The process of socialization is a lifelong development of norms, beliefs, ideologies, and customs. This process allows for establishing relationships and identifying communication patterns, which promote the inclusion of a person in society. Socialization begins with childhood in a family and continues in adolescence and adulthood, when schools, peers, and mass media make an impact. Some people argue that mass media critically affects one’s behaviors, but others state that it does not change attitudes since it cannot break cultural continuity.
As an agent of socialization, mass media provides the context for observational learning. Likewise the family and peers, the media promotes the cultivation process by showing a great variety of behaviors, actions, ideas, and thoughts (Kammerl & Kramer, 2016). A family is the first agent that clarifies an individual set of norms and values for infants, which can include culture, religion, social status, and so on. When children go to school, they are affected by peers and teachers, who share their own norms and background with others. As a result, children adopt new socialization terms, such as teamwork, discipline, decision-making, conflict resolution, and critical thinking (Kammerl & Kramer, 2016). The use of mass media is shaped by all the mentioned agents in a way the family and peers use it to receive information or recreate. The assessment of the media quality and content, stereotypes, and the extent of trustworthiness are translated to a person by these agents.
In adolescence and adulthood, people become more aware of mass media role in their lives. The article by Kammerl and Kramer (2016) shows that the impact of mass media is closely related to a person’s cultural background. For example, if the family considers the Internet as a non-reliable source, it is likely that he or she would be of the same opinion. The preferences of movies, newspapers and social media depend on existing views and habits. However, the media can reinforce these beliefs and cultural stereotypes. The blurring line between public and personal communication is another characteristic sign of the media’s impact. Digital media allows commenting on the posts of major companies and sending messages to any user, which changes people’s social behavior.
According to the contrary opinion, mass media does not change people’s behaviors since there is freedom of the press (Lila, 2014). The proponents of this opinion argue that cultural continuity cannot be broken by the media. In other words, they consider that mass media only transmits information and entertains them, while it is not able to impact the decisions taken by people (Lila, 2014). In my point of view, mass media significantly impacts socialization in adolescence and adulthood. For example, even though a teenager is told to avoid smoking, it is likely that he or she would try it if the peers would invite them to join their community through social media. Another example is the incidents of mass shootings that were largely caused by violent cases that were shown by the media.
To conclude, the debate on the role of mass media in the process of socialization raises the questions that are associated with the nature of this process and the involved agents. It is clear that family, schools, and peers shape one’s opinions and behaviors. Although there are people who deny the impact of mass media on people’s interaction and thinking, it is possible to agree that media helps in socializing, which is especially relevant to social media.
References
Kammerl, R., & Kramer, M. (2016). The changing media environment and its impact on socialization processes in families. Studies in Communication Sciences, 16(1), 21-27.
Lila, B. (2014). The impact of media in the socialization process in Albania. European Journal of Social Science Education and Research, 1(1), 149-156.