Audience theory 2

 1) Social learning theory has been criticised for simplifying the causes of violence in society. Do you think the media is responsible for anti-social behaviour and violence? 

I think that media can be responsible for anti-social behaviour and violence because younger people who view violent things on the internet may be easily influenced therefore, causing them to imitate what they've watched. However, the media can't be responsible for anti-social behaviour and violence because having violent images/games on the internet is normalised nowadays therefore, society can't blame the media when people become violent due to watching something violent online.

2) How is social learning theory relevant in the digital age? Are young people now learning behaviour from social media and the internet? Give examples.

Social learning theory is still extremely relevant in the digital age because there are many things that mostly young people learn through the internet. For example, people can look for tutorials on something that they're struggling to do which is very helpful.

3) Research three examples of moral panic from the last 50 years. To what extent was the media responsible for these moral panics? Was the concern in society justified? How have things changed as a result of these moral panics?  

-Knife crime in London : The media was responsible for this moral panic as it raised concerns of the increasing amount of knife crime in London. The concern in society is justified because it leads to authorities taking action faster and putting safety rules in place.  

-Child abuse in the UK and USA : The media was responsible for this moral panic as it highly publicised cases of children being removed from parents that were suspected of abusing them. This extreme publicity caused a rising concern for child abuse which soon became excessive because the media made it appear to be a crisis. Nothing changed after this moral panic.

- School shootings in the USA : The media was responsible for this moral panic as it helped to raise concern for the increasing amount of school shootings in the USA. The concern in society is justified because it helps to make authorities take action faster and put safety regulations in place.

4) Read this introduction to an academic paper on technopanics. What examples are given of technopanics that create fear in society? If the link is blocked in school, you can access the text here     

Cyber security, digital privacy and children's safety online.

5) Do you think the internet should be regulated? Should the government try and control what we can access online?      

Yes because there are many sensitive and graphic pages online that are way too easily accessible and may have an effect on younger people. This may effect their mental health.

6) Apply Gerbner's cultivation theory to new and digital media. Is the internet creating a fearful population? Are we becoming desensitised to online threats, trolling and abuse? Is heavy internet use something we should be worried about in society? Write a paragraph discussing these ideas.

This theory can be applied to the internet, where there is constant exposure to sensitive content, trolling and online threats which may cultivate fear. While the internet offers many opportunities for communication and information, it can also establish an atmosphere of fear as individuals are frequently exposed to disturbing news, cyberbullying and hostile online behaviour. This constant exposure of negativity makes people more fearful of the world around them,leading to a heightened sense of insecurity and mistrust. However, frequent abuse to online abuse and trolling can desensitise people to such behaviour, making it seem more normalised and less shocking. We should be concerned about heavy internet use because it may be highly contributing to bad mental health and the erosion of social norms.