Is Media an AGENT for SOCIAL CHANGE?

Minahil Nadeem

3 years ago

Introduction to Media

Media has pervaded almost every aspect of our lives. Now, we consider it as an indispensable characteristic of society. Broadly described as a means of communication and entertainment to a large audience, media performs numerous roles and functions which affect society directly. Therefore, the media has a significant impact on the way society is set up and organized. Furthermore, media can bring about changes in society—for better and for worse.

Brief Outline

First, we will discuss what it means to be an agent of social change. Then, we will debate whether the media does a good job endorsing social awareness and change. Later, we will discuss the scope and limitations of media as a change-inducing/stimulating agent. Finally, we will capitulate the ways media has been used to trigger alterations and modifications in society and what other approaches the can media adopt to achieve their agenda.

Agent of social change

To be an agent of social change means to influence the attitudes, values, morals, and perspectives of the audience in a different light (mostly in a positive light) to enhance relationships and the welfare of humanity (especially within the community and society). This is one of the best job descriptions of media. Media has immense potential to fulfill this criterion via encouraging and motivating the spectators and advocating for rights and new principles. The way media presents something is almost always interpreted in the same regard by the watchers. Therefore, the media plays a significant role in shaping the minds and attitudes of its patrons. Consequently, media is the most effective agent for social change.

Is Media doing a good job?

The question arises: Is media doing a good job of bringing about social changes that benefit the people and increase their satisfaction, content, and health? You’ve probably heard the statement: media is a double-edged sword. This sentence reveals the duality of the nature of the media. It can be employed for good and wholesome purposes as well as to manipulate others and gain personal advantages. Let us first discuss the way media has been used to create positive social changes and then we will move onwards with the darker side of media.

Media has stimulated and brought about a plethora of social changes. The first one is disseminating education to the masses, often free of charge. This is evident from websites such as Khan Academy, Course Hero, Spark Notes, Lit Charts, Owl Cation, and many others. These websites offer free information to students from different disciplines. They can increase their knowledge and help them study for exams, quizzes, and general knowledge. YouTube is also an education platform (if used the right way). It has a multitude of videos offering explanations of concepts and spreading free information and knowledge to anyone with access to the internet. Currently, I have subscribed to many channels such as Crash Course, Psych2Go, Ted-Ed talks, Course Hero, etc. These offer multiple interpretations and perspectives on topics which helps me to broaden my thinking and enlighten me to think in unconventional ways.
Another social change instigated by media is spreading the news. Media uses its outlets such as magazines, newspapers, television, and radio to convey important headlines and updates on local and international events.

These events are followed and updated hourly and/or daily. Therefore, watchers are up-to-date about happenings occurring around them. I’ll give a personal example. Before, I was not interested in watching the news or reading the newspaper that came to my house every day. I tried it out one day for a school assignment and afterward, it became a habit. I liked to see which outlet had the same opinion as me on the topics or events occurring at the time. I also watched the news to see what other people thought on the topic and again it helped me to think outside the box. I have noticed a drastic change in the way I talk to people and I have learned to respect other’s opinions even if they counter my own.

Social Awareness

Similarly, media has promoted social awareness to a large extent. Generally speaking, social awareness refers to the fact that individuals in society understand their expectations and roles that are associated with their identity (whether it’s gender identity, economic identity, or political identity). Media provides multiple ways to show people what to do in a certain situation. For example, many advertisements come on TV that promotes gender roles and stereotypes. We see little boys playing outside, in the mud or sand. They are getting dirty but are happy and continue playing. Little girls stay inside the home and play with their Barbie dolls or pretend to make food for their pretend customers. This is just one example of social awareness.

However, these days, due to gender-fluidity slogans and advocating for equal rights, these kinds of ads are no longer shown excessively. New ads in which both girls and boys play together in the rain or outside on the playground are being projected to the audience. This brings changes and liberal thinking to gender roles and therefore reform society.

Another way media has promoted social awareness is by giving awareness about sexual harassment. The best example is the #MeToo movement which spread like a wildfire, gaining over a million responses within the short span of two days. For the first time, women felt as if they had a voice and could share their story about being molested or humiliated when officials and family members would not listen. This also helped to reform society.

However, there are two sides to the same coin. Media can also be manipulated for personal gains and propaganda. The first strategy that media adopts frequently is using its influence to defame people and institutions. Political leaders, celebrities, and individuals with influence are sometimes degraded in the eyes of the public via media. Media projects their bad decisions and immoral actions to the spectators and portrays them in a negative light. The primary purpose of this is to humiliate and limit the number of supporters the person has. Therefore, they are indirectly damaging a person’s reputation and life.

The best example could be before the 2016 American elections took place, the media portrayed Hilary Clinton in a negative light. She was shown to be a pro-choice supporter, had clashes with Muslim masses in America, and was corrupt in many ways. On the other hand, Donald Trump has the support of the media and they showed his greatness and the good things he had done before the campaign. Although both parties had darks pasts to their names, Donald Trump was slightly less criticized than Hilary was. Consequently, Donald won the elections while Hilary had to step down. This shows how media can be utilized to change people’s opinions and decisions as well as to defame a person.

Media is also called a distraction. There are many reasons for this. It can make the audience divert their attention from one topic to another by continuously projecting the second topic to the spectators. This works quite well in North Korea. Citizens are made to ignore the limitations of their free-will and opportunities by focusing on negative propaganda and other useless things. They have no entertainment channels on their T.V. and are not able to buy cosmetics from their own country. Citizens do not realize the plight they are in because the government does not show them international news. Therefore, they have no idea of knowing what is going on in other parts of the world. Perhaps, they believe that everyone is living in the same way as them and that is why they don’t rebel or say anything against the government.

Ups and Downs of Media

To make lemonade you need water and lemons. Similarly, media has benefits and drawbacks. It is the job of the public to think critically when viewing the representation projected by the media. We must not be swayed entirely by their view or perspective but should follow our own. The audience must inculcate critical and liberal thinking while viewing anything via media.

Now, you might be wondering: is media doing a good job of promoting social change? Well, it depends on who you ask. Personally, I feel as if the answer is a firm yes. Media is working restlessly to provide information, disseminate knowledge, update about happenings, and share stories. The viewers must adopt their own approach and think according to their set rules or morals. The media has worked hard to change gender roles and promote gender equality to a great extent. In the newest ad for Tapal tea, we see a change in gender roles as the husband waits for the wife to come back home from work. He also makes coffee for her as he waits for her arrival. Previously, the roles were switched but this ad promotes gender fluidity and women empowerment. Also, many ads condemn violence against women rather than normalizing it (as they did in the past).

Of course, there are limitations to everything and media is no exception. Since media requires the internet to perform most of its roles, people with unstable connections or individuals living in rural areas never seem to reap the numerous benefits that media offers. These people remain the same, afraid of change, and rely on their conventional thinking, which explains why still some women are not given education and importance in economic matters. Most of our population remains illiterate and below the poverty line because of this.

Another limitation is that some people do not have technology like laptops, phones, or access to radios or televisions. Since these are the most important and convenient outlets, they are missing out on the social awareness and progression of the country. They remain behind and contribute more poverty to the nation. In this way, the country remains a third-world country.

Conclusion

In conclusion, media has immense potential for changing society for the better. It acts as an information disseminator, decision and opinion maker, raises social awareness, updates about local and international events and happenings, and increases our knowledge. All these benefits are crucial to the progressing country and the welfare of humanity. Media has triggered many individuals to think critically and liberally. We are ignoring and neglecting the wrong past customs and adopting new ones that allow for better health, relationships, rights, and overall content for the community. Of course, media can be exploited for many purposes but it must be kept within check to avoid the complete sway of the public towards it.