Essay on the Impact of Mass Media on people

PAYAL KAMAT
In the past, mostly people interacted in groups having face-to- face
relationships. Today, they are continuously exposed to messages generated from
the centre.
The history of mass media is comparatively recent. The oldest form is the press
which was set up first by William Caxon at Westminster in 1476. The first
wireless communication was made between the Isle of Wight and the English
mainland in 1882, the phonograph was patented in 1877. The first cinema film
was made in Paris in 1895.
In India, after the independence, new horizons were seen by the country in all
the aspects of five year plans stressing the need to solve some of the national
problems, such as, lack of cultural identity, absence of economic policy and so
on, the development of mass media was boosted.
The need for communicating with the masses and influencing them was felt in
order to have the impact of the independence. This led to tremendous progress
in the fields of print and the broadcast media.
Freedom of speech and expression along with freedom of press was provided by
the constitution as a fundamental right. Over and above, constitution also
granted freedom of movement, right to profession and property, right to hold
meetings and cultural gatherings.
All these led to the unabated progress of mass media in the country. The
developments of each mass media are discussed separately in the following
chapters.
With the extending impact of media of mass communication on individuals and
groups, the Indian society overall is reacting swiftly. The pervasive effects of
the various media on the various spheres of the Indian life- economic, social,
cultural, intellectual, religious and even moral values are transforming rapidly.
Mass media are capable of creating various kinds of impact on mankind. They
play a crucial role in the function and change of any society. A study of social
change cannot be done without studying mass media. Therefore, in the present
times when technology has brought about changes in the society, mass media
studies have become important.
Mcluham, the Canadian writer perceives mass media in a very broad
perspective. It is his thesis that, the medium is the message; he says that the
content of a mass medium cannot be divorced from its context and from its
technology.
A statement made on television will be very different from a statement made
through the press, the form and nature of the message's dissemination actually
modifies the material.
The visual image of television news involves us directly as compared to the
news reported in the newspaper. Whether or not we discuss the wheel in the
context of mass communication is a moot point, but it is obviously true that the

wheel has changed many human societies in a way which is quite as radical as
television or the press.
He says that we have been too much pre occupied with the messages, or
content, of mass media, and too little concerned with the media themselves, as
they function within human society.
It was his argument, for example, that the electric light can be taken as a
medium, it transmits lights to a large number of people. This notion may not be
digestible to many because we are used to ascribing overwhelming importance
to content.
The mass media constitute a powerful and pervading force in our lives. We are
exposed daily to a bombardment of media messages. Most of the information
we receive about our community, our state, the nation and the world comes to us
through newspapers, magazines, television and radio.
The information and views communicated through these media have great
impact on our attitudes toward people, events and problems. Mass media expose
people to a flood of information almost narcotic sing reader, listener or viewer.
Due to mass media the range and amount of information available to the people
has vastly increased.
For example, a villager in India today can have the idea of what the city life is
by watching television and cinema. Media use by the people is going through
quick shifts. Although urban areas have more access to mass media than the
rural areas, it is observed that people in rural areas are becoming increasingly
conscious of the power of knowledge.
They subscribe to the newspapers and this has led to the growth of regional
press. The commercialization of radio and television in India has brought the
whole world of advertising to the door steps of the people and made the society
consumerist in nature.
Mass media have exposed people to technical subjects which are of their day to
day use. For example, use of automatic machines, electronic appliances,
pesticides, fertilizers etc.
Media confer a certain social status or people's position in society is enhanced
when they appear upon television or are mentioned in the press. Mass media
like films, television and press have particular glamour, which is enjoyed by
those who are in them.
Thus, mass media tend to enforce and corroborate social norms and bring
personal attitudes and public morality closer.
Mass media are common denominators. They serve the interest of the larger
groups. For example, today people use mass media for entertainment or for
product information through advertisements.
According to Hancock: "This view of mass media as the 'common denominator'
of their audiences leads us to the most consistent criticism which is leveled
against them; that they spoil public taste and attack art and culture, by becoming
lowest common denominators." (72)

For example, when literacy was low, print media were required to appeal to a
limited audience and writer could write according to his wishes. Even popular
writing could be quality writing. With the spread of education and literacy the
audience for print media also became larger. This resulted into popular writing.
Media consumers are selective in their consumption of media output. They
accept the massages which are easy for them to understand and they do not have
to exert themselves in watching a programme or reading a newspaper. They also
accept messages which reinforce their beliefs and reject or ignore those which
have contrary views.
Another criticism about the impact of mass media is that they do not keep pace
with the changes that are taking place in society and usually maintain
stereotyped roles and values. For example, widow woman in today's society
wear dresses of all types and colors but films and television serials show them
in their stereotyped white dress with no jwellery.
Thus, mass communication process is more likely to sustain rather than
challenge the existing political and social power structure in society.
As a result, mass media look for supportive Communication and avoid that
communication which projects alternative opinions. Mass media play a
significant role in the socialization of the young. An extensive exposure
necessarily influences young, who are always believed to be passive
respondents.
Watz and Hoffman note that: "the social potential of mass communication has
hardly been tapped" (241). Effective use of the mass media has the potential for
increasing the public's understanding of the goals of development programs and
activities of development workers.
It can increase public support for development programs and it can have a
significant impact on the decisions of development planners, policy makers, and
legislators that affect these programmes.
It can help people function better in the community, by providing information
that can support the coping capacities of persons under stress and consequently,
it can significantly expand the impact of the development programmes in any
community.
A much wider range of target groups can be reached, not only those who might
benefit from the programmes but also persons and groups that may be willing to
provide tangible and intangible support for these development efforts, as a result
of being better informed about them (In Brawley:12).
Mass media in India are actively involved in the tasks related to different
aspects of national development and they are assisting government and the
masses in social, economic and political development. Thus, mass media have
contributed to the mobilization of human resources for national development.
The mobilizing of human resources requires a great deal of attention of what the
population knows and thinks of national development, and especially to the
encouragement of the attitudes and social customs and the provision of

knowledge, which will be favourable to the development, the mass media have
undertaken the job quite competently.
It is evident from the tremendous changes that have taken place in the entire
range of human activity in the country. Research studies by communication
scholars also have proved that mass media have immensely aided and assisted
the rate and score of development.
The studies conducted by Shramm, Rao and others have shown that the
interaction between the media and the society from development point of view
is 'constant and cumulative.'
This helps people to set common goals of development and arrive at sound
consensus. Media have communicated to the people about country's five year
plans, development programmes, education system etc. and this has motivated
people to become partners in the progress of the country.
The farm technology was communicated to the rural masses through mass
communication media such as radio and films which became link between
university laboratories and farmers.
This contributed to tremendous agricultural progress and ushered in green
revolution in the country. There have been problems and constraints in the
process of development but, on the whole, mass media in India have immensely
contributed to bringing about change and development in India.
It has been realized that no significant development can take place without
using mass media.
In other words, the mass media can have impact on a variety of important
development programmes, relations, public education, and prevention functions
of the development programmes (Brawley: 12).
It has also been observed that as the time devoted to media increases, people's
participation in an organized action decreases. As a result, they remain away
from the decision making and action for any personal or national development
activities.
Mass media do not involve the individual directly. They bring changes largely
in the psychological domain. They capture the audience by changing their
opinions, attitudes, beliefs, knowledge and value systems.
Psychological changes are considered to be more effective as compared to the
change which is introduced directly into the social structure by means of law
and government policies to which individuals are forced to adjust.
The new media have brought about changes in the old media for example, due
to the impact of television, newspapers and magazines have become more
illustrative, radio has been trying to become more innovative in attracting the
listeners, advertising has become part of every mass medium and so on.
Moreover, due to the review of the programmes offered by every medium,
competition to offer more and more interesting programmes of common taste
has increased among the mass media.

What about education? Mass media in India such as television, radio,

newspaper, try to offer educational and enrichment messages for farmers, school
children, youth, woman, and other groups. This again may be due to the
competition among and within the media.
Folk media have been very effective in promoting the message of literacy,
mobilizing women and bringing them together to discuss issues related to their
everyday lives. Street plays have proved very effective in integrating and
mobilizing women for anti-arrack movement in Andhra Pradesh.
Sometimes too much of exposure to information leads people to saturation. For
example, if we are exposed to the events of terrorism in Kashmir or Punjab for a
very long period, we become less sensitive to the sufferings of people due to
terrorism. Here the immediacy of visual image is lost and media ceases to be an
informant.
Mass medium like television has made great impact on the families by changing
the way of life. In the last ten years Indian family has under gone drastic
changes as far as family relations standard of living, style of living and buying
habits are concerned. These are discussed in detail in chapter four.
To sum up, mass media create impact by playing their role as change agent,
reflector and reinforcer of dominant values and attitudes in society which can
have a significant impact on the decisions of development planners, policy
makers and legislators that affect development programmes.