essay on pros and cons of electronic media
Answers
Answer:
Pros:
1. Accessibility- Now-a-days, news and media can be accessed at the push of a button. You can access media from almost anywhere. It can reach a global audience. Also, it can be accessed quickly. I can get on my cell phone and look at a top news story or YouTube video whether I am traveling or laying in bed or hanging with friends. There are so many devices that promote easily accessibility: iPhones, Nooks, iPads, laptops, etc.
2. Updates on news stories- Being able to access media online or on TV means that if a story has breaking details or additional information, it can easily be brought to our attention. We don’t have to wait for next week’s paper to hear any recent updates on a news story.
3. Share public opinions- There are an abundance of blogs or social media websites in which the general public can connect with one another. Newspapers or magazines cannot convey immediately what their audience feels about the stories they have posted, but online there is plenty of room for discussion and feedback. There are blogs with topics on almost anything, and therefore common interests can be explored and new connections can be developed.
Cons:
1. Stories can be falsified or altered- not everything on the internet is true. Not everything that is typed is based on facts or research. Therefore, there is a level of difficulty in distinguishing what is real or fake, especially on the internet. Photoshop or filters can change pictures and make alterations that are incredibly believable. Since everything is not fact-checked, there are plenty of myths and gossip that surface and resurface as truth.
2. News can be biased- Plenty of online media can contain biases in order to keep their audience base. For example, advertisers may not want to advertise on a website that is promoting information that doesn’t agree with their viewpoints. Therefore, media outlets have to satisfy both their buyers and their audience.
3. News can get blown out of proportion- If it is a slow news day, or a story that includes a celebrity, it could receive more attention then necessary. It could become controversial or mainstream even if it is not an extreme situation that needs attention in the media.
Electronic media effects our interactions with others by making them shorter in reality. Whenever I am out with friends, the majority of time is spent checking our cell phones to see if anyone posted something new on Facebook or Twitter, or even just to check a blog for new postings.
The New York Times posted an article titled “Feel Like a Wallflower? Maybe It’s Your Facebook Wall” by Jenna Wortham. This article discusses the feeling of missing out on something due to social media, and trying to disconnect ourselves from our phones.
“It’s known as FOMO, or “fear of missing out,” and refers to the blend of anxiety, inadequacy and irritation that can flare up while skimming social media like Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and Instagram. Billions of Twitter messages, status updates and photographs provide thrilling glimpses of the daily lives and activities of friends, “frenemies,” co-workers and peers.
To avoid falling into the “fear of missing out”, whenever I am with my friends we try to disconnect ourselves from our phones and enjoy the night. Usually the rule is “whoever looks at their phone first has to pick up the tab for the evening”. This has worked well thus far, but the fact that we even need a rule in place to dis-attach ourselves from social media is problematic in itself.