media has influenced us and it will continue to influence us through music, movies, video games, and many more ways. For some it is in a positive way and for others in a negative way but, "as people continue to make media, media will continue to shape us".
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