Preview

Critique the Media Effects and the Hypodermic Needle

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
465 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Critique the Media Effects and the Hypodermic Needle
The term media effects as used in psychology, Sociology, Communication theory etc. refers to the ways mass media affect how audiences think and behave.

"The hypodermic needle" as coined by Harold Lasswell is a model of mass communication also referred to as 'the magic bullet perspective '. It is meant to give a mental image of the direct, strategic and planned infusion of a messages into individuals.Both images used to express this theory (a bullet and a needle) suggest a powerful and direct flow of information from the sender to the receiver. The bullet theory graphically suggests that the message is a bullet, fired from the "media gun" into the viewer 's "head". With similarly emotive imagery the hypodermic needle model suggests that media messages are injected straight into a passive audience which is immediately influenced by the message. They express the view that the media is a dangerous means of communicating an idea because the receiver or audience is powerless to resist the impact of the message.
Many of the media effects on the public are highly positive. For instance the media provides individuals with educational programmes which go a long way in increasing the knowledge the individual has about certain issues, product or introduce the individual to it.
Another positive effect of the media is the exposure of people to products etc. The hypodermic needle model; the infusion of messages to the individual about a product. The individual thus becomes convinced about the product.
Both the Hypodermic needle and Media effects have negative sides. A long exposure of the individual to violence tends to make its viewers prone to act as seen. However t is wrong to assume that just because an audience sees acts of violence in media, they would actually commit them. Of the millions of people who watch violent films, only a small number have carried out acts of violence as a direct result. People regularly exposed to violent media usually grow up to be



References: Davis, D.K. & Baron, S.J. (1981). A History of Our Understanding of Mass Communication. In: Davis, D.K. & Baron, S.J. (Eds.). Mass Communication and Everyday Life: A Perspective on Theory and Effects (19-52). Belmont: Wadsworth Publishing. Barker, Martin, & Petley, Julian, eds (2001), Ill Effects: The media/violence debate - Second edition, London: Routledge

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Identity and Belonging

    • 719 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The media provides information about our surroundings and has the power to change our thoughts. Many of the information that the media provides us may sometimes be positives and sometimes be…

    • 719 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Media has grown with the advance of technology, all including the radio, newspaper, magazines, television, and the internet. The internet is a big media development. We live in a society that depends on the internet for majority of things and in the next five years everything will be done by the internet or the media. Media affect people in many ways, some are good and some are bad. The media has its way of showing us information through news channels, travel and other educational shows. Kids benefit from watching these, since it can boost self-esteem, heighten interest levels in a particular subject, or encourage…

    • 303 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    2.Media effects the study of behaviour and interaction through exposure to messages,It emphasizes measuring,explaining and predicting communication effects on knowledge,perceptions,beliefs,attitudes and public opinion,It is strongly influenced by scientific methods from the fields of psychology and social psychology.…

    • 1678 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Violate Social Norms

    • 1009 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Furthermore, I had never before analyzed the meaning behind the media messages, and the different functions they serve; for example, they can promote consumption, confer status, enforce social norms, and socialize. Although most see the media as a way to get the news, these messages also persuade the audience what to buy, how to act, and who to idolize as well. I know that the mass media has influenced not only my perceptions of other people, places, and things, but also my thoughts and ideas. There is no doubt that I would be a completely different person than I am now if I lived in a world with no mass…

    • 1009 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Is Media Violence Harmful?

    • 2052 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Often times, people will wait outside stores like Apple or Best Buy to get the newest technology available. With new technology constantly being developed it makes accessing media so much easier. From a single device, a person is able to play video games, stream movies or television shows and listen to music. However, few people realize that this constant exposure to media violence has led to many negative impacts on our thoughts, feelings and behaviour. After reading and analyzing all of the articles mentioned, it is quite evident that violent media, no matter how exposed you are to it, will have some sort of negative impact on a person even if it’s for a short period of time. So, while people should continue to enjoy their favourite video games, songs or TV shows, it is important to reduce exposure to violent media and understand the effects it could have on…

    • 2052 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    The media is the means of communication, as radio and television, newspapers, and magazines that reach or influence people widely. The growth of the media has spread vastly over the years. The media is also known as a “channel of mass communication.” “Mass Media incorporates all those mediums through which information is distributed to the masses. These include advertisements, magazines, newspapers, radio, television, and the Internet” (Sebastian). The media introduces many new things to the public, both positive and negative. The media harms the American culture by creating these celebrity idols, the glorification of violence, sex, and drug and alcohol abuse. The media positively affects the American culture by the quick and easy flow of useful information and education, its major role in developments like fight against racism, fight against gender bias, world poverty and spreading awareness about world peace. The media affects the American culture in several ways, beneficial and harmful. The media affects the way people view the world, others, and the way they live their life. The media also, however, influences the way people learn, interact, and engage with the rest of the world.…

    • 1259 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hypodermic Syringe Model

    • 1467 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The Hypodermic Syringe Model notes a direct correlation between violence portrayed in the media and anti-social behaviour in society. This view is supported by Bandura et al (1963) who investigated whether media content caused violence in children. Bandura showed the children real violence, film violence and violence in a cartoon. All of these acts of violence were towards a Bobo Doll. Children were allowed into a room with several other toys and a Bobo Doll whilst being observed through a one-way mirror. Bandura found that those who watched the violence acted violent towards the Bobo Doll and imitated this behaviour however the control group who did not view the violent film did not act aggressively. This shows that media content may lead to Copycat Violence where children imitate this negative behaviour. This would support the Hypodermic Syringe Model because the media has ‘injected’ certain behaviour into the children who did not question this and instantly acted in an aggressive manner. However, this point can be criticised as the role models who acted aggressively at first were not punished for this yet through the media, children will see people being punished for their actions e.g. on the news.…

    • 1467 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The hypodermic syringe model is a theory of media effect on audience. The term is used to describe interaction between the media and public belief, offering the concept of people becoming affected by the information 'injected' into them through their information medium. (For example, television viewers would have their minds injected with sex and violence after watching too many graphically violent programmes, and this would affect their views and behaviour). The model tends to see contemporary society, as Greg Philo, a challenger of this theory says: 'composed of fragmented individuals who were subject to powerful and effective propaganda messages which they received and then reproduced...'…

    • 1289 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In recent decades, media has become an increasingly popular and important part of the American culture. Media has many positive uses throughout daily life; media plays a large role in the entertainment industry and allows easy access to important news and other information to anyone at any time. Although media is an important and widely used part of our culture, many people worry that media can have a variety of negative effects. As media becomes more and more prevalent in society, its effects become greater and greater. Violent media can encourage aggressive and antisocial behavior among people.…

    • 1845 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Media violence have taken a toll on our society in many aspects of our lives, by making individuals more prone to becoming less sensitive to pain and suffering of others, fearful of their society, and also aggressive or harmful approaches towards…

    • 221 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    To understand the effect of something, one first needs to understand the subject itself. Therefore to discuss the effect of mass media, one must fully understand the concept of mass communication and how it functions as an integral part of society. Only once this concept is understood, can it be discussed as a reactor to change in society. The paragraph following will explain the phenomenon of mass media.…

    • 1919 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Whether the media affects a child’s behavior is a question that has been asked over and over again. Many people, to this day, are still debating whether a child is truly influenced by the media. There is no doubt that the media has an impact on a child, but does it really influence them to act out even though they know it’s wrong? Is the media that influential that it can make a child do something they would never think of doing, if not seen on the television? According to Dr. Susan Villani (1999), “there is an established body of evidence documenting the troubling behavioral effects of repeated exposure to media violence.”…

    • 1291 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Crime Drama

    • 3688 Words
    • 15 Pages

    Effects theories were developed and introduced into the media in the 1920s; they are used to look at how media texts or products influence people who consume them, they are used more and more particularly in recent years to look at how negative messages for example sexual and violent based content affect different audience groups. There are two main effects theories that are used within the which are known as “Uses and gratifications” and “Hypodermic model”.…

    • 3688 Words
    • 15 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The various studies that have been conducted make many claims on how the media supposedly affects…

    • 656 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The electronic media direct social change and values. The electronic media may be successful in stimulating the change in the tightly held ideas and rigid attitudes to bring desired change. The media can give direction to social change, and positively guide the society towards the desired goals.…

    • 1303 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays