Austin Hicks 4A 2/8/14

Research Proposal
Purpose: My Purpose in writing is to show people that we dont have to be what the media tells
us to be or act like they want us to be. I'm writing this to give people a sense of freedom to do
what they want for once and to be who they are without the judgment of others, no matter
what.
Interest: I am interested in this issue because I am sick of people hiding themselves. I am sick of
watching people put on a mask everyday just to please their audience. I am also interested in
this because Im sick of seeing beautiful girls and women hide behind too much make-up or
slutty attire. I want to see people be happy for who they are, and not pretend. It makes me
happy when I know others are happy!
Problem: The problem is that so many people listen to what media says about how you should
look or how you should act. People shouldnt run after those images. Neither should the media
and its society judge those who dont choose to live up to the medias standards. The media
is constantly surrounding us through everything we do; music, television, magazines. Media can
reach us pretty much everywhere.
Effects: The effects to this problem range from a bad to worse scale. It can be as bad as
changing your whole personality and who you are to committing suicide over bullying. Bullying
is another huge effect. So many people are made fun of and criticized because of the way they
look or act. People shouldnt get judged because they dont wear the clothes that the media
tells them to wear or doesnt do what the media tells them to do. People should be who they
want to be without getting judge or bullied.
Background Information: I already know that in the United States alone, the media is the
number one most influential obstacle to most teenagers and young adults. The littlest thing can
influence a way somebody acts or dresses. Sometimes we see things in the media that we dont
really notice that can influence us, such as subliminal messages. The media can easily tear down
ones self esteem in a heartbeat. As soon as there is a media change the people follow with it.
Research Completed: I have completed a little bit of research of this topic with a few articles. I
have learned that even kids shows can produce an image on how they should be and what they
should act like. Maybe some arent as negative as the ones we here but there are some
messages that makes kids act a certain way. Also how media can affect our public opinion, such
as little things like Coke or Pepsi. Lastly was that the number one media message provider is the
Disney Company.
Austin Hicks 4A 2/8/14
Questions: I have many questions still on this issue. Are we to far gone to fix this issue? If the
media industry completely collapsed would society slowly take a painful unrest of not knowing
what to do? Are the people who still have hope for a cleaner society brave enough to step up
and if they are, where are they? If the media promoted positive and uplifting message, where
would we be?
Potential Solution to the Problem: There are many possible solutions but the one that I think
is best is to let people be who they want to be without judging them. We can still listen to our
music and watch out tv but maybe we should try to not be as influenced by them. If we still are
finding ourselves judging them, then maybe we should look at ourselves first. Is this really who
I wanna be? At least that kid can be himself when im to afraid to be mine. Those are things
we could say to ourselves.
Sources Cited:
http://www2.uncp.edu/home/acurtis/Courses/ResourcesForCourses/Media&Society/M
assMediaInfluenceOnSociety.html
This site told me information on who influences us and on what.
http://college.cqpress.com/sites/masscomm/Home/chapter2.aspx
Gave me a summary on how media subjects our daily lives and how we react with it.
http://www.csub.edu/~mault/the%20influence%20and%20effects%20o.pdf
This article gave me a little bit of history of media.
http://legacy.kctcs.edu/newspublications/stylebook/mediatypes.htm
This gave me information about all the types of media out there.