PSYCHO SOCIAL IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA

INTRODUCTION TO MASS MEDIA

Mass media refer to channels of communication that involve transmitting information in

some way, shape or form to large numbers of people. A mass medium is generally
classified as one to-many communication, i.e., one person communicates to a large
number of people at the same time in a way that is largely impersonal; i.e., the
communication is one-way in the sense that those communicating a message to an
audience do not receive simultaneous feedback from that audience. A medium is a
channel of communication through which people can send and receive information.
Newspapers, journals, magazines, radio, television, books, etc. are media because a piece
of information is communicated to us. Marshall McLuhan said that media are “extensions
of man” and that media are “amplifiers” (Fiore & McLuhan, 1967, McLuhan, 1969).
Whereas mass means a large number of people. They are the audience who receive
information.

Mass media is the process of designing and delivering cultural messages and stories to
diverse audience through media channels as old as a book and as new as the internet
(Campbell, 1998). According to Wilbur Schramm, “a mass medium is essentially a
working group organized around some device for circulating the same message, at about
the same time, to a large number of people”. Mass media is a term used for dissemination
of information, ideas and entertainment by use of technological media such as radio and
television, cinema, press, and advertising. They continue to coexist with important
traditional media such as folk songs and dance, poetry, puppetry, drama, etc. These all are
referred to as mass media because they communicate to a mass audience comprised of
large number of people. Dutton et al (1998) suggested that, traditionally, the mass media
has been differentiated from other modes and types of communication on the basis of four
essential characteristics:

1. Distance: Communication between those who send and receive messages is

impersonal, lacks immediacy and is one way. For example, when we watch a film, no
matter how emotionally involved we become in the action, we cannot directly affect what
is unfolding on the screen.
2. Technology: Mass media require a vehicle, such as a television receiver, a method of
printing and so forth that allows messages to be sent and received.
3. Scale: One feature of a mass medium involves simultaneous communication with many
people. For example, as we sit in our living rooms watching Chelsea play Manchester
United on television, the same behavior is being reproduced in thousands of other living
rooms, not just across the country but also, in this instance, across the globe.
4. Commodity: An interesting feature of mass media is that they come at a price. For
example, a person can watch football on television, if he can afford a television, a license
fee or a subscription to something like Star Sports if it is on satellite or cable.

Mass media comprise predominantly the print media, primarily daily newspapers, popular
periodicals; radio broadcasting; television; audio-visuals, CD, DVD,; and motion films.
Some recent changes in the mass media include development of interactive or social
media; digitalization of data; satellite communications; online services, chat rooms,
software libraries, electronic bulletin boards, etc.; constant improvement in capabilities of
computers with declining costs; use of fibre optics, to name a few.

TYPES OF MEDIA AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS

Mass media platforms are commonly considered to include radio, newspapers, magazines,
books, video games, and Internet media such as blogs, podcasts, and video sharing.
Following are some of the common and popular media discussed with their
characteristics:

● Print: Print media encompass mass communication through printed material. It

includes newspapers, magazines, house magazines, brochures, booklets,
periodicals, direct mailers, billboards, flyers, posters, books, etc. The main
function of the print media, particularly the daily newspapers, is to inform,
influence, and shape public
opinions on every major issue of public importance. A newspaper carries all kinds
of information related to a variety of topics like politics, current affairs,
entertainment, finance, stocks, etc. Newspapers are an important platform of mass
 communication as they reach every nook and corner of the world where electronic
media fail to reach. Magazines usually cater to a specific type of audience who are
looking for information based on a particular subject. Booklets and brochures are
part of the promotional literature of a product, or an organization. Billboards are
huge advertisements that are put up at a height in strategic locations to draw more
attention. They usually attract the target audience by their bold colors,
attention-grabbing headlines, creativity, designs, special effects, etc. They are a
successful medium of communication as they are good at captivating and retaining
customer’s attention.

Fig: Types of mass media

● Radio: The radio stations broadcast news, round the clock, give periodical
summaries of news, reviews, and analysis and critical comments on current
activities and events, entertainment programs of various interests like music, plays,
serials, programmes of general interest to women, children, farmers, industrialists,
and useful information for children of different age groups, running commentaries
of sports games and events, and many others. Radio is adaptable and personal, and
 potentially as a responsive to prioritisation as recorded music but with greater
variety of content. It is a portable and supplementary medium, and does not
demand as much undivided attention as television or books. Radio is a cost
effective medium. Radio sets are not at all a luxury now unlike old days when
radio sets were not affordable for common people. Advancement of technology
made radio production and transmission less expensive. Radio is a public medium.
It can be accessed by any number of people simultaneously without much
technical paraphernalia. Anyone can listen to radio as it functions as a background
medium. Radio is accessible for the illiterates. Literacy is not a prerequisite for
listening to radio. In developing and underdeveloped countries, it becomes a
popular medium because of these characteristics. Radio is a mobile medium. We
can listen to it while we are moving. It is a background medium. It can be used
while doing other jobs. It is an audio medium and hence it is accessible to the
visually challenged also. It is the fastest medium as it does not require a lot of time
for preparation and transmission of news.
● Television: By definition, television broadcasting is the transmission of visual
images, generally with accompanying sound, in the form of electromagnetic waves
that when received can be reconverted into visual images. On January 23, 1926,
John Logie Baird of Scotland gave the world’s first public demonstration of a
mechanical television apparatus to the members of the Royal Institution at his
laboratory. Television is one of the most popular inventions of the last century. It is
an audio-visual medium. It carries moving pictures and sound. It is a live medium.
With these magical features of television, it enables us to view the events
happening anywhere in the world while sitting in our living rooms. It is a domestic
medium. Most of us watch television in home environment because this medium is
conceived to be so. So, it is called a domestic medium. It is a popular medium.
Literacy is not a barrier in watching television. Any illiterate can get information
and entertainment from television. It is a transitory medium. Television
programmes are to be watched while they are telecast. It does not have archival
facility. So, it is a transitory medium. It is expensive. It is costlier than a radio set.
Setting up a television station requires lots of money and so do transmission
facilities and programme production. Television messages are transmitted through
 air waves. With its audio-visual capacity, it is more apt for providing documentary
information.
● Internet/social media: This is the most important device of the new age media. The
discovery of the Internet can be called the biggest invention in mass media. In
earlier days, news used to reach people only with the morning newspaper. But
today, live updates reach us simultaneously as the events unfold. The Internet has
become one of the core means of mass communication. Electronic mails have
drastically reduced the time it took for drafting and sending letters. The Internet
has a plethora of websites dedicated to various people, companies, brands,
activities, etc. Social network media such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube,
Instagram, Telegram, Tumblr, etc. allow various forms of communication
depending on how the individual decides or chooses to communicate. Kaplan and
Haenlein define social media as “a group of Internet-based applications that build
on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, and that allow the
creation and exchange of user-generated content”. Social media is different from
traditional media in many aspects such as quality reach, frequency, usability,
immediacy, and permanence.

AUDIO-VISUAL MEDIA
It is a medium involving the sense of hearing and sight in one process. According to Djamarah
(2010), audio-visual media is the medium having the elements of sound and images. This
medium has a better ability than others, because it covers both media namely audio media and
visual media. Raharja (2000) suggests that audio-visual media are modern instructional mediums
that fits with the era of development. Audio-visual media are a great tool in educational settings.
There are some features which can be used to ascertain the extent to which audio-visual media
are of great value in learning. These features include relevancy, accuracy, interest,
comprehensibility, motivation, and realism. Audio-visual communication is a productive form of
communication. Using sound and visual equipments improves communication by heightening
the awareness of people’s sight and hearing.
TYPES OF AUDIO-VISUAL MEDIA

Audio-visual media can be classified into three categories: audio media, visual media, and
audio-visual media.

● Audio aids: These are the aids that can be heard but not seen. Examples of audio aids
include radio, headphones, microphones, tape-recorder, gramophone, linguaphone, audio
cassette player, amplifiers, etc.
● Visual aids: These are the aids which can be seen but not heard. Visual media help
readers clarify and comprehend information because they are able to develop their own
perception of the content and avoid misinterpretation. Examples are charts, black and
white boards, maps, models, graphics, pictures, textbooks, slide projector, flashcards,
print materials, etc.
● Audio-visual aids: These are the aids which involve the sense of vision as well as
hearing. Examples of audio-visual aids include television, computer, film projector, VCD
player, videos, etc.

IMPACT OF AUDIO-VISUAL MEDIA

Advances in television broadcasting have created changes in the sleep habits, meal arrangements,
leisure time pursuits, and conversation patterns of millions of families (Andreasen, 2000). The
major impact of using audio-visual media, such as television and movies, is on children and their
development.
● Effects on other activities and relationships: If children are spending a lot of time in
front of the television set, VCR, or DVD player, activities that they might otherwise be
engaged in, such as reading, pursuing hobbies, or playing games or sports, and family or
peer interactions likely are being neglected. The primary danger of the television screen
lies not so much in the behavior it produces as in the behavior it prevents: the talks, the
games, the family festivities and arguments through which much of the child’s learning
takes place and through which his character is formed (Bronfenbrenner, 1970). Time
spent watching TV affects family interactions- the development of relationships, the
process of communication, and the resolution of problems.

● Effects on the liability to distinguish between reality and fantasy: Preschool children
have difficulty conceptualizing the distinction between a pictorial representation and an
actual one. For them, reality and fantasy tend to be interchangeable. They usually cannot
distinguish the commercial from the program. At this stage of cognitive development,
they are unable to understand that advertisements are intended to sell products rather than
entertain them. The more limited their life experiences or economic circumstances, the
more likely they are to believe what they see on such media. Although some people
believe that fantasy on television can lead to imaginative and creative expression, it also
permits children (especially troubled ones) to retreat from real-life situations and can
encourage them to seek immediate gratification of their impulses or instant solutions to
problems (Comstock & Paik, 1991).

● Effects on the prevalence of stereotypes: Gender stereotypes are common in depictions

of behavior, relationships, and occupational roles (Comstock & Paik, 1991). Males
outnumber females on children’s TV, and they dominate in action roles, wielding
authority, displaying bravado, or demonstrating competence or expertise. Females
dominate in nurturing roles and dependent behavior. Children who have stereotyped
beliefs are likely to be attracted to stereotyped shows. These stereotypes lead children to
assume that the real-world mirrors that of TV unless they have actual experiences to alter
this perception (Dorr & Rabin, 1995).

● Effects on the prevalence of violence: According to the Center for Media and Public
Affairs (CMPA) (1999), TV viewers and moviegoers see scenes of serious violence
 (physical force) every 4 minutes (CMPA, 1999). Children who watch a great deal of
televised violence clearly are more prone to behaving aggressively than children who do
not watch TV violence (Geen, 1994; Perse, 2001). The NTVS (Mediascope, 1996)
demonstrated that the context in which most violence is presented on TV poses certain
risks for viewers: (1) learning to behave violently, (2) becoming more desensitized to
violence, and (3) becoming more fearful of being attacked. Characteristics of children
such as age, real-life experiences, temperament, and cognitive developmental level
influence the impact of viewing violence.

1. FANTASY V/S REALITY

First Advertisement- Colgate

Purpose: To understand the issue of fantasy-reality through analysis of two advertisements.

Procedure: The facilitator showed us two advertisements. Through personal analysis, a group
discussion was conducted wherein everyone gave insights related to the two advertisements.

Description:

The first advertisement depicts the Colgate brand. It shows Colgate Strong Teeth toothpaste keeps
teeth healthy and that in turn helps to chew the food properly. This results in getting the right nutrition
from the food and which gives the strength to move the tree.

The second advertisement depicts the mountain dew brand. The film captures both the dilemma & the
determination of Hrithik Roshan. It opens with Hrithik pulling up his bike near a group of
professional racers. The group makes fun of the Dew hero because they believe that his bike will not
be able to compete with the high-end ones they are riding. The race comes to an unexpected halt due
to a landslide and the riders are faced with the choice of either succumbing to fear & turning back or
overcoming fear & moving ahead. Despite discouragement from the other riders, Hrithik Roshan
chooses to overcome his fears and take the challenge head-on. A resolute look crosses his face as he
takes a sip of Mountain Dew, rides his bike over a mountain chasm to ultimately emerge as a winner.

Analysis:

The first advertisement shows the Colgate brand. Colgate Strong Teeth Advertisement shows two
boys shaking a tree. Their badminton cock is stuck in between the branches at the top. The boys are
unable to shake the tree. When they step aside, their friend, a girl, shakes the tree single handed and
the cock drops on the head of one of the boys. The boys ask her about her feat. She replies that she
uses Colgate Strong Teeth toothpaste, which keeps her teeth healthy and that in turn helps her chew
her food properly. This results in her getting the right nutrition from her food and that gives her the
strength to move the tree. Bright colors and catchy taglines are used to attract the attention of viewers
and to keep them engaged for the duration of the advertisement.

Colgate is reported to be one of India’s most trusted oral care brands. Colgate offers quality oral care
products, including toothpastes, toothbrushes and mouthwashes as well as expert dental health
information. The toothpaste that is depicted in this advertisement is claimed to be 100% vegan, sugar
free and gluten free.

The campaign uses the tagline, "I'm strong because my teeth are strong". It has shown that Colgate
strong teeth with its unique Amino shakti formula strengthens teeth from within. This formula helps
add more natural calcium to teeth and makes them 2X stronger. Stronger teeth aid in better chewing
which enables better absorption of nutrients. So stronger teeth means stronger you.

Although the advertisement is correct in showing how properly chewing the food results in better
absorption of food and helps in proper development of the body, the advertisement is exaggerating
some aspects as well. The advertisement is obviously not very scientific in all domains because the
two boys are standing on opposite sides of the tree pushing it together, and Newton's Third Law of
Motion says that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. The two boys are pushing or forcing
the tree to move at the same time from opposite sides. The forces will cancel each other. And when
the girl pushes the tree alone, it moves on whichever side she pushes and the cock drops down. The
fantasy part of this advertisement is that the brand is claiming that strong teeth leads to strong
physical health, but it is neglecting all other factors such as balanced diet, sleeping patter, level of
excercise, etc. Also the background of this advertisement is of a playground, but there are only three
children present there and no one else, moreover, even though they were playing bedminton, there
was no bedminton racket present. Apart from this, when the girl pushed the tree, the branches started
moving unrealistically in proportion to the strength used by her and without any wind pressure.

Relevant Studies-

Bhatnagar (2011) in his research Brand choice and Brand Loyalty of Rural Consumers- A study with
special reference to branded kinds of toothpaste analyses the factors influencing the brand choice,
ascertains the factors affecting the purchasing and studies the brand loyalty of toothpaste consumers
by using a descriptive research design. The findings suggested that most of the respondents (villagers)
were using branded toothpaste and they opted Colgate toothpaste as a brand, respondents received
information by television followed by radio, for brand selection. They are aware of their teeth' health;
brand lovalty dominates them to purchase branded toothpaste and they were verv loval and
unswerving to their branded toothpaste. The study revealed that the brand certainly influences the
consumer irrespective of gender, age, income and other factors.

Priyadarshini et al. (2018) mentioned in her research the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that influence
consumer attitude towards Colgate toothpaste concerning Coimbatore district.

Second Advertisement- Mountain Dew

The second advertisement portrays Mountain dew. Mountain Dew has always saluted the spirit of risk
taking and pushing boundaries to achieve success beyond fear & self-doubt. Continuing its efforts to
inspire the youth of India to overcome their fears through gripping films.

The campaign reiterates the brand “Darr Ke Aage Jeet Hai” philosophy in a new way, and features
Bollywood superstar and Mountain Dew brand ambassador Hrithik Roshan.Darr Haisiyat Nahi,
Himmat Dekhta Hai is the powerful theme behind the new TVC, which encourages today youth to
break free from social pressures and overcome their fears to achieve extraordinary success. With this
new campaign, Dew continues with its Darr ke Aage Jeet hain philosophy, building the context of the
Young Striver India, who dreams and dares to win.“Fear is common to everyone. Each and every one
of us have had that moment in our lives when we knew we had to let go of our doubts and just plunge
headfirst into it. . Indeed, Darr se mat Daro, Darr Ke Aage Jeet Hai. You just have to go ahead and
challenge what terrorizes you the most. Only when you rise above your fear, can you look down upon
it.

The film highlights Mountain Dew's belief that one's self-worth is only determined by the strength
and courage they display, and not the material possessions they own. The film captures both the
dilemma & the determination of Hrithik Roshan. It opens with Hrithik pulling up his bike near a
group of professional racers. The group makes fun of the Dew hero because they believe that his bike
will not be able to compete with the high-end ones they are riding. The race comes to an unexpected
halt due to a landslide and the riders are faced with the choice of either succumbing to fear & turning
back or overcoming fear & moving ahead. Despite discouragement from the other riders, Hrithik
Roshan chooses to overcome his fears and take the challenge head-on. A resolute look crosses his
face as he takes a sip of Mountain Dew, rides his bike over a mountain chasm to ultimately emerge as
a winner.Hrithik takes a ‘himmat ka ghoonth’ (sip of Mountain Dew), a resolute look crosses his face
as he plunges off from the edge of Burj Khalifa on his bike defying all odds.

The philosophy of “Daar se daaroge toh kuch bardha kaise karoge” is the core of the narrative of this
creative. The story of an action hero shooting an action sequence on a film set overcoming his fears to
win is a powerful message; one we are sure will both be enjoyable and find empathy with our
viewers”. The placement of the heroes of this ad is very apt. They have taken 2 men who are famous
and are considered fir and attractive. This advertisement is abt a drink which targets the youth.

There were a lot of elements which made the advertisement look more fantastical rather than
realistic.To attract the youth of the country, which is the target audience of the campaign, an
appropriate model was chosen. The modal was quite afraid in the beginning and when he took a sip of
dew, he gathered courage to perform the stunt. Also facial expressions before and after drinking
mountain dew, The background music and slow visual effects (when he jumped) was very catchy and
breathtaking. While shooting the advertisement, directors also considered the colour scheme, as it
can be viewed in the advertisement, the color of the bike and the colour of the jacket were green ,
matching the colour of the drink. When the landslide is happening then only they are doing a stunt
which shows daring actions. When the modal drinks mountain dew, all the other models vanish in the
background.
The main hero was challenging the other two people to perform the stunt even in the hard times which
shows courage. When the landslide took place, Hero was also afraid in the beginning but as soon as
he drank mountain dew, he gathered strength to perform the stunt and win the task which was very
fantastical because a drink alone can’t make a person do such a difficult stunt. Considering the place
that was chosen to shoot the advertisement, the director only choosed mountains to reflect the tough
environment. To make the advertisement more fantastical, they choose mountains rather than
choosing a normal place which every individual faces in their day to day life. When the action hero
drinks mountain dew, slow visual effects are shown. When he takes a jump from the mountain, all the
cameras start focusing on him only and other stuntmen disappear. “Haisiyat nhi, himmat dekhi jati
hai” which is the tagline of the advertisement, is also portrayed. For example, in the beginning, other
two stuntmen were making fun of the hero because he didn't have a stunt bike and proper equipment
to perform the task but the hero ignored and took the challenge and finished the task and won it in the
end.

Relevant Studies :

A study conducted by Rhonda P.Ross , ToniCampbell in 1984 and the aim of the practical was
When celebrities talk, children listen: An experimental analysis of children's responses to TV ads with
celebrity endorsement. Two studies tested the effects of TV ads with celebrity endorsement on the
product preference and understanding of 8- to 14-year-old boys. Study 1 compared two ads for a
model racer. One had celebrity endorsement (by a famous race driver) and footage of real automobile
racing featuring the celebrity (live action); the second had neither feature. Study 2 employed one ad
for a different brand of model racer edited to generate a 2 (endorser presence) by 2 (inclusion of live
racetrack action) factorial design. A total of 415 boys were exposed to one of the experimental ads or
a control ad, embedded in a new animated children's adventure program. Preference for the advertised
brand of model racer (pre- and postviewing) and a number of cognitive variables were assessed.
Exposure to endorsement led to increased preference for the toy and belief that the celebrity was
expert about the toy. Live action led to exaggerated estimates of the physical properties of the toy and
the belief that the ad was not staged. The 8- to 10-year-olds associated the glamour of the endorser
with the toy and were more reliant on his advice than were 11- to 14-year-olds. However, the two age
groups were not differentially affected by the ads. Contrary to the speculation of many researchers,
understanding about advertising intent and techniques and cynicism about ads had almost no
influence on product preference after viewing,

Marketers have also released successful campaigns by breaking down their brand's meaning and
providing a relevant and coveted product for avatars. For example, Nike created a special shoe for
avatars in There.com that allowed users to run faster than other avatars. Pepsi translates its product
into MTV virtual worlds as a musical animation that appears when avatars open a Pepsi, thus
translating a product not very useful to avatars--a soft drink--into a unique brand experience
(Devaney 2007) while still keeping with the youthful brand image Pepsi has always projected.

2. STEREOTYPING

Advertisement : PREGA NEWS

Purpose: To identify the different stereotypes portrayed on media and its effects on media
consumers.

Procedure: An advertisement of a pregnancy detection brand called Prega News was shown to
the students by the facilitator. It was followed by a group discussion about the various ways in
which gender stereotypes were forced as well as broken in the advertisement and how they affect
the media consumers.

Description: Prega News, Mankind Pharma’s pregnancy detection brand on the occasion of
International Women’s Day has launched a new campaign, #SheCanCarryBoth to celebrate the
boundless spirit of womanhood. The advertisement features a young model contemplating what
pregnancy could mean for her career while three other women – all working mothers – talk about
motherhood. One of them talks about how one loses out on life while catering to household
needs along with work. While the lady is frowned upon, a cleaning lady beams in the sacrificial
joy. A saree-clad SSP then acknowledges the challenges and disregards them, claiming that it's
all a matter of “perspective”.

Analysis: The Cambridge dictionary defines stereotyping as having a "set idea about what a
particular type of person is like." The idea may be positive or negative. It may be based on race,
religion, region, gender, or skin colour. The advertisement chosen for the analysis depicts the
societal misconception and stereotype among people that being a working woman brings
limitations to the various aspects of life. The common notion that for a woman to stay focused
and be competitive on the career front comes at the cost of neglecting the various joys of
womanhood.

The video film exquisitely captures the insecurities of women with the portrayal of three starkly
different personalities. One has happily entered the phase of mother-hood, the other is highly
skeptical about the career options as a model post her pregnancy, while there is another
ambitious lady disoriented from the concept of motherhood to fly high in her career.

The campaign #SheCanCarryBoth talks about the boundless spirit of womanhood. The
advertisement has tried to capture the true spirit of women who can do multiple roles without
experiencing the smallest pinch of qualm. The campaign has tried to break the stereotypes which
consider that a mother cannot be an ambitious woman, and cannot excel at her professional front.
It encourages women to not be afraid of entering into pregnancy and welcome the new cycle of
life with cheers and anticipation of a brighter future ahead.

Such media advertisements help the society address as well as challenge the stereotypical notions
that are prevalent in Indian society. At the same time, it helps its target women consumers to
break such stereotypical inhibitions arising in their minds and drives away their doubts that
having a child would bring a stop to their careers. It would help harbor a sense of inclusivity that
motivates the women to celebrate their various phases of womanhood, while not compromising
on their dreams and ambitions.

Relevant Studies-

Study done by maurice patterson, Efforts to tackle the issue of how women are repre-sented in
advertising in Ireland are embedded in theNational Women’s Strategy –, are sup-ported by the
National Women’s Council, and arebeing advanced through the office of The EqualityAuthority.
Although the IAPI and ASAI may dismissthese activities as unnecessary, such efforts are
clearlypart of a wider global movement to ensure equalityfor women (see for example, the UN
Commissionon the Status of Women at www.un.org/women-watch/daw/csw/index.html). As
such, the ASAI andthe IAPI must not dismiss the recent initiative by theEquality Authority to
consider representations ofwomen in advertising, but must actively engage withdiscussions
surrounding how women are representedin advertising in Ireland and the implications of
suchrepresentations.
 3. VIOLENCE

Marvel Comics

Purpose
To identify representative of violence through media and it’s effects on the people

Description
The media chosen is print media to understand the impact violence on the population. These are
cover of comic books of the most read series American comic book Marvel comics written by
Stan Lee . These comic explains the strange of super heros who fight to save the world from
enemies outside our world.

Analysis
The violence depicted in Marvel Comics is extremely brutal and it glorifies anti-heros like spider
man, ironman, moon-knight, loki and many others.
In a genre half made of universe exploding protagonist, there is not a single character in Marvel
who has not at least thrown a punch. The violence depicted in Marvel comics has a great impact
on children as they glorify Anti- heros and tend to be like them and learn to speak or behave in
the same manner as done by the characters
We can see in Marvel Comics that ‘’ the good guy’’ I performing more violence than the villain.
As we can see in the Iron man comic that he is shown as a heroic figure but in reality he is the
one who use to sell bombs for war.Also in Hulk he is shown hurting people without any reason
and this is represented as something funny.
Sibling rivalry in Thor comics are shown really intense as Hela, the goddess of death, wants to
kill her brother to be the ruler of Asgard . Children and adolescents see the superheroes as ‘good
guys,’ and may be influenced by their portrayal of risk-taking behaviors and acts of
violence.Apart from this the use of abusing language and drinking habits are shown as too casual
which may impact people to Imitate their heros and then to fall into bad habits. The amount of
brutal violence shown in the Comics then to justify that aggression and harming other is right.
Children and adolescents both love to read Marvel Comics but one should not learn from the
unrealistic things.
Almost every child may have a superhero they look up to, whose action figure they proudly
show off. But children may not know where to draw the line between fiction and reality and start
trying some of the hero moves in real life.Children who are enamored by superheroes might try
to emulate them and start pulling risky stunts. Risky actions, such as jumping from a height,
climbing, or playing with sharp tools, might cause serious injuries. Superhero movies tend to
show a lot of violence. Children have impressionable minds and quickly pick up what they see
on screen. So, they might start believing that being violent is the correct approach to achieve
your targets. Seeing their favorite superhero fighting might cause them to exhibit violence.

Purpose: To investigate the different forms of violence exhibited on media and its impact on the
viewers.
Description: The media chosen for analysis is print media. It is a comic book titled ‘Dragon Ball
Z’. The comic follows the exploits of Goku, who was loosely based off the Monkey King of
Chinese mythology, an alien raised on Earth who was trained to be a great fighter.

Analysis:
The violence exhibited through the comic book titled, ‘Dragon Ball Z’ is brutal, it showcases the
nihilistic death drive of the villains, and the rigorous physicality of the conflict. The characters
are often involved in gross violence such as brutal, hand-to-hand combat with each punch, kick,
and ki-focused fireball creating a trail of blood and bruises. Not only this the characters got
stronger by getting angrier, instead of working out or training.

The comic has gone to such deeper lengths to showcase violence, for instance, in one scene
Babidi was beheaded by Buu, resulting in a spurt of blood. Not only fighting among human
beings but animal violence has also been a part of this comic, a gunman murders Buu’s animal.
In another scene, during the battle between Frieza and Vegeta on Namek, the Saiyan is knocked
into a lake. When he emerges from the water, a crab is clinging to Vegeta's back, and Frieza
originally ate the creature in a shocking moment.

Apart from adults, children through characters such as Gohan have also been portrayed depicting
huge amounts of violence. Alochol and cigarrate’s excessive usage has been a part of the comic.
The extent to which violence has been showcased in this comic seems to justify the usage of
aggression and violence. As much of the portayal is depicted by children of young age, it
increases the chance of imitation of violent acts by children. Due to an unclear sense of
demarcation between right and wrong, children seem to believe that the kind of violence
depicted is acceptable and hence they incorporate it into their day-to-day life.

Relevant Study
There have been numerous studies of comic books (Lavin (1998), LoCicero (2008), Magnussen
(2000)), though none have taken the route that I took during the course of my thesis. There have
been numerous character studies done on superheroes, like Anthony
Kolenic’s Madness in the Making, a study of The Joker and Batman from the film, The Dark
Knight. That project compared the Joker’s complete unpredictability and mad- ness to the
persona created by Seung-Hui Cho, the student who opened fire at Virginia Tech in 2007, killing
32 people and wound- ing 17 others, eventually taking his own life as well (Kolenic 2009). The
basic design of Madness is of similar design to my own project in that attributes of a fictional
char- acter can be observed in real-world situa- tions. Kolenic was able to demonstrate that the
shooter, though seemingly unpredictable like the Joker, was given by the media an
easily-understood persona for the benefit of the viewing audience. The audience needed to
understand the shooter as a person with a mental condition, having a cause for what he did; the
Joker in The Dark Knight was made more villainous because there was no verifi- able cause for
the violent acts he committed.

4. SOCIALISATION

Purpose: To explore how the media functions as a Cultural Socialization agent.

Procedure: A cultural value, attitude, belief or practice was selected that characterized a social
group, nationality, organization, etc., shown in the chosen media of interest for further analysis.

Description: The celebration of Diwali festival in Indian culture was selected which is shown in
audio- visual media (advertisements and movie), and print media (newspapers). This festival
depicts the feeling of love, gratitude, harmony and brotherhood. People like a family celebrate
diwali.

Analysis
The central theme selected is the practice of Diwali celebration in Indian culture. For its analysis
two forms of audio-visual media were used, i.e., advertisements and movies. One of the forms of
print media was also chosen, i.e., newspapers.

Advertisements and movies portray the practice of Diwali celebration on a large scale. The
advertisement of HP is one such example of how advertisements leave an impact on a large
scale audience with the motive of giving a special message and making people come together to
make this festival the best for all.

The HP, India campaign offers a message of hope to businesses that have had a tough time over
the last couple of years and touches on the essence of the festival: happiness, prosperity, mutual
support and encouragement. Their Diwali ad and the video perfectly captures the true spirit of
the festival. The advertisement talks about the power of communication backed by technology.
The share is absolutely heartwarming to watch.

HP India wants to highlight how the true celebration of the festival of lights is in supporting
those around you. The campaign is titled ‘Diye Se Diya Jalao’ and is made by Simple Creative.
This film follows a narrative of an elderly shopkeeper and his younger peers in the market. The
selfless and unmeasured giving of his peers, enabled by technology products such as a laptop and
printer, spread the light of Diwali, bringing joy.

The brand is constantly working towards helping businesses successfully run their ventures and
help educate and empower the communities by leveraging technology and digital adoption. With
the digital video, HP aims to strike an emotional chord with the audience and efforts to bring joy
to communities at large.
The ad is a clear description of how Diwali brings the togetherness, love, care and emotional
bond in the people. Patel uncle, whose shop was put down due to the revamping of the old
building had no other option but to shift to a new, isolated place. But all the fellow shopkeepers
with a collective effort decided to come together and help the juice shop and increase the sales so
that he can also celebrate this Diwali with full celebration. With the help of an HP printer, one of
the shopkeepers printed numerous pamphlets of the same and pasted them everywhere. Also,
every shopkeeper who was helping him, gave free juice to the customers of their shops just to
help Patel uncle to gain some money. They paid the money and ordered juice for every customer.
The tagline “ DIYA SE DIYA JALAO” clearly explains how every individual holds the power to
enlighten the lives of others with their own light.
The next advertisement on Diwali is Amazon’s #DeliverTheLove. Although many are gearing up
to celebrate one of India’s biggest festivals, it’s hard to forget the difficult days of the second
Covid-19 wave. Now, in an advertisement, Amazon India has expressed gratitude towards
strangers who offered help during desperate times. The act of remembering unsung Covid heroes
during the festival has struck a chord with many online.

In the now-viral ad, a mother can be seen driving her son to meet their ‘special family’ to greet
them on Diwali. The son is clueless why his mom wants to personally deliver the gift to them
and who they are. They then arrive at an unknown residence and ring the bell and wait outside.
Meanwhile, the mother tells his son how he was in desperate need of a hospital bed when he got
sick in April and this family helped them arrange it for them. The door is then opened by an
elderly Sikh and the boy wishes him a happy Diwali. The son is shown in a heart-wrenching
scene with his pandemic hero. The film ends with a tune with the lyrics: "There are special
threads that bind us together, Special threads that connect our hearts."
This Diwali, Amazon India encourages everyone to #DeliverTheLove by expressing their
gratitude to the people who helped them get through these challenging times. The people
appreciate Amazon India for its efforts to shine a light on the people who were a hero for
someone during the pandemic and urging everyone to make the festival of light special for them
by hand delivering the gifts.

The concept demonstrates how certain connections go beyond typical relationship categories,
making them really unique to us. The tale emphasises how many connections are linked by
special threads that connect our hearts. At a time when so many things around us are unclear, it is
critical to value these ties on this very special occasion of Diwali and express our affection for
the particular individuals in our lives. The initiative embodies the soul of these relationships and
brings out the emotions attached to them.
The practice of celebrating diwali can be accurately seen in one of the television shows of hindi
cinema, “yeh rishta kya kehlata hai” this practice is accurately shown in the show every year. All
people get dressed up for the celebration in their traditional attire. All the stuff related to tradition
is prepared beforehand. They make rangolis, decorate their houses with lights and diyas. They all
participate in the pooja together. This is how the cultural practice of diwali is portrayed in the
show.
Bollywood movies also portray the practice of celebrating Diwali. One of the movies could be
“Hum Aapke Hain Koun” . This movie beautifully depicts the Diwali scene, in which a female
character gives birth to a little boy during the festival season. The whole family celebrates Diwali
on the occasion of his arrival which is memorable. Another movie is “ Kabhi Khushi Kabhi
Gham” which beautifully depicts this cultural practice, in which the mother senses his son's
arrival without being aware of it. The other one is “Mohabbatein” . This iconic movie had a
Diwali song in it ‘Pairon mein Bandhan Hai’. There are many other films such as “Vaastav”
which talks about the importance of family. During the festival of Diwali the hero of the film
comes out of his hide-out to meet his family.
Newspapers, a form of print media, are an important source of information. They portray the
celebration of Diwali through pictures, posters, advertisements in columns. The Hindustan Times
and the times of India are the two newspapers which depict different advertisements on Diwali
offers. One such ad is of whirlpool golden Diwali offer, in which you’ll get a gold coin of 0.5
gram if you buy a whirlpool cooking appliance. In this a family is shown, all decked up and
celebrating Diwali, the background is full of lights and candles, children are happy, firing
crackers and eating sweets. Ambience mall celebrates Diwali advertisement is among one of the
advertisements which was published in the newspaper. In this an advertisement tag-line was used
(Har Hour Uphaar), to attract the customers during Diwali season. In this different offers were
given such as – a minute to win it, where you can shop for five thousand rupees and then
participate in their one minute Diwali games to win amazing prizes, another one was- festive
treasure hunt, in which the winners of minute to win it game gets to participate in a grand
treasure hunt and to win mega prizes up to 15,000. The advertisement poster was made very
beautifully, with different Rangolis in the background, colorful lights and candles. The tradition
is beautifully portrayed with different Diwali offers in the newspapers making the celebration
more enjoyable.
Relevant Study
A study by Browne and Hamilton-Giachritsis (2015), noted that exposure to violence stimulated
the same in children leading to other phenomena, including desensitization of children. The
audience produces a habituation to violence, with the installation of a passivity and apathy in the
face of violent acts. Some children and adolescents are more vulnerable and susceptible than
others (Browne and Hamilton-Giachritsis, 2015). Von-Felitzen and Carlson (2009) suggested that
every person may be negatively influenced by media violence but the effects are different
depending on the equipment, subject and according to the child’s physical and social
environment. Gender analysis on the effect of mass media indicated that men were more
desensitized than women after exposure to violence. Temperament is also a factor of
vulnerability, and it was noted that men with high aggression were more vulnerable compared
with less aggressive men.
The American Academy of Paediatrics (2011) denounced exposure to violence in the media,
including television, film, games video and music as a significant risk factor for the health of
children and adolescents. Violence experienced through the media contributes to aggressive
behavior, desensitization acts of violence, nightmares and fear of being assaulted. The attention
of pediatricians was drawn to the fact that the practice of violent games increased from 13% to
22% of violent behavior among children. In these games, the player is the aggressor and he is
rewarded if his behavior succeeds. This phenomenon of reward then leads to the repetitive
exhibition of the behaviour leading to normalisation of behaviour. The study by American
Academy of Paediatrics (2011) showed that majority of programmes transmitted by the media
passively or interactively were violent, and this stimulated violence and aggression among media
consumers. The study showed that children and adolescents were very vulnerable, and the media
targeted them in their programmes. Therefore, the adolescents were continuously exposed to
unlimited images of violence and this increased aggression rates among adolescents.
Huimin (2015) observed that childhood is the basic socialisation stage of individual development
which plays a foundation for the entire socialisation process. During childhood, an individual
gradually forms an independent world outlook; on life, values, constructs a personal behavioural
norm and evaluation system. The individual also adapts to the self and surrounding role clusters
and initially cultivates his own sociality. Among the many factors affecting the socialisation of
individuals, mass media has become an important external force that affects the development of
people, especially children. The media tools and the media communication content constitute the
dual factors that media influence children’s socialisation.

Reflections

Overall, the exercises were interesting to do which helped me in analysing how socialization,
violence, stereotypes, and fantasy vs reality are portrayed in various media forms. The exercises
gave me the opportunity to express my views and opinions besides understanding the perspective
of others. All the group discussions conducted were very insightful and rich with different
perspectives which added to my knowledge. These discussions and exercises made me realize
that what we see on media can have a powerful impact on the beliefs and attitudes of people. It is
very important to accurately and sensitively portray things on the media.

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