JMC 1100 1st Edition Lecture 14 Media Uses and Effects Cultivating your Real World Media Today I One Direction blows up Spotify a 769 increase in streaming after Zayn leaves II Songs are media too a They affect us in similar ways Stalagmite Theories Emerge I II Bandura one of first to counter magic bullet theories Ex social learning theory a Media effects build up over time called accumulated effects b Slowly media viewing can change our behaviors opinions and beliefs about the world How Effects Accumulate A Snarky Example I Snark from snarky to be critical or rude in a sarcastic way II First used in 1910 to counter the word smarm excessive flattery or inauthentic joy Snark Reborn I 2002 bloggers bring in the word back in a big way for TV critique a Television without pity website died in April 2014 II Today the word has been CULTIVATED throughout society CSI Effect I Forensic evidence examples in media influence public perception and jury trials of what is possible in criminal science II People expect us to have DNA back in 20 minutes it doesn t happen that way a Mike Murphy coroner for Cook County NV And model for CSI Cultivation Theory I 1968 created by George Gerbner a 3rd most used media theory today II TV shapes or cultivates viewers on perceptions of social reality III Long term exposure to heavy TV content has a small but perceptible effects on the perceptions of the audience Foundation of Cultivation Theory I Gerbner believed that culture AND communication create our perceptions of reality These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor s lecture GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes not as a substitute a Culture is a system of messages and images that regulates and reproduces social relations 3 Assumptions of Cultivation Theory 1 TV is Unique a Accessible b Easy to use and understand c Uniform in delivering messages 2 TV Programs presented an unrealistic view of the world a Heavy focus on violence and crime in TV shows and TV news programs 3 There is a constant stream of violence and crime II Violent content in media a 90 of movies have depictions in content b 68 of video games c 60 of TV programs Why is this a big dea III Average American watches more than six hours of TV per day a We check phones 9x per day for 1 hour at least IV Average 8 to 18 year olds watch more than 4 hours per day a Most households have more TV s than people i Doesn t include phones computers etc What it means Negatives Violence I More than four hours of viewing leads to Mean World Syndrome a World more violence than reality would indicate II Violence index a TV violence 10x real life violence III Parents becoming desensitized Why is this an issue Cultivation effect Resonance I TV content is close enough to real life experiences to amplify cultivation effects in certain groups double dose effect Irony can be pretty ironic II Heavy viewers a 30 of the population are police or law officers b Real world less than 10 Positives for cultivation in general III IV Cigarettes a Found media smoking desire for real smoking b Tv movies outdoor ads ban c U S Smokers i 1965 42 2012 18 Equality Gay Acceptance a All in the Family 1970 b Modern Family 2010 Cultivation effects perceptions I II III TV Media reinforces general beliefs about the everyday world Ex College Media Reality Reality stress studying lack of money a If no one talks about it does it really exists Perception vs Environment vs Self I II III IV Less Effective at informing us of things we know like who you are as a person VERY Effective at informing us about things we don t know like societal behavior Creates unrealistic reality for viewers Heavy users greater fears a Victim of crime b Walking alone at night c People in general i More mistrust ii Less willing to help Cultivation aspect mainstreaming effect I II Heavy viewers from different subgroups develop similar outlooks True today Depends on types of media a Example Fox News vs Daily Show 3 B s of Cultivation 1 Blurs cultural political social regional and class based distinctions for more popular versions 2 Blends viewers attitude with TV s cultural mainstream 3 Bends mainstream attitudes toward the institutional interest of TV and its sponsors Ex NCAA Playoff Criticism of Cultivation Theory I Relies on established viewing patterns so can t determine causality a Does TV viewing teach viewers about the world or confirm previous experiences b Cultivation is a long term cumulative effect difficult to test it easily Conclusion I Researches focus on slow process of media effects II Cultivation Theory TV media cultivate images that influence real world perceptions III The less you watch the less you are influenced