During the semester in class, there was a particular theory we talked about that I found quite interesting. That theory is known as the social learning theory. This theory helps suggest that there is a relation between mass media and social behavior. In the 1960s, psychologists did "Bobo doll" experiments where they let children watch videos of adults performing violence on a blow up clown. After the children watched the movie, they were separated into rooms filled with toys. The same action occurred; they enacted violence on the bobo doll. This theory suggests that if the media shows inappropriate behavior, others may copy that trait.
I agree with this theory, but I also do not. I think it really depends on who the person is and if they are capable of separating reality from television/movies/media. Every spring break, MTV shows all their wild spring break moments. It will show young people with nice bodies in bikinis and shorts drinking and dancing dirty, being crazy. Somewhat, this show or any show of this nature, affects college students to do the same thing. You will always hear of someone's spring break in Cancun and how they partied all night and met hot chicks. This may not be a violent factor, but it still affects people one way or another.
The kinds of people who are most likely to be affected by media would have to be kids. Do you remember when you were a child and you wanted something because your friend had it or just because you saw it on t.v.? A good example would be in the movie Home Alone 2 Lost in New York. In that movie, Kevin McCallister had a Talkboy (I think that is what it was called). He used it to pull pranks and even caught criminals with it in the end. I'm sure that item was a big hit when that movie came out.
Anyhow, media affects people no matter how much they may think it does not. You just have to have a mind of your own and do what you like and be what you want to be, not just do it because you saw someone else liking it or doing it too.
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