The Role of Mass Media in Socialization

Why do we use a fork and spoon for spaghetti, yet eat a hamburger with our hands? From the moment we are conceived, we are socialized; we constantly learn hoe to act and react, to function within society. Socialization is defined as the process in which we learn the culture of our society, and it is perpetual. In sense, we are fundamentally products of our socialization; our identity, thoughts and actions are all formed by how we were socialized. If Tarzan was brought to a high-class dinner party, he wouldn’t just be confused as at which fork to use first, he’d be utterly bemused at the entire setup for the meal, and probably even find it incredibly pointless how people fuss over something as eating.

TECHNOLOGY’S IMPACT

The need to socialize has seen people invent various channels of socialization. Technological advancement has reduced the world into a small village. Some areas, such as the mass media coverage, have attracted the attention of many individuals globally. With the current mass media, much has changed, especially in terms of socialization.

This includes the radios, television, newspapers, and many more. They deliver and carry messages or information from one place to the other. Socialization process has extremely taken a new look in the current society.

What the media displays has attracted a lot of attention from the public. Information on major societal issues, such as sexuality, is displayed clearly to the public. Unlike in the traditional society where such sensitive information could not be addressed openly, all forms of information are openly discussed fearlessly in the modern society.

Mass media has become so advanced to an extent that people from different regions can chart over various issues affecting them in life. This has greatly helped people in terms of expressing their views freely in areas of interest. By so doing, a social network is created. Issues of family and marriages are addressed. Relationship issues are discussed through the mass media as well.

Twitter and Facebook are the main forms of social media in the modern society. Through Facebook and twitter, people from various parts of the world share information and would form relationships more easily. According to Henslin (2012), young individuals would get in touch with each other through the social media and would form serious friendships, which would end up in marriages.

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Mass media has drawn the attention of many politicians in the modern society since it offers as a platform through which leaders can form strong bonds with the electorate. Through Facebook and Twitter, politicians are able to pass their campaign information to many. The mass media helps them in sharing their political standpoints and interests with their supporters, organize meetings, and hold political rallies.

The first category of the socialization agents is the media. The mass media and the social media have been major agents of socialization. As mentioned above, the mass media is a very vital socializing agent. The newspaper, radio, and television are the main socializing agents in the modern society. On the social media, Facebook, Tweeter, and YouTube are the main agents of socialization.

Facebook has about one billion subscribers from all over the world. This means that through Facebook, one can reach numerous individuals locally and globally. Others, such as YouTube and Tweeter, are also major agents of socialization.

AGENTS OF SOCIALIZATION “MASS MEDIA”

According to the reading, “Socialization and Culture” from the book “Interdisciplinary English” by Loretta F. Kasper, Socialization is the process in which a child learns how to behave in life and participate in a group in society. Socialization has four basic/main agents: family, school, peers and the mass media. Each one of these agents plays a role in our lives. However, in my opinion, the most important agent of socialization for the development of the child is the Mass Media. The Mass media is a significant force in modern culture. Sociologists refer to this as a mediated culture where media reflects the behavioral pattern of some individuals within a society.

SOCIO CULTURAL FACTOR

Researchers (Plungė, 2011; McLuhan, 2003; Nabi, Oliver, 2009 et al.) emphasize that medias are not only the agents of socialization. They are also treated as a socio-cultural factor, transforming entire neighboring environment. Their impact on individuals can be both positive and negative, since they bring changes into the process of cognition and effect. They develop the “here and now effect” and take part in following processes, related to socialization of individuals: y social adaptation of individuals adaptation to socio-cultural conditions and social roles, standards and social groups, organizations or social institutions); y interiorization (internalization) processes (mastering of social standards, values and their transition to internal human world); y exteriorization (externalization) processes (reaction to external cultural stimulus on the basis of internalized standards and activity patterns).

Scientific problem. In socialization related processes each individual interacts with medias (their texts). Therefore, it is important to answer the question – in which processes of socialization their impact on individuals is strongest? Aim of the research is to make analysis of media impacts on individuals in their process of socialization. Object of the research is the impact of medias on individuals. Tasks (objectives): y to make analysis of relation between media action mode and impact; y to discuss the importance of individual media related experience in processes of socialization; y to explore media related impact on individuals in processes of socialization.

Relation between media action mode and impact

Medias influence social environment – they make impact on interrelations of individuals, communication, approach to oneself and entire world, “insist” on certain stereotypes in different situations. They take active part in socialization of individuals. Diversification is typical to them, since it provides them with opportunity for penetration into environment, in which individuals personally could hardly ever penetrate. In other words, boundaries between different environments are eliminated. This impact in community could be entitled as media action mode (methods and styles of action and activities). Above action mode consists of entire chain of these action methods and all this is operated by medias. They are always focused on specific aim, depending on targets that information is orientated on. There are following landmarks in media action mode:

• · Analysis of audience preferences/choice, when media action mode is focused on specific demands of audience (personal, social, cultural, etc.);
• · Analysis of social standards and interests – media action mode is focused on demands of community, in which interaction of medias and audience takes place;
• · Medias as a factor, making social impact.