Mass Media

Euresha Jeremiah, Teroní Gordon, Michelle Percival, Grelon Luke, Devin Laurent and Neilson
Duberry
Department of Teacher Education, Antigua State College

DTEA7EO-S1-202223: Introduction to the Social and Cultural Foundations ofEducation

Dr. Desiree Antonio

September 25, 2022

Group Task: Unit V-Contemporary Issues in Education – MASS MEDIA

Definition of mass Media

Mass media is “the different methods of giving information to lots of people,
for example, through newspapers, television, and radio” (THE MASS MEDIA |
meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary. (n.d.).

Prevalence of Mass Media

Every so often, emerging technologies and shifting society tastes upend the
preeminent communication method. (Desjardins, 2022, p. 5)
As time passed, populations got larger and societies became more complex. Mass
media became more prevalent as the need to disperse information to large amounts
of people increased. New forms of mass media are introduced based on the society
and technology of each era. Some forms become less used as others replace them.
There have been three main eras of mass media thus far:
- The Proto-media era where information could only be passed on verbally and
through handwritten text. Eg: announcer on horseback, messenger ravens.
- The Analog and early digital media era saw the invention of the printing press.
Thus, newspapers and magazines became mainstream. Radio and television
followed, reaching larger audiences even faster. Eg: Observer newspaper, ZDK
radio, ABS television.
- The Connected and digital media era is our current time where mobile devices
and the internet reigns supreme. Social media has been revolutionary, allowing
information to spread internationally (“go viral”) in mere minutes. The internet
allows anybody to take part in sharing information quickly. Eg: instant messaging
via Whatsapp, blogs, Facebook, and Youtube.
 The chart shown above outlines how mass media consumption among adults in the
U.S.A has changed during 2011-2021. (Ali, 2021)

Year Mobile Desktop Radio Television Magazines Total

2021 252 50 99 253 12 666
2020 231 50 100 258 13 652
2019 208 51 100 264 14 637
2018 190 52 102 270 15 629
2017 164 53 102 282 17 618
2016 136 53 105 287 18 599
2015 124 56 109 289 19 597
2014 88 67 111 298 20 584
2013 74 67 116 306 21 584
2012 60 68 120 314 23 585
2011 45 40 131 314 24 554

Mass Media’s Impact on Society

Mass Media’s impact on Society can be viewed through different sociological
perspectives. Functionalist Perspective, Conflict Perspective, Feminist Perspective
and Interactionalist Perspective. (Mass Media | Society and Culture | MCAT | Khan
Academy, n.d.)

Functionalist perspective
- Mass media provides entertainment
- Mass media has a role in socialization and the upholding of social standards.
- This perspective unites individuals, and serves as a community builder.
- Mass media has a role in promoting consumption culture.

Conflict Perspective
- Emphasizes how social divides in our society are reflected, portrayed, and
sometimes even exacerbated by the media. similar to distinctions made
based on socioeconomic status, race, or ethnicity.
- This viewpoint takes gatekeeping into account, which outlines how things
pass through a number of gates before they are made available to the general
public.
- Emphasizes how the mainstream media frequently reflects the dominant
ideology by providing time and space to or elevating specific social,
economic, and political interests, sometimes purposefully excluding
opposing viewpoints.
-
Feminist Perspective
- Holds that the prevailing ideology is misrepresented through stereotypes and
exaggerations in the media about society.
- This viewpoint focuses on the representation of men and women in media
communications. more specifically, the underrepresentation of women in
media.

Interactionist Perspective
- Examines how mass media affects daily behavior - examines how mass
media misconstrues the distinction between solo time and group activities
- Examines how our use of media to interact with others tends to evolve
through time.
Mass Media’s Impact on the Local Society

Two interviews were conducted with Mrs. Brucella Marsh-Sutton and Mr. Terry
Andrew, where they both discussed mass media, specifically its impact on the
Antiguan Society.

Mass Media’s Impact on Education

Mass media’s impact on education can be placed into two categories: Accessibility
and Connectivity.

- Information access
- Online education and virtual learning
- Cloud-based collaboration
- Social media connectivity/communication

- Information Access
The concept of “access” is often applied to physical access to resources such as
transport, documents, buildings and locations, educational and online environments
but information access is often overlooked. Information access is just as important
as physical access for students and also for teachers. There are a lot of websites
and blogs available on google search engines that can provide the best ever quality
content related to your study of interest.

- Online education and virtual learning

Evidently, mass media has made significant contributions to the development of
education and the way it is delivered. According to Shout Out UK (2021) mass
media allows for universal reach and no physical constraints. During the Covid-19
pandemic the reliance on mass media significantly increased as many learning
institutions resorted to online learning platforms for the continuation of the
teaching and learning process. Mass media has no physical constraints which allow
users to access it from anywhere within the world once their device is compatible.
Education Today (2022) supports this view as mass media has reduced the distance
and made the world smaller for good. For instance, it is not necessary for physical
attendance for students to gain knowledge. Therefore, it is safe to conclude that
Mass Media has helped to bridge the gap between the information that is present
and those who desire to consume it. 
 - Cloud-based Collaboration
Cloud collaboration technologies enable teams to work together and achieve their
shared goals without being together physically. It helps increase productivity and
stimulates creativity. Cloud collaboration helps teams work faster and is perfect for
flexible work scheduling since tasks can be shared with persons who have
conflicting working hours. Also, documents can be shared at any time or from
anywhere thus reducing the time spent waiting for information. (Sam O’ Brien,
Author at RingCentral Australian Blog, 2022)

- Social Media Connectivity/Communication

According to Agarwal (2020), students can communicate on social media
platforms to express their thoughts, feelings, and ideas on any subject and to feel
connected. They can create clubs, forums, and online classrooms where they can
collaborate to finish tasks or assignments that are due. It is a novel approach to
socializing and keeping in touch throughout the holidays. Also, many learning
institutions use social media to update the public on various events taking place.
They also post educational material for students as many students today have
access to social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. These platforms
can provide a way for students to earn money through blogging, digital marketing,
and freelancing.

Intervention Strategies and Programs

Plagiarism software
Copyright Laws

Electronic Crime Act

Anti-Bullying Campaigns and Billboards

Educational Programs on TV
Notable Changes/Views

The image below explains New technical advancements and shifting society tastes
upend the main method of communication.
 References

‌Agarwal, N. (2020, June 26). The importance of Internet in Students Life. The Geeks
Club. https://www.thegeeksclub.com/the-importance-of-internet-in-students-
life/
Ali, A. (2021, April 28). How Media Consumption Has Changed Over the Last Decade
(2011-2021). Visual Capitalist. https://www.visualcapitalist.com/how-media-
consumption-has-changed-in-2021/
‌Desjardins, J. (2022, July 7). The Evolution of Media: Visualizing a Data-Driven
Future. Visual Capitalist. https://www.visualcapitalist.com/evolution-of-
media-data-future/
Education Today (2022, April 7). Impact of Digital Media on Morden Education
System. EDUCATION TODAY.
https://educationtoday.org.in/2022/04/07/impact-of-digital-media-on-
morden-education-system/
‌Impacts Of Media In Teaching And Learning - Shout Out UK. (n.d.).
Https://Www.shoutoutuk.org/.
https://www.shoutoutuk.org/2021/12/17/impacts-of-media-in-teaching-and-
learning/
Sam O’ Brien, Author at RingCentral Australian Blog. (2022). RingCentral Australian
Blog. https://www.ringcentral.com/au/en/blog/author/sam-obrien/
THE MASS MEDIA | meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary. (n.d.).
Dictionary.cambridge.org.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/mass-media Desjardins, J.
(2022, July 7). The Evolution of Media: Visualizing a Data-Driven Future. Visual
Capitalist. https://www.visualcapitalist.com/evolution-of-media-data-future/