How the media has altered public life - Essay Example

Media and Public LifeIntroduction Cell phones play a fundamental role in the lives of human beings in the present-day societies. Recent statistics indicate that the ongoing mobile technology has had greatly impacted individuals today. Ranging from making relations easy to reducing the globe into a small community, it is of great magnitude to comprehend how the mobile technology has influenced communication in the globe today. The industry has also witnessed mobile technology that is more multifarious than the ones used in the preceding centuries. Such mobile phones include iPhones, for instance the blackberry phones that comprise of copious features like cameras, data storage, games, and text messengers amongst other composite features. With all these features, it is almost obvious that these gadgets are likely to take over the lives of individuals in the society. This essay shall aim to highlight the concept of mobile phones- blackberry phones- and the implications it has had on the public life. This concept shall also be related to the communication theories, in an attempt to understand the entire concept of media and public life. 1.0. Body The use of cell phones in the society almost has no specific age group. Most persons hold the view that use of cell phones allows them develop a sense of identity in the public arena. Davenport, LaRose & Straubhaar (2009) indicate that the use of mobile phones in the contemporary society can be termed as a compulsory need by the populace. This, on a great percentage, has a lot to do with the way people interrelate with each other in the society. With the introduction of the iPhones, for instance the blackberry phones, the society has in simple terms been reduced to an ‘iPhone society’. The youths are worst affected by the technology. A lot of them have been indicated to constantly be on their phones either making calls, sending SMSs, while others use up a lot of their time browsing the internet, predominantly the social media sites like Face book and Twitter. It is based on the fact that it relates to the hypothesis of Incidental Effects by Aldous Huxley, who indicates that the repercussions of the media have a huge relationship with bootlegging of style and mannerisms among persons in the public (Kumar, 2000). This can be applied in the contemporary society today. The mobile phones have experienced a lot of transformations from the telephones, to larger phones and now internet enabled smart phones. In response, a lot of individuals have gone an extra mile to move with the trendy styles especially the young generation who want to be at par with the sassy trends. Conclusively, the society has been reduced to a generation of calls and texts; thus, an advent of a new short form language that makes it easier to communicate. Turtiainen & Oksman (2004) indicate that the use of mobile phones is not only a device for making calls, but has advanced to be more of a chum to the general public. As indicated earlier, the revolution of the mobile phones has developed in an incredible manner allowing individuals to make a lot of contacts, through their internet enabled iPhones. Since human beings are interactive creatures, the blackberry phones have been of great assistance to improving this form of interactions. Sharing of pictures and chatting with online friends is possible through the click of a button. The limitless possibilities have created a situation whereby individuals are able to develop a social life on their mobile phones as their pass time activity. This kind of life provides a form of relief especially when individuals have been through tough times in their lives. This concurs with the Catharsis theory by Semyour Feshbatch, who carried experiments that concluded that components of the media that were less violent have been useful in reducing the anger and frustrations of individuals in the society (Patnaik, 2008). In the case of the social media, a lot of individuals have been indicated to be contented with the kind of relationship with the link of friends they developed online; others term their friends as their online family. As a result, many people, according to Ling (2010) have been addicted to their iPhones; thus, affecting their performance in the workplaces since they are constantly chatting. The implications of the media have massive impacts on almost all individuals who have used this form of media in one way or another. Hanson (2007) brings out the view that a lot of people are not aware of the implications of constant use of these media; as a consequence, end up ignoring the fact that they may end up addicted. In the real sense, a lot of persons end up pointing fingers on other persons not considering the fact that they may be the ones suffering from the addiction. This relates to the Third Person Effect theory of communication by Davidson Philips who indicates that a lot of people ignore the fact that the impacts of mass media may as well be of worse implications than they imagine ( Campbell & Regent University, 2009). Prior to taking actions on persons that are seemingly addicted to the media, it is of importance to evaluate their conditions. This can be evidenced form the way people drive their vehicles with iPhones on their hands. This condition can be referred to as an ‘intexicated condition’ that does not even consider the impacts of driving while on phone (Sturnquist, 2006). Divided concentration in this case, has caused a lot of risks of causing accidents. These risks have been increasing by the day, and with the developments in the mobile phone industry, the blackberry phones may be replaced by more sophisticated gadgets with more user friendly features. The Social Learning theory of communication by Albert Bandura has been imperative in the study of communication processes (Harris & Harris, 2009.). The implications of mass media in this case have been transmitted to other individuals through social learning. In relation to this theory, human beings have been indicated to learn things through a process of observations that act as their referencing points. This can be attributed to the thoughts of Lasen & Hamill (2005) who indicate that use of mobile phones has created a sense of supremacy of individuals allowing them to carry out businesses by the click of a button on their iPhones. Through success of other businessmen in doing business with this tool, the fame has spread to other parts of the globe; thus, increasing the number of people relaying on the phones to conduct and close successful business deals. This fact has increased the umber of people who are relying ion mobile phones for their daily survival. The constant use of the media and the influence on the public life can be credited to the Uses and Gratification theory by Elihu Katz, Michale Gurewitch and Denis Mc Quail (Lilleker, 2006). These analysts believe that use of the media is directed by the individuals’ need to satisfy their needs, such as the cognitive need of accessing new information, the affective need of gaining pleasure from what they do with the form of media, strengthening of the social integrative need of interacting with families and friends and finally, releasing tension, by dividing attention and escaping reality. Papathanassopoulos (2011) indicates that the number of uses of the mobile phones has recorded an escalating trend. Recent statistics indicate that the number of people who acquire information from the internet through their iPhones is alarming. Sending text messages and taking and exchanging pictures on social sites- like Facebook- has become the number one pastime activity. The percentages of these youth engaging in these activities are also increasing. In this case, therefore, this theory is applicable to the contemporary society today. Though the iPhones are being used even in the mistaken places, the major point is that the cognitive part of the Uses and Gratification theory has been executed, since accessing information on the internet through the iPhones is economical, while the youth gain pleasure from making more and more friends online- the affective component. Furthermore, through the iPhones, the users have managed to keep in continuous contact with relations and friends, while others have managed to evade reality by locking their minds to online dating and chatting. 2.0. Conclusion The use of iPhones has indeed had both the negatives and positives in the public life. The increasing use of mobile phones in public places, even on the roads has cost the public a lot of losses. Though the youth have managed to have an ‘online family’, businessmen closed deals, and the entire public having access to information at anytime, it is recommended that the use of iPhones be reviewed, if the benefits have to be balanced. References Campbell, D., & Regent University, 2009. Theoretical Assessments of Pretrial Publicity Effects: A Pioneering Attempt at Measuring the Tendency of Agenda-setting Statements and Framing Interpretations to Produce Assumptions of Guilt. New York: ProQuest. Davenport, L., LaRose, R., & Straubhaar, J., 2009. Media Now: Understanding Media, Culture, and Technology. London: Cengage Learning. Hanson, J., 2007. Twenty-four Seven. New York: Greenwood Publishing Group. Harris, R., & Harris, J., 2009. A Cognitive Psychology of Mass Communication. New York: Taylor & Francis. Kumar, K., 2000. Mass communication in India. Mumbai: Jaico Publishing House. Lasen, A., & Hamill, L., 2005. Mobile World: Past, Present And Future. London: Springer. Lilleker, D., 2006. Key Concepts in Political Communication. London: SAGE. Ling, R., 2010. New Tech, New Ties: How Mobile Communication Is Reshaping Social Cohesion. Cambridge, MA: Mit Press. Papathanassopoulos, S., 2011. Media Perspectives for the 21st Century. New York: Taylor & Francis. Patnaik, S., 2008. Communication Concepts, Theories And Models1. Available at: http://www.slideshare.net/suchi9/communication-concepts-theories-and-models1-presentation Sturnquist, D., 2006. Mobile Phones And Driving. Hauppauge: Nova Publishers. Turtiainen, J., & Oksman, V., 2004. Mobile communication as a social stage: Meanings of mobile communication in everyday life among teenagers in Finland. New Media and Society, 6, 319–339. Read More