Social Impact of Communication
Introduction Communication has acted as the vital means, with which people express their feelings about certain issues. The society has used communication as its vital medium for passing significant information from one generation to the next.
The society transfers its value systems through communication. Therefore, communication affects the society in a significant way. This paper explores the effects of communication, to the society. Discussion Communication has undergone many changes in terms of operations and technology. Societies have had to respond, to these changes accordingly, and fit, in the ever-changing communication.
Communication has offered many advantages to the society, as well as disadvantages. For example, communication has helped the society transfer important information from one person, to the next. Through this, people have had the opportunity of interacting with one another and form long lasting relationships. Without communication, it would become difficult for people to relate with one another. Communication has brought together people from different parts of the world.
In essence, it has enhanced human relations, in a significant way (Atkin, 2007, p. 67). Communication happens through television, telephones, radio, pagers, computers and the current mobile phones. In the last five decades, communication influence, in the society has increased considerably, especially with the advancement of technology that involves radio, television, internet and mobile phones. We live in a society that depends on communication technology, to move forward in terms of development in healthcare, work environment, education and personal relationships. Television and internet have influenced the society in a remarkable manner.
We constantly come in to contact with pictures and images of violence, advertising, sex, celebrities and much more. The information re-laid from the media has affected the society in a terrible way. For example, images of sex have reated an awful picture, especially to children in the society. Children now have sex at a tender age because of the influence they get from communication media. It has helped open a venue where children face sexual exploitation and harassment. Today, people buy and listen, to things that the media depicts as true.
People see advertisements and make their buying arrangements and characteristics, based on what they saw on the television or the internet. They also get an influence from what they hear on radios. Young people buy things based on what people buy because of the influence of the media. For example, the use of cigarettes and alcohol, by movie stars and celebrities, excessive images of violence and exposure to a large number of junk food advertisements have affected the society, in a negative and wrong way. This has led to sexual promiscuity, with female girls becoming porn targets and young boys becoming a target for drugs. This has shaped up from the contents that come from communication media.communication has led to the increase of medical and health problems for people, in the society. This has happened because people rush, to buy medical products posted, in the internet without prior investigation. This happens especially with cosmetics and physical body fitness medications. Because of this, people take medicines that harm their health. The exposure of violence, in the media has had serious impacts, to the society.
We constantly watch movies with many images and depictions of violence, with people hurting others. This traumatizes children. As children grow up, they show acts of aggression. People grow up seeing violence as the best way of solving disputes. Therefore, people opt for violence whenever they disagree on certain issues (Priest, 2005, p. 76).
The following chart shows the probability of impact to the society in relation to technological advancements. The more technology advances, the more the society becomes at risk. Essentially, the media influences public opinion. The media shapes up the opinion of the public regarding certaain topics. For example, the manner in which the media explores issues, in politics influences the decisions people make. If the media decides to paint a certain political leader as a thug who should not lead people, many people will believe this without investigation because the media has said so.
Therefore, if the media feeds the public with negative information, it would definitely destroy the society. The internet has bred many ill-mannered people. They hack, spam and phish the accounts of other people. People have become internet robbers who deprive other people of their privacy, property and information. People have become dependent on communication technology, as a means of solving their problems. People depend on televisions, radios, and the internet, to get vital information of almost everything they want, to know.
This has impaired the innovative ability of people. People have decided to use the artificial intelligence, in many fields. Therefore, excessive use of communication has led to a society of people who cannot do anything without communication (Inagaki, 2007, p. 7). However, there exist certain solutions that could help reduce the impact of communication, to the society. First, all people have the responsibility to ensure that communication media that children have access to do not contain sexual of violence contents.
This would help, to reduce the impact these has had on children.Secondly, the leaders of the society should come up with ways that could help change the dependence of people on the media and technology for everything. Another solution involves offering guiding and counseling, to people especially the young ones on the dangers of using the internet and other forms of communication, as well as their advantages. Governments should also limit postage of certain content on the media. Conclusion We cannot live without communication and its technological advancements because they offer advantages.
However, we can use them with limitation to avoid negative impacts it causes, to the society.
