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Introduction

Argumentative

Mass media defines all methods of information that is communicated to large group of people. This includes the television, newspaper, the radio, computer, the fliers and anything that delivers information. There is no specific standard for how large the audience has to be before communication becomes mass communication. There has been a lot of controversy concerning the influence of the mass on the young people. This has ended up having an influence on their positions and opinions. This is because there are no constraints on the type of information being delivered. As many individuals see the negative influence the mass media has on the young people, the positive effects can not be ignored. This paper will have a look on the merits the media can have on the youths.

Mass media can be used for educational purposes in a very effective manner. The youths can be gain knowledge on certain areas of life. Some of these areas include politics, health, science, environment, drugs, career, and current news. One of the main advantages of mass media is that it can reach a large number of people within a very short time. It reduces the distance between human beings, it makes the world look smaller due to access to information and increase in communication (Harris 2). As a result it makes the people be close to each other in terms of thinking and space. Mass media can allow a young person to participate in activities and occasions in some other parts of the world. Through mass media they can know about the tsunamis, influenza outbreaks, earthquakes and other events taking place in the world.

Mass media can inform the youths on the political situations in other countries as well as their own countries. This as a result, will not make them ignorant concerning the political ‘air’ in the world. This can also be of help in their history class and knowledge. Such an example is the rise in cost of fuel around the world as a result of political unrest in the Arabian countries. This has caused a sharp increase in the cost of living, and it will be easier for the youth to understand the economic times (Vipond 2).

Most people have known about their medical condition, through the mass media. Thanks to Google and other search engines. The youth gets to type the symptoms he/she is experiencing and the type of disease is just a click away. Television, radio, internet and newspapers have also played a significant role in educating the public on their general well-being. This mostly concerns their health, where mass media educates the public on activities and foods and activities to avoid so as avoiding a certain disease or how not to aggravate it. This has proved to be very beneficial especially to individuals who cannot afford the consultation fee so as to get those services (McCombs & Shaw 1).

The mass media has also been of importance especially in the conservation of the environment. This is seen in the programs, advertisements it creates so as to educate the public on the importance of taking care of the environment. Encouraging the public to plant trees, recycling and proper disposal of waste products has been of great help. This has been possible, through the partnership of mass media and environmental organizations so as to bring forth the campaigns on conserving the environment.

The youths have fallen prey to various immoral activities including drugs and substance abuse (Deephouse 1). The mass media has intervened through creating awareness on the adverse effects of these drugs as well as how to avoid and get out of them. For those who are already in drugs, mass media goes ahead and advises on the various rehabilitation facilities in the country. The many campaigns against drug abuse have been very helpful especially on the youths (Foulkes & Katz 2). Mass media on the other hand, can be used as a way of making the youths is aware of their rights. Incase these rights have been abused, they can be advised on the legal steps to take so as to fight for justice. This has proved to be helpful in making the youths to know what actions calls for legal steps and what can be solved by the help of their parents.

The mass media also educates the youths on the various career options they can pursue and the various colleges they can attend. For those who are through with college, the mass media has been of help in the job search. Many people also study online, instead of having to travel miles so as to get to that particular college. This has also helped individuals in other countries t get access to prestigious colleges that are not in their country. The internet as also has been of great help in students who are doing a research on their assignments or projects (Klein, et al 1). This has been beneficial especially if one cannot get the book their lecturer wants them to use. Many people have landed in their jobs as a result of advertisement on the mass media. The many job opportunities worldwide are advertised through the mass media. One only has to sit down in the comforts of their house or rooms and search for a job either through the internet or through newspapers (Olien, Donohue & Tichenor 1).

According to Arnett (1), many countries are using the mass media to create awareness on the rising cases of HIV and AIDS. This has affected the whole world and has called for urgent measures to be taken. This has made the mass media to come in handy as an intermediary between the AIDS organizations and the general public or the young people. The mass media has been of great help in advising the youths to abstain or if they can not they can opt for protection. This would have been impossible if the mass media was not involved, as the spread of AIDS would have reached to an uncontrollable situation (Katz, Gurevitch, & Haas 1). As prevention is better than cure, the mass media has been given thumbs up for preventing the spread of AIDS worldwide.

The internet, newspaper and television have been a good source of ‘window shopping’. If someone wants to buy a certain product she/he has to search it on the mass media sources. This helps one to make a budget for their money (Martin 1). This has also helped parents to know how much they can give to their children to help them avoid overspending.

Acoording to Martin (1), mass media has been attributed in raising awareness on the growth in technology. In addition to this, it has also been beneficial in helping an individual to know how to use this technology. As the common saying goes, all work and no play make Jack a dull boy, mass media has been a source of entertainment for many people. The many games, movies and programs have been helpful in entertaining the youths.

Conclusion

The benefits of mass media can not be exhausted. As many parents and organizations are against mass media because of the negative influence it has on the youths, the merits can not be ignored. Parents need to monitor what their children are watching and organizations need to come up with measures to put in place so as to govern what people listen to and what they are watching. Such measures can include censoring of words or certain pictures.

Works Cited

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Deephouse, David. Media Reputation as a Strategic Resource: Retrived from: http://jom.sagepub.com/content/26/6/1091.short, 2000.

Foulkes,David & Katz, Elihu. On the use of the mass media as escape clarification of a concept.

Harris, Richard. A Cognitive Psychology of Mass Communication. New York: Taylor and Francis Publisher, 2009. Print

Katz, Elihu.,Gurevitch,Michael and Haas,Hadassah. American Sociological review. Retrived from: http://www.jstor.org/pss/2094393, 1973.

Klein, Jonathan, et al . Adolescents’ Risky Behavior and Mass Media Use. Retrived from: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/92/1/24. 1993

Martin, James. Mass media: a bibliography with indexes. New York: Nova Publishers, 2002. Print

McCombs, Maxwell. & Shaw,Donald. The Agenda-Setting Function of Mass Media^.Retrived from: http://poq.oxfordjournals.org/content/36/2/176.short, 1972.

Olien, C.N.,Donohue, G.A.,& Tichenor,P.J. Mass Media Flow And Differential Growth In Knowledge. Retrived from: http://poq.oxfordjournals.org/content/34/2/159.short. 1970

Vipond, Mary. The mass media in Canada. New York: James Lorimer & Company, 2000. Print

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