Influentail Medium

Influential Medium

Television

In my opinion television is the most influential medium . Millions of people spend countless hours each week watching television , and they are influenced by what they view . This is why most companies use television to advertise their products . Studies have shown that television has a strong influence on what consumers choose to purchase . For this reason many cereal and toy companies have their advertisements presented through television commercials during the hours that young children are most likely to be watching . Children watch these commercials and insist that

their parents purchase these items . Children who watch a lot of television want more toys seen in advertisements and eat more advertised foods than children who do not watch much television (Strasburger 2001 . Many parents give in because the children continue to whine and nag until they get these items . The children insist that these items are better than other items , which are not advertised on television In addition , many television advertisements target women by feeding off of women 's low self-esteem in terms of their body image . Thus companies make billions of dollars selling make-up , hair care products and weight loss products . Television also sells products designed for men by using women as sex symbols in the advertisements . All of these tactics have proven effective , demonstrating the influence of television

Moreover , television has a major impact on racial problems that exist in society . Television often portrays different racial groups based on stereotypes . Research has shown that an individual 's stereotypes can be learned by viewing television , and stereotypes are closely connected to prejudice and discrimination (Dong and Murillo , n .d

Television is powerful and we should be especially careful of what we watch . We are influenced to a greater extent than most of us realize or are willing to admit

References

Dong , Q . and Murrillo , A .P (n .d . The Impact of Television Viewing on Young Adults ' Stereotypes Towards Hispanic Americans . Retrieved April 30 , 2007 , from

HYPERLINK "http /www .uab .edu /Communicationstudies /humancommunication /dong .pdf http /www .uab .edu /Communicationstudies /humancommunication /dong .pdf

Strasburger , V .C (2001 . Children and TV Advertising : No Where to Run No Where to Hide . Journal of Development and Behavioral Pediatrics , 22 185 June ...