by Shane Riley

Created on: January 04, 2009   Last Updated: March 15, 2011

MASS MEDIA and SOCIETY

The mass communications of the media are the different technological processes that facilitate communication between the sender of a message and the receiver of that message. The mass media includes newspapers, magazines, radio, films, movies, CD's, internet, etc. Mass media communicates information to a large, sometimes global audience. Near-constant exposure to media is a fundamental part of contemporary life, but it is TV that draws our attention the most as one of the primary socialization agents of today's society.

The mass media is an integral part of our lives and therefore the media generates popular interest and debate about any social problem that we can think of. It is very important that we have an understanding of mass media's role in contemporary social life. What is the nature of the relationship between the media and society, and who is in control of it? From a sociological perspective, we can consider the role of media in our daily lives within the context of larger social forces such as the economy, politics, religion, and technological development.

Socialization is the process of developing a sense of self-connection to a larger social world through learning and internalizing the values, beliefs, and norms of one's culture. Through socialization, we learn to perform certain roles as citizens, friends, lovers, workers, and so forth. Through internalization, our culture becomes taken for granted. People learn to behave in socially appropriate and acceptable ways. Some social institutions have explicit roles in socializing the young, and others have less intentional but still powerful roles in the process.

The mass media is a powerful socializing agent. Mass media affects how we learn about our world and how we interact with one another. The media literally mediates our relationship with social institutions. We are dependent on the media for what we know and how we relate to the world of politics because of the media-politics connection. We read or watch political debates followed by instant analysis and commentary by "experts." Politicians rely on the media to communicate their messages to the populace. Similar dynamics are present in other mediated events such as televised sports and televangelism. Mass media is part of our routine relations with family and friends. The mass media has an impact on society not only through the content of the message but also through the process.

The media often acts as a bridge between

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