As Audiences are we active or just sponges?

Whether or not you like it we are all an audience member of some description, I understand that this may come across as negative but it cannot be taken for granted! As fine citizens of the human species we are walking, talking conscious people with the capability to understand and develop our own perspectives on the world around us. What we may not be so clear on is the level of media content we are all exposed to on a daily if not hourly basis and what effect is this having. What the Albion Shack here wants to go through is to what level are our values, ideas and even personality is in fact our own, or are we a product of media socialisation in a modern world?

Throughout our lives we are socialised through a variety of different social constructions that teach us our culture, values and even behaviour. Primarily the Family, School and even Religion are the institutes that can define an individual. Increasingly over the past decade the new media has established itself as almost an essential part of life, for example I’m sat here now with facebook open just like every time I open up a web browser?

A now deceased American Sociologist named Paul Felix Lazarsfeld initiated a theory that an audience are subjected to an approach entitled “The Hypodermic Syringe model” essentially stating that media content and messages are injected directly into the minds of audiences. This approach dates to around the 1940’s and a clearly negative side is that it automatically assumes that we are mindless carcasses who can only gain our understanding through forms of media and if the media portray it to be true then we will. This is obviously untrue, I mean I just watched The Expendables and I have no desire to blow something up or shoot a group of Columbian Gangsters?

Many theories aim to give us a more accurate reading of the effects of the media on audiences’ such as the “Uses and Gratification Model” which see’s the audience as actively using media for their own purpose E.G. company, interest and pleasure. I would like to think of myself as falling into this spectrum although if I analyze my current traits I firmly believe that there are influences from the media that have influenced me, such as my need to use Gillette razors because they are simply the best a man can get!

When I was a boy playing quietly with the Lego blocks I was always told “Question Everything!” at the time about as much use I could get out of that would be “Why can’t I have any more sweets?” to which I was always told “Because your 12 years old and sporting a waist that would fit Jabba the Hutt!” But aside from the weight issues that ethos has been instilled in me, something which we should all have in our media consumption. Are you buying that Mocha-Choca Latte because you like paying £5 for coffee in Starbuck’s or is it because when you were watching Sex in the City the girls all looked so cool with their overpriced white containers of capitalism whilst discussing who Samantha’s latest orgasm came from?

For a topic so big I could turn this blog into a text book, there are many other theories that give other perspectives of media influence but I have given examples of two that are polar opposite of each other. Essentially the point I belive Im trying to make is that yes the media do effect us, but to what extent is entirely up to the individual. If the weather report says snow then you may throw on a coat, if the news states that Woolworths are closing then you find a new location to get your pick n mix from. If the latest playstation game comes out glorifying blowing up some small village in Columbia because your a soldier does that make you want to kill everything in sight? I live this with you....