MCM 102 - Introduction to Media Literacy - PDF

MCM 102 - INTRODUCTION TO MEDIA LITERACY DR MARIA LAURA RUIU BROADENING OUR PERSPECTIVE ON MEDIA EFFECTS (POTTER, 2021) Chapter 3  APPLYING ML SKILLS ASSIGNMENT – W3 (WEDNESDAY) 10% DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: WEEK 3 (WEDNESDAY 11/09/2024) B...

MCM 102 - INTRODUCTION TO MEDIA LITERACY DR MARIA LAURA RUIU BROADENING OUR PERSPECTIVE ON MEDIA EFFECTS (POTTER, 2021) Chapter 3  APPLYING ML SKILLS ASSIGNMENT – W3 (WEDNESDAY) 10% DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: WEEK 3 (WEDNESDAY 11/09/2024) BY 11.59PM Use the form provided on ILearn to complete this task --> Assessment You will be analyzing a short movie scene of Movie “Aladdin - Arabian Nights” which includes the opening song from Disney's Aladdin (1992) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIYL- PQa010&list=PLeKcSjLzxqzQRBll8UdCx0P2r5X4GRf9K) Quality and NOT quantity matters in your answers.  IN THIS SESSION Four-dimensional tool to understand media effects Types of Media Effects Media literacy and media effects  LEARNING OUTCOMES Demonstrate knowledge of media effects Understanding Short-term media effects (agenda-setting, priming, and framing) Understanding long-term media effects YOUR IDEAS How do media effects theories help us understand the relationship between media exposure and audience behavior or attitudes?  4-DIMENSIONAL TOOL TO UNDERSTAND MEDIA EFFECTS  LET’S WARM UP Pick some child with whom you have spent a fair amount of time. Can you think of any effects that the child has exhibited that could be regarded as a media effect? (List and write them down) Pick some older adult with whom you have spent a fair amount of time - e.g. a parent or a neighbor. Can you think of any effects that adult has exhibited that could be regarded as a media effect? (List them) Pick a friend about your own age. Can you think of any effects that a friend has exhibited that could be regarded as a media effect? (List them) Now think about yourself. Can you think of any effects that you have exhibited that could be regarded as a media effect? (List them)  WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES AMON G THOSE SELECTED? WHAT CONTRIBUTES TO DIFFEREN TIATING THEIR EXPERIEN CES AND EFFECTS? FOUR-DIMENSIONAL ANALYTICAL TOOL FOR MED IA EFFEC TS Potter presents a four-dimensional analytical tool based on timing, valence, intentionality, and type. 1.Timing of Effects Immediate Effects: These occur during or shortly after media exposure. They can be transient (e.g., feeling scared during a horror movie) or lasting (e.g., learning election results). Long-term Effects: These develop after repeated exposures over time. They are gradual and often harder to link to specific media exposures (e.g., developing materialistic values from years of watching advertisements). 2. VALENCE OF EFFECTS Positive Effects: These help achieve personal goals or satisfy needs from the consumer’s perspective (e.g., finding useful information). From the media business perspective, positive effects are those that attract and retain audiences, leading to higher profits. Negative Effects: These occur when media goals conflict with personal goals. For instance, media can foster negative behaviors like addiction, which is profitable for businesses but harmful to consumers. 3. INTENTIONALITY OF EFFECTS Intentional Effects: These are the desired outcomes of media exposure, such as seeking entertainment or information (e.g., watching a comedy to feel happy). Unintentional Effects: These are unforeseen consequences, such as nightmares after watching a horror movie. Unintentional effects can occur both immediately and in the long term, often without conscious awareness. 4. TY PE OF EFFECTS Behavioral Effects: Changes in behavior due to media influence (e.g., increased aggression after watching violent content). Cognitive Effects: Changes in knowledge or thinking patterns (e.g., learning new information). Belief Effects: Changes in personal beliefs or perceptions (e.g., believing the world is more dangerous after watching crime shows). Attitudinal Effects: Shifts in attitudes or opinions (e.g., developing a negative attitude toward a social group based on media portrayals). Physiological Effects: Bodily responses to media stimuli (e.g., increased heart rate during an action movie). Emotional Effects: Changes in emotional states (e.g., feeling happy, sad, or scared). T YP E S OF M EDI A E FFE CT S THINK ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE AND IDENTIFY AN EXAMPLE PER EACH EFFECT Behavioral Effects? Cognitive Effects? Belief Effects? Attitudinal Effects? Physiological Effects? Emotional Effects? How do you explain these effects on you? Who is more at risk of experiencing the negative effects? Why? COGNITIVE-TYPE EFFECT The cognitive-type effect refers to the influence of media on our knowledge and understanding. Media constantly provide us with information, shaping our perceptions of reality. This includes factual information from textbooks, magazines, and newspapers, as well as social information from observing role models in media. Children, in particular, learn a lot about social situations from media, given their extensive exposure to television and movies. Even adults continue to look up to media figures for social learning, forming vicarious relationships with celebrities and public figures, thus gathering social cues about success and happiness. BELIEF-TYPE EFFECT Beliefs are convictions about what is true. Media can influence our beliefs both immediately and over time by exposing us to public figures and fictional characters who exhibit specific beliefs. Over time, we observe patterns in media that shape our beliefs about societal norms. For instance, repeated portrayals of relationship dynamics in media shape our beliefs about what constitutes a good friendship or relationship. These beliefs are constructed gradually as we integrate lessons from various media exposures. ATTITUDINAL-TYPE EFFECT Attitudes are evaluative judgments about people, objects, or ideas. Media can influence our attitudes by providing standards against which we measure these things. We might adopt attitudes expressed by media figures or use media-influenced beliefs as standards for our own judgments. For instance, media portrayals of beauty can set unrealistic standards that shape our attitudes towards attractiveness. Attitudinal effects are often more general, influencing our opinions about society at large rather than specific individuals or events. PHYSIOLOGICAL-TYPE EFFECT Physiological effects are automatic bodily responses triggered by media. These responses, such as increased heart rate or sweating, occur without conscious control. Media often aim to arouse these physiological reactions, such as suspense in a thriller or laughter in a comedy. Over time, repeated exposure to certain media can desensitize us, reducing our physiological responses to similar stimuli. EMOTIONAL-TYPE EFFECT Media can evoke a wide range of emotions, from strong feelings like fear and anger to milder ones like sadness and boredom. Emotional responses are often linked to physiological changes. For example, a horror movie can trigger both fear and a rapid heart rate. Long-term exposure to media can lead to emotional desensitization, making us less sensitive to real-life suffering after frequent exposure to media violence. BEHAVIORAL-TYPE EFFECT Behavioral effects refer to actions triggered by media exposure. This can include immediate actions, such as buying a product after seeing an ad, or long- term behavioral changes, like developing an internet usage habit. Over time, media can shape our behaviors, potentially leading to habits or even addictions that displace other activities. MACRO-TYPE EFFECTS OF MEDIA The six types of media effects discussed above (cognitive, belief, attitudinal, physiological, emotional, and behavioral) primarily focus on their impact on individuals. However, media also exert influence on larger units such as organizations, institutions, and society as a whole, resulting in macro-type effects. These effects are pervasive and contribute to fundamental changes in various societal institutions, often heightening existing social pressures.  WHAT NEGATIVE EFFECTS CAN MEDIA HAVE ON FAMILIES? Changing Family Dynamics: The Decreased Family Interaction: Families traditional two-parent family structure has now rarely watch television or other media been declining, with more childless couples, together, leading to fragmented media single parents, and individuals living alone. consumption and less shared family Portrayal of Family Life: Media often experiences. depict broken families, single parenthood, This shift is partly due to the increased use of and non-traditional lifestyles, which can personal devices like laptops and smartphones. normalize these patterns and influence Parent-Child Time: Parents are spending less viewers' perceptions and behaviors. time with their children, leading to less face-to- face interaction and more reliance on technology for communication and entertainment. WHAT NEGATIVE EFFECTS CAN MEDIA HAVE ON SOCIAL INTERACTION? Reduced Community Engagement: Technology and media consumption have contributed to a decline in face-to-face interactions. For example, 72% of Americans reportedly do not know their neighbors, and the number of people who have never spent time with the people next door has doubled in the past 20 years. Virtual Relationships: People increasingly engage in virtual relationships through email, social media, and other online platforms, which can alter the nature of human interaction and reduce reliance on physical, face- to-face connections. LET’S ANALYZE MEDIA EFFECTS USING THE FOUR DIMENSIONS OF TIMING, VALENC E, INTENTIONALITY, AND TYPE We want to investigate the effects of internet addiction (e.g., social media addiction), which has been a growing concern as critics of media influence now understand how successful media companies are at conditioning their audiences for repeated exposures. Identify effects in terms of: Timing: Immediate vs. Long-Term Effects Valence: Positive vs. Negative Effects Intentionality: Intentional vs. Unintentional Effects (from consumer and companies perspective) Type (cognitive, belief, attitudinal, physiological, emotional, and behavioral)  TIMING AND VALENCE Immediate vs. Long-Term Effects: Internet/social media addiction can start with immediate gratification from using media but often leads to long-term consequences. Initially, users experience pleasure from activities such as social networking or gaming. Over time, this can evolve into a compulsive need to engage in these activities, resulting in addiction. Positive vs. Negative Effects: While users may initially perceive the immediate pleasure from media use as positive, the long-term impacts can be harmful.These include deteriorating personal relationships, declining job performance, and neglect of daily responsibilities.  INTENTIONALITY Intentional vs. Unintentional Effects: From Users: Many users do not intend to become addicted. They start using media for entertainment or social interaction, unaware of the potential for addiction. From Media Companies: Media companies often design their platforms intentionally to maximize user engagement and repeat use. They incorporate features that stimulate dopamine release, conditioning users for habitual use, which can lead to addiction.  TYPE Cognitive-Type Effect: Users learn new behaviors and information through media use, but in the case of addiction, this learning can become detrimental as it reinforces the addictive behavior. Belief-Type Effect: Prolonged exposure can lead users to believe that the gratification from internet activities is essential, overshadowing other life values. Attitudinal-Type Effect: Users may develop attitudes that prioritize internet/social media activities over real-life interactions and responsibilities. Physiological-Type Effect: The physiological response involves dopamine release, creating a pleasure cycle that users continually seek to repeat. Emotional-Type Effect: Emotional responses to media, such as excitement from a winning bet or joy from social media interactions, contribute to the addictive cycle. Behavioral-Type Effect: Addiction manifests in behavioral changes, such as spending excessive time online, neglecting offline activities, and showing withdrawal symptoms when not using the internet. THE FOUR-DIMENSIONAL ANALYTIC TOOL AND INTERNET ADDICTION: Timing: Initially enjoyable media use can lead to long-term addiction. Valence: Despite initial positive experiences, the long-term effects are negative. Intentionality: Addiction is often unintentional for users but can be a result of intentional design by media companies. Type: Internet addiction affects users cognitively, emotionally, physiologically, attitudinally, and behaviorally, with a complex interplay of these effects reinforcing the addictive behavior. MEDIA LITERACY AND MEDIA EFFECTS  TO ENHANC E YOUR MEDIA LITERACY, START BY THINKING ABOUT THE MEDIA EFFECTS ON PEOPLE AROUND YOU Look for: Immediate Effects: How do people react right after consuming media? Do they exhibit changes in mood or behavior? Long-Term Effects: How has prolonged media exposure shaped their attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors over time? Positive Effects: Identify beneficial outcomes, such as gaining new knowledge or feeling inspired. Negative Effects: Notice any harmful impacts, like increased anxiety or decreased physical activity. Unintentional Effects: Look for unintended consequences of media consumption, such as accidentally adopting certain behaviors or attitudes. Intentional Effects: Observe deliberate outcomes, like using media for educational purposes or social connection.  HOW CAN MEDIA LITERACY HELP PREVENT THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF THE MEDIA EXPERIENCE? Media literacy involves recognizing the complex and multifaceted effects of media on our lives. By understanding the timing, valence, intentionality, and types of media effects, and by making conscious choices about media consumption, we can mitigate negative impacts and enhance the positive influences of media in our lives.  MEDIA EFFEC TS AS A C ANDY Candy as an Analogy for Media Effects Many view media effects like candy: tempting, enjoyable in the moment, but potentially harmful in the long run. Temptation and Immediate Gratification: Media messages, like candy, are often designed to be enticing and instantly gratifying. Regret and Negative Consequences: Post-consumption, there can be feelings of regret and recognition of potential harm, similar to experiencing a sugar rush followed by a crash. Influence on Behavior and Children: There's a concern about media's influence on behavior, particularly among children who might imitate what they see.  WHAT ARE LIMITATIONS OF SUCH AN APPROACH? This, analogy is limited as it emphasizes only the negative and superficial aspects of media consumption. Reinforcement as a Prevalent Effect: Often, media doesn’t just change us but reinforces existing knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes. Recognizing reinforcement helps in understanding the full spectrum of media's influence. Integration of Immediate and Long-Term Effects: a single news article might provide a fact that, over time, needs to combine with other information to shape a broader understanding of an issue.  A BALANCED MEDIA DIET Media, like a diverse cafeteria, offers more than just "candies". To achieve a healthier media diet, it’s important to: Seek Nutritious Content: Actively look for informative, educational, and enriching media content. Exercise Self-Discipline: Develop the ability to choose beneficial media over tempting but less substantial options. STEPS TO ENHANCE MEDIA LITERACY 1.Critical Consumption: Always question the intent and content of media messages. 2.Diverse Sources: Expose yourself to a variety of media to get a well-rounded perspective. 3.Reflect Regularly: Take time to reflect on how media affects your thoughts and behaviors. 4.Engage in Discussions: Talk about media effects with others to gain new insights. 5.Stay Informed: Keep up-to-date with research and trends in media literacy.  FOOD FOR THOUGHTS 1. When you are driving and listening to your car radio, do you switch the channel, looking for something else, even when you are satisfied with the song you are currently hearing—thinking maybe a better song is on another station now? 2. Do you flip through the channels on the television set looking for something better to watch? 3. How would you explain these behaviors?  SOME POTENTIAL EXPLANATIONS Instant Gratification: Modern media consumption often promotes instant gratification. With so many choices at our fingertips, we become accustomed to quickly finding something that meets our desires. This can make us less patient and more prone to switching channels frequently. Fear of Missing Out: The fear of missing out on something better can drive people to keep searching for what might be a more enjoyable song or show. This anxiety can cause people to switch channels or stations frequently, even if they are already content with their current choice. Habitual Behavior: Over time, switching channels or stations can become a habit. Media consumers may do it automatically without consciously thinking about it, driven by the routine of always looking for the best available option. Media Conditioning: Media companies design their content to be engaging but also to encourage switching. For instance, radio stations and TV channels often use teasers, and advertisements strategically to make us feel like there’s always something more interesting elsewhere. Attention Span: With the rise of fast-paced digital media, people's attention spans have shortened. This can lead to a preference for quickly changing content to keep their attention engaged and prevent boredom. How Does the Media Effects Chapter 4, Potter, 2021 Process Work?  FURTHER READINGS Further Reading Courtois, C., Verdegem, P. and De Marez, L. (2013) ‘The triple articulation of media technologies in audiovisual media consumption’, Television & New Media, 14(5): 421–439. Ettema, J.S. and Whitney, D.C. (eds) (1994) Audiencemaking: How the Media Create the Audience. Newbury Park, CA: Sage. Fletcher, R. and Kleis Nielsen, R. (2017) ‘Are news audiences increasingly fragmented? A cross-national comparative analysis of cross-platform news audience fragmentation and duplication’, Journal of Communication, 67: 476–498. Kim, S.J. (2016) ‘A repertoire approach to cross-platform media use behavior’, New Media and Society, 18(3): 353–372. Papacharissi, Z. (2014) Affective Publics: Sentiment, Technology, and Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Quandt, T. and von Pape, T. (2010) ‘Living in the mediatope’, The Information Society, 26(5): 330–345.