At the present stage of the development of mass media, the media play an important role as a source of influence on the consciousness of the audience. The process of interaction between the media and the audience is two-way, both participants in communication mutually influence each other. Both print and electronic media today not only act as a mirror of public life, but become sources of images that are consistently introduced into the creation of the audience. The meanings circulating with the modern global socio-culture space turn out to be mechanisms and catalysts for global political and social processes, and indicators of these processes. They force the reader and the viewer to compare themselves and the world around them with those stereotypical ideas that are spread in the media.
Speaking about the current situation with the military conflict and its impact on the economy, one can say that I do not fully trust the media. The media have a unique opportunity to act on the audience’s consciousness, to form the views and ideas not only of an individual, but to influence the mass consciousness and create certain patterns of behavior (Kross et al., 2021). Thus, when listening to the media about the economic situation, I notice some one-sided presentation. The purpose of the media is to reassure people about rising prices.
Many media outlets are biased against President Biden’s policies, constantly reporting that the White House is making plans to cut prices. Through the impact on the whole society, the media manages to influence each person in particular, forming a number of certain common emotions, prompting a single action for the entire audience. However, people continue to post pictures of rising gas prices and their concerns online.
The main attention of the media is paid to the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian conflict. However, at the same time, journalists cover the problems of the economic spectrum very little. Such extensive coverage of the military conflict may be due to the fact that they want to hush up and divert the country’s monetary problems into the background. Thus, the media influence the public, mass consciousness to control the people.
I prefer to get news from news sites on the Internet, and forums, blogs and social networks are important to me. However, it seems to me that in many ways the Internet can bring a negative impact. With the help of information technology, the tactics of conducting military and other conflicts have changed (Wilson et al., 2020). Information and disinformation turn into a dangerous weapon according to whose hands the information ended up and for what purpose it is used. At an early stage of its development, the information war was a concomitant part of the armed conflict, the purpose of which was to seize territories (Nye, 2019). At the moment, the information war is often separated from the “hot” confrontation and occupies a dominant position.
In the modern world, there is a need to protect national resources and the secrecy of information exchange, since this information can provoke political and economic conflicts between states and ultimately lead to the collapse of international relations. Many state management systems have become information dependent. Any failure in the standard operation of computer systems and television communications can cause irreparable damage to the energy and financial sphere. Keeping confidential information is becoming increasingly difficult due to the fact that the amount of information generated is constantly increasing. No one can guarantee the safety of personal data (Wilson et al., 2020). Moreover, politicians react differently to the situation. For example, former US President Donald Trump speaks out against the corruption of many state media (Wilson et al., 2020). Other politicians assure that state channels most fully and capaciously convey reliable information about ongoing events.
Among the many social networks that distribute news, Facebook remains one of the main ones. The social network has been operating for over 15 years and distributes information from all over the world. Facebook was created to provide people with a platform to express their opinions, fears and suggestions in various areas and aspects of life. Social networking sites such as Facebook have caught the attention of many important events and movements taking place around the world. The social network has a powerful sphere of influence on society, so when some posts or videos become popular, they cause a public outcry and a lot of discussion around the problem. Thus, Facebook is an extremely important tool in today’s society for the dissemination of new information, from advertising to political news bulletins.
Thus, influencing the entire society, the media have a personal impact on an individual, creating a set of identical feelings and sensations. The media have the ability to work with almost all elements and levels of public consciousness in the aggregate, evoking certain emotions, broadcasting information and forming certain ideas in the minds of recipients. Through the creation of a socio-cultural paradigm and the development of an ideological position, the mass media create certain scenarios of behavior for the individual.
References
Kross, E., Verduyn, P., Sheppes, G., Costello, C. K., Jonides, J., & Ybarra, O. (2021). Social media and well-being: Pitfalls, progress, and next steps. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 25(1), 55-66.
Nye, J. S. (2019). Protecting Democracy in an Era of Cyber Information War. Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.
Pelley, S. (2021). Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen: The 60 minutes interview [Video]. YouTube.
Wilson, J. Q., DiIulio Jr, J. J., Bose, M., & Levendusky, M. S. (2020). American Government: Institutions and Policies, Enhanced. Cengage Learning.