essays on the influence of media

Feb 15, 2023

6 Example Essays on Social Media | Advantages, Effects, and Outlines

Got an essay assignment about the effects of social media we got you covered check out our examples and outlines below.

Social media has become one of our society's most prominent ways of communication and information sharing in a very short time. It has changed how we communicate and has given us a platform to express our views and opinions and connect with others. It keeps us informed about the world around us. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn have brought individuals from all over the world together, breaking down geographical borders and fostering a genuinely global community.

However, social media comes with its difficulties. With the rise of misinformation, cyberbullying, and privacy problems, it's critical to utilize these platforms properly and be aware of the risks. Students in the academic world are frequently assigned essays about the impact of social media on numerous elements of our lives, such as relationships, politics, and culture. These essays necessitate a thorough comprehension of the subject matter, critical thinking, and the ability to synthesize and convey information clearly and succinctly.

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We will provide various examples of social media essays so you may get a feel for the genre.

6 Examples of Social Media Essays

Here are 6 examples of Social Media Essays:

The Impact of Social Media on Relationships and Communication

Introduction:.

The way we share information and build relationships has evolved as a direct result of the prevalence of social media in our daily lives. The influence of social media on interpersonal connections and conversation is a hot topic. Although social media has many positive effects, such as bringing people together regardless of physical proximity and making communication quicker and more accessible, it also has a dark side that can affect interpersonal connections and dialogue.

Positive Effects:

Connecting People Across Distances

One of social media's most significant benefits is its ability to connect individuals across long distances. People can use social media platforms to interact and stay in touch with friends and family far away. People can now maintain intimate relationships with those they care about, even when physically separated.

Improved Communication Speed and Efficiency

Additionally, the proliferation of social media sites has accelerated and simplified communication. Thanks to instant messaging, users can have short, timely conversations rather than lengthy ones via email. Furthermore, social media facilitates group communication, such as with classmates or employees, by providing a unified forum for such activities.

Negative Effects:

Decreased Face-to-Face Communication

The decline in in-person interaction is one of social media's most pernicious consequences on interpersonal connections and dialogue. People's reliance on digital communication over in-person contact has increased along with the popularity of social media. Face-to-face interaction has suffered as a result, which has adverse effects on interpersonal relationships and the development of social skills.

Decreased Emotional Intimacy

Another adverse effect of social media on relationships and communication is decreased emotional intimacy. Digital communication lacks the nonverbal cues and facial expressions critical in building emotional connections with others. This can make it more difficult for people to develop close and meaningful relationships, leading to increased loneliness and isolation.

Increased Conflict and Miscommunication

Finally, social media can also lead to increased conflict and miscommunication. The anonymity and distance provided by digital communication can lead to misunderstandings and hurtful comments that might not have been made face-to-face. Additionally, social media can provide a platform for cyberbullying , which can have severe consequences for the victim's mental health and well-being.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the impact of social media on relationships and communication is a complex issue with both positive and negative effects. While social media platforms offer many benefits, such as connecting people across distances and enabling faster and more accessible communication, they also have a dark side that can negatively affect relationships and communication. It is up to individuals to use social media responsibly and to prioritize in-person communication in their relationships and interactions with others.

The Role of Social Media in the Spread of Misinformation and Fake News

Social media has revolutionized the way information is shared and disseminated. However, the ease and speed at which data can be spread on social media also make it a powerful tool for spreading misinformation and fake news. Misinformation and fake news can seriously affect public opinion, influence political decisions, and even cause harm to individuals and communities.

The Pervasiveness of Misinformation and Fake News on Social Media

Misinformation and fake news are prevalent on social media platforms, where they can spread quickly and reach a large audience. This is partly due to the way social media algorithms work, which prioritizes content likely to generate engagement, such as sensational or controversial stories. As a result, false information can spread rapidly and be widely shared before it is fact-checked or debunked.

The Influence of Social Media on Public Opinion

Social media can significantly impact public opinion, as people are likelier to believe the information they see shared by their friends and followers. This can lead to a self-reinforcing cycle, where misinformation and fake news are spread and reinforced, even in the face of evidence to the contrary.

The Challenge of Correcting Misinformation and Fake News

Correcting misinformation and fake news on social media can be a challenging task. This is partly due to the speed at which false information can spread and the difficulty of reaching the same audience exposed to the wrong information in the first place. Additionally, some individuals may be resistant to accepting correction, primarily if the incorrect information supports their beliefs or biases.

In conclusion, the function of social media in disseminating misinformation and fake news is complex and urgent. While social media has revolutionized the sharing of information, it has also made it simpler for false information to propagate and be widely believed. Individuals must be accountable for the information they share and consume, and social media firms must take measures to prevent the spread of disinformation and fake news on their platforms.

The Effects of Social Media on Mental Health and Well-Being

Social media has become an integral part of modern life, with billions of people around the world using platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to stay connected with others and access information. However, while social media has many benefits, it can also negatively affect mental health and well-being.

Comparison and Low Self-Esteem

One of the key ways that social media can affect mental health is by promoting feelings of comparison and low self-esteem. People often present a curated version of their lives on social media, highlighting their successes and hiding their struggles. This can lead others to compare themselves unfavorably, leading to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem.

Cyberbullying and Online Harassment

Another way that social media can negatively impact mental health is through cyberbullying and online harassment. Social media provides a platform for anonymous individuals to harass and abuse others, leading to feelings of anxiety, fear, and depression.

Social Isolation

Despite its name, social media can also contribute to feelings of isolation. At the same time, people may have many online friends but need more meaningful in-person connections and support. This can lead to feelings of loneliness and depression.

Addiction and Overuse

Finally, social media can be addictive, leading to overuse and negatively impacting mental health and well-being. People may spend hours each day scrolling through their feeds, neglecting other important areas of their lives, such as work, family, and self-care.

In sum, social media has positive and negative consequences on one's psychological and emotional well-being. Realizing this, and taking measures like reducing one's social media use, reaching out to loved ones for help, and prioritizing one's well-being, are crucial. In addition, it's vital that social media giants take ownership of their platforms and actively encourage excellent mental health and well-being.

The Use of Social Media in Political Activism and Social Movements

Social media has recently become increasingly crucial in political action and social movements. Platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram have given people new ways to express themselves, organize protests, and raise awareness about social and political issues.

Raising Awareness and Mobilizing Action

One of the most important uses of social media in political activity and social movements has been to raise awareness about important issues and mobilize action. Hashtags such as #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter, for example, have brought attention to sexual harassment and racial injustice, respectively. Similarly, social media has been used to organize protests and other political actions, allowing people to band together and express themselves on a bigger scale.

Connecting with like-minded individuals

A second method in that social media has been utilized in political activity and social movements is to unite like-minded individuals. Through social media, individuals can join online groups, share knowledge and resources, and work with others to accomplish shared objectives. This has been especially significant for geographically scattered individuals or those without access to traditional means of political organizing.

Challenges and Limitations

As a vehicle for political action and social movements, social media has faced many obstacles and restrictions despite its many advantages. For instance, the propagation of misinformation and fake news on social media can impede attempts to disseminate accurate and reliable information. In addition, social media corporations have been condemned for censorship and insufficient protection of user rights.

In conclusion, social media has emerged as a potent instrument for political activism and social movements, giving voice to previously unheard communities and galvanizing support for change. Social media presents many opportunities for communication and collaboration. Still, users and institutions must be conscious of the risks and limitations of these tools to promote their responsible and productive usage.

The Potential Privacy Concerns Raised by Social Media Use and Data Collection Practices

With billions of users each day on sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, social media has ingrained itself into every aspect of our lives. While these platforms offer a straightforward method to communicate with others and exchange information, they also raise significant concerns over data collecting and privacy. This article will examine the possible privacy issues posed by social media use and data-gathering techniques.

Data Collection and Sharing

The gathering and sharing of personal data are significant privacy issues brought up by social media use. Social networking sites gather user data, including details about their relationships, hobbies, and routines. This information is made available to third-party businesses for various uses, such as marketing and advertising. This can lead to serious concerns about who has access to and uses our personal information.

Lack of Control Over Personal Information

The absence of user control over personal information is a significant privacy issue brought up by social media usage. Social media makes it challenging to limit who has access to and how data is utilized once it has been posted. Sensitive information may end up being extensively disseminated and may be used maliciously as a result.

Personalized Marketing

Social media companies utilize the information they gather about users to target them with adverts relevant to their interests and usage patterns. Although this could be useful, it might also cause consumers to worry about their privacy since they might feel that their personal information is being used without their permission. Furthermore, there are issues with the integrity of the data being used to target users and the possibility of prejudice based on individual traits.

Government Surveillance

Using social media might spark worries about government surveillance. There are significant concerns regarding privacy and free expression when governments in some nations utilize social media platforms to follow and monitor residents.

In conclusion, social media use raises significant concerns regarding data collecting and privacy. While these platforms make it easy to interact with people and exchange information, they also gather a lot of personal information, which raises questions about who may access it and how it will be used. Users should be aware of these privacy issues and take precautions to safeguard their personal information, such as exercising caution when choosing what details to disclose on social media and keeping their information sharing with other firms to a minimum.

The Ethical and Privacy Concerns Surrounding Social Media Use And Data Collection

Our use of social media to communicate with loved ones, acquire information, and even conduct business has become a crucial part of our everyday lives. The extensive use of social media does, however, raise some ethical and privacy issues that must be resolved. The influence of social media use and data collecting on user rights, the accountability of social media businesses, and the need for improved regulation are all topics that will be covered in this article.

Effect on Individual Privacy:

Social networking sites gather tons of personal data from their users, including delicate information like search history, location data, and even health data. Each user's detailed profile may be created with this data and sold to advertising or used for other reasons. Concerns regarding the privacy of personal information might arise because social media businesses can use this data to target users with customized adverts.

Additionally, individuals might need to know how much their personal information is being gathered and exploited. Data breaches or the unauthorized sharing of personal information with other parties may result in instances where sensitive information is exposed. Users should be aware of the privacy rules of social media firms and take precautions to secure their data.

Responsibility of Social Media Companies:

Social media firms should ensure that they responsibly and ethically gather and use user information. This entails establishing strong security measures to safeguard sensitive information and ensuring users are informed of what information is being collected and how it is used.

Many social media businesses, nevertheless, have come under fire for not upholding these obligations. For instance, the Cambridge Analytica incident highlighted how Facebook users' personal information was exploited for political objectives without their knowledge. This demonstrates the necessity of social media corporations being held responsible for their deeds and ensuring that they are safeguarding the security and privacy of their users.

Better Regulation Is Needed

There is a need for tighter regulation in this field, given the effect, social media has on individual privacy as well as the obligations of social media firms. The creation of laws and regulations that ensure social media companies are gathering and using user information ethically and responsibly, as well as making sure users are aware of their rights and have the ability to control the information that is being collected about them, are all part of this.

Additionally, legislation should ensure that social media businesses are held responsible for their behavior, for example, by levying fines for data breaches or the unauthorized use of personal data. This will provide social media businesses with a significant incentive to prioritize their users' privacy and security and ensure they are upholding their obligations.

In conclusion, social media has fundamentally changed how we engage and communicate with one another, but this increased convenience also raises several ethical and privacy issues. Essential concerns that need to be addressed include the effect of social media on individual privacy, the accountability of social media businesses, and the requirement for greater regulation to safeguard user rights. We can make everyone's online experience safer and more secure by looking more closely at these issues.

In conclusion, social media is a complex and multifaceted topic that has recently captured the world's attention. With its ever-growing influence on our lives, it's no surprise that it has become a popular subject for students to explore in their writing. Whether you are writing an argumentative essay on the impact of social media on privacy, a persuasive essay on the role of social media in politics, or a descriptive essay on the changes social media has brought to the way we communicate, there are countless angles to approach this subject.

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More Americans now see the media’s influence growing compared with a year ago

Americans’ views about the influence of the media in the country have shifted dramatically over the course of a year in which there was much discussion about the news media’s role during the election and post-election coverage , the COVID-19 pandemic and protests about racial justice . More Americans now say that news organizations are gaining influence than say their influence is waning, a stark contrast to just one year ago when the reverse was true.

When Americans were asked to evaluate the media’s standing in the nation, about four-in-ten (41%) say news organizations are growing in their influence, somewhat higher than the one-third (33%) who say their influence is declining, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted March 8-14, 2021. The remaining one-quarter of U.S. adults say they are neither growing nor declining in influence.

To examine Americans’ views about the influence of the news media, Pew Research Center surveyed 12,045 U.S. adults from March 8 to 14, 2021. Everyone who completed the survey is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. This way nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories. Read more about the ATP’s methodology . See here to read more about the questions used for this analysis and the methodology .

This is the latest report in Pew Research Center’s ongoing investigation of the state of news, information and journalism in the digital age, a research program funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts, with generous support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

By comparison, Americans in early 2020 were far more likely to say the news media were declining in influence . Nearly half (48%) at that time said this, compared with far fewer (32%) who said news organizations were growing in influence.

The 2021 figures more closely resemble responses from 2011 – the next most recent time this was asked – and before, in that more Americans then said the news media were growing in influence than declining. Views could have shifted in the gap between 2011 and 2020, but if so, they have now shifted back. (It should be noted that prior to 2020, this question was asked on the phone instead of on the web.)

What’s more, this shift in views of the media’s influence in the country occurred among members of both political parties – and in the same direction.

Republicans and Republican-leaning independents are about evenly split in whether they think news organizations are growing (40%) or declining in influence (41%). This is very different from a year ago, when Republicans were twice as likely to say their influence was declining than growing (56% vs. 28%).

And Democrats and Democratic leaners are now much more likely to say news organizations are growing (43%) than declining in influence (28%), while a year ago they were slightly more likely to say influence was declining (42% vs. 36% growing).

Overall, then, Republicans are still more likely than Democrats to say the news media are losing standing in the country, though the two groups are more on par in thinking that the media are increasing in their influence. (Democrats are somewhat more likely than Republicans to say news organizations are neither growing nor declining in influence – 29% vs. 19%.)  

Trust in media closely ties to whether its influence is seen as growing or declining. Those who have greater trust in national news organizations tend to be more likely to see the news media gaining influence, while those with low levels of trust are generally more likely to see it waning.

Americans who say they have a great deal of trust in the accuracy of political news from national news organizations are twice as likely to say the news media are growing than declining in influence (48% vs. 24%, respectively). Conversely, those who have no trust at all are much more likely to think that news organizations are declining (47% vs. 33% who say they are growing).

Black Americans are far more likely to think that the news media are growing in influence rather than declining (48% vs. 19%, respectively), as are Hispanic Americans though to a somewhat lesser degree. White Americans, on the other hand, are about evenly split in thinking the news media are growing or declining in influence (39% vs. 37%, respectively). And while men are about evenly split (39% growing vs. 38% declining), women are more likely to say news organizations are growing (43%) than declining (29%) in influence.

Note: Here are the questions used for this analysis, along with responses, and its methodology .

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Jeffrey Gottfried is an associate director focusing on internet and technology research at Pew Research Center .

Naomi Forman-Katz is a research analyst focusing on news and information research at Pew Research Center .

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Home — Essay Samples — Sociology — Sociology of Media and Communication — Social Media

Argumentative Essays About Social Media

Social media argumentative essay topics.

This is a comprehensive resource to help you find the perfect social media essay topic. Whether you're navigating the complexities of digital communication, exploring the impact of social media on society, or examining its effects on personal identity, the right topic can transform your essay into a captivating and insightful exploration. Remember, selecting a topic that resonates with your personal interests and academic goals not only makes the writing process more enjoyable but also enriches your learning experience. Let's dive into a world of creativity and critical thinking!

Below, you'll find a curated list of essay topics organized by type. Each section includes diverse topics that touch on technology, society, personal growth, and academic interests, along with introduction and conclusion paragraph examples to get you started.

Argumentative Essays

• The Influence of Social Media on Teen Self-Esteem

Introduction Example: "In the digital age, social media platforms have become central to our daily interactions and self-perception, particularly among teenagers. This essay explores the impact of social media on teen self-esteem, arguing that while it offers a space for expression and connection, it also presents significant challenges to self-image. "

Conclusion Example: "Having delved into the complex relationship between social media and teen self-esteem, it is clear that the digital landscape holds profound effects on individual self-perception. This essay reaffirms the thesis that social media can both uplift and undermine teen self-esteem, calling for a balanced approach to digital engagement."

• The Role of Social Media in Political Mobilization

Introduction Example: "As political landscapes evolve, social media has emerged as a powerful tool for political mobilization and engagement. This essay investigates the role of social media in shaping political movements, positing that it significantly enhances communication and organizational capabilities, yet raises questions about information authenticity. "

Conclusion Example: "Through examining the dual facets of social media in political mobilization, the essay concludes that while social media is a pivotal tool for engagement, it necessitates critical scrutiny of information to ensure a well-informed public discourse."

Compare and Contrast Essays

• Instagram vs. Twitter: Platforms for Brand Promotion

Introduction Example: "In the competitive realm of digital marketing, Instagram and Twitter stand out as leading platforms for brand promotion. This essay compares and contrasts their effectiveness, revealing that each platform caters to unique marketing strengths due to its specific user engagement and content dissemination strategies. "

Conclusion Example: "The comparative analysis of Instagram and Twitter highlights distinct advantages for brands, with Instagram excelling in visual storytelling and Twitter in real-time engagement, underscoring the importance of strategic platform selection in digital marketing."

Descriptive Essays

• Describing the Social Media Landscape of Today

Introduction Example: "Today's social media landscape is a vibrant tapestry of platforms, each contributing to the digital era's social fabric. This essay describes the characteristics and cultural significance of current social media trends, illustrating that they reflect and shape our societal values and interactions. "

Conclusion Example: "In portraying the dynamic and diverse nature of today's social media landscape, this essay underscores its role in molding contemporary cultural and social paradigms, inviting readers to reflect on their digital footprints."

Persuasive Essays

• Encouraging Positive Social Media Habits

Introduction Example: "In an era where digital presence is ubiquitous, fostering positive social media habits is essential for mental and emotional well-being. This essay advocates for mindful social media use, arguing that intentional engagement can enhance our life experiences rather than detract from them. "

Conclusion Example: "This essay has championed the cause for positive social media habits, reinforcing the thesis that through mindful engagement, individuals can navigate the digital world in a way that promotes personal growth and well-being."

Narrative Essays

• My Journey with Social Media: A Personal Reflection

Introduction Example: "Embarking on a personal journey with social media has been both enlightening and challenging. This narrative essay delves into my experiences, highlighting how social media has influenced my perception of self and community. "

Conclusion Example: "Reflecting on my social media journey, this essay concludes that while it has significantly shaped my interactions and self-view, it has also offered invaluable lessons on connectivity and self-awareness, affirming the nuanced role of digital platforms in our lives."

As you explore these topics, remember to approach your essay with an open mind and creative spirit. The purpose of academic writing is not just to inform but to engage and provoke thought. Use this opportunity to delve deep into your topic, analyze different perspectives, and articulate your own insights.

Each essay type offers unique learning outcomes. Argumentative essays enhance your analytical thinking and ability to construct well-founded arguments. Compare and contrast essays develop your skills in identifying similarities and differences. Descriptive essays improve your ability to paint vivid pictures through words, while persuasive essays refine your ability to influence and convince. Finally, narrative essays offer a platform for personal expression and storytelling. Embrace these opportunities to grow academically and personally.

Some Easy Argumentative Essay Topics on Social Media

• The Impact of Social Media: Advantages and Disadvantages
• Is Social Media Enhancing or Eroding Our Real-Life Social Skills?
• Should There Be Stricter Regulations on Social Media Content to Protect Youth?
• Social Media's Role in Relationships: Communication Enhancer or Barrier
• Does Social Media Contribute to Political Polarization?
• The Role of Social Media in Shaping Perceptions of Divorce
• The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health: Benefit or Harm?
• Can Social Media Be Considered a Reliable Source of News and Information?
• Is Social Media Responsible for the Rise in Cyberbullying?
• Impact of Social Media on Mental Health
• Does Social Media Promote Narcissism and Self-Centered Behaviors?
• The Role of Social Media in Business Marketing: Is It Indispensable?

Hooks Examples for Argumentative Essay about Social Media

• "In an era where a single tweet can ignite a movement or ruin a reputation, social media's influence on our lives is undeniable. But is this digital revolution more beneficial or harmful to society?"
• "As social media platforms increasingly shape public opinion and behavior, the debate intensifies: Do they promote free expression or fuel misinformation and division?"
• "Social media has transformed how we communicate, but at what cost? Exploring the impacts on mental health, privacy, and societal norms reveals a complex web of benefits and drawbacks."
• "With billions of users worldwide, social media holds unprecedented power. Should we celebrate its role in connecting people or scrutinize its potential to manipulate and mislead?"
• "From viral challenges to political campaigns, social media is a double-edged sword. Is it a force for positive change or a threat to our privacy and well-being?"

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Social media is a digital platform that allows users to create, share, and exchange information and ideas.

Social media's origins trace back to May 24, 1844, with the telegraph's electronic dots and dashes. Modern narratives often cite the 1969 creation of ARPANET as the internet's beginning. In 1987, the National Science Foundation's NSFNET, a robust nationwide digital network, was established. A significant milestone in social media history occurred in 1997 with the launch of Six Degrees, the first genuine social media platform.

• Social Networking Sites: Facebook, LinkedIn, and MySpace.
• Microblogging Platforms: Twitter.
• Media Sharing Networks: Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat.
• Discussion Forums and Community-Based Platforms: Reddit and Quora.
• Blogging Platforms: WordPress and Blogger.
• Social Bookmarking and Content Curation Platforms: Pinterest and Flipboard.
• Messaging Apps: WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and WeChat.

Facebook (2004), Reddit (2005), Twitter (2006), Instagram (2010), Pinterest (2010), Snapchat (2011), TikTok (2016)

• Increased Connectivity
• Information Sharing and Awareness
• Networking and Professional Opportunities
• Creativity and Self-Expression
• Supportive Communities and Causes
• Privacy Concerns
• Cyberbullying and Online Harassment
• Information Overload and Misinformation
• Time and Productivity Drain
• Comparison and Self-Esteem Issues

The topic of social media is important because it has revolutionized the way we communicate, connect, and consume information. It has a significant impact on businesses, politics, relationships, and society as a whole. Understanding the implications and effects of social media is crucial in today's digital age.

• Social media users spend an average of 2 hours and 25 minutes per day on social networking platforms. This amounts to over 7 years of an individual's lifetime spent on social media, highlighting its significant presence in our daily lives.
• Instagram has over 1 billion monthly active users, with more than 500 million of them using the platform on a daily basis.
• YouTube is the second largest search engine behind Google.
• Social media has become a major news source, with 48% of people getting their news from social media platforms. This shift in news consumption highlights the role of social media in shaping public opinion and disseminating information in real-time.
• The average internet user has 7.6 social media accounts.

1. Schober, M. F., Pasek, J., Guggenheim, L., Lampe, C., & Conrad, F. G. (2016). Social media analyses for social measurement. Public opinion quarterly, 80(1), 180-211. (https://academic.oup.com/poq/article-abstract/80/1/180/2593846) 2. Appel, G., Grewal, L., Hadi, R., & Stephen, A. T. (2020). The future of social media in marketing. Journal of the Academy of Marketing science, 48(1), 79-95. (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11747-019-00695-1?error=cookies_not_support) 3. Aichner, T., Grünfelder, M., Maurer, O., & Jegeni, D. (2021). Twenty-five years of social media: a review of social media applications and definitions from 1994 to 2019. Cyberpsychology, behavior, and social networking, 24(4), 215-222. (https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/cyber.2020.0134) 4. Ruths, D., & Pfeffer, J. (2014). Social media for large studies of behavior. Science, 346(6213), 1063-1064. (https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/science.346.6213.1063) 5. Hou, Y., Xiong, D., Jiang, T., Song, L., & Wang, Q. (2019). Social media addiction: Its impact, mediation, and intervention. Cyberpsychology: Journal of psychosocial research on cyberspace, 13(1). (https://cyberpsychology.eu/article/view/11562) 6. Auxier, B., & Anderson, M. (2021). Social media use in 2021. Pew Research Center, 1, 1-4. (https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2021/04/PI_2021.04.07_Social-Media-Use_FINAL.pdf) 7. Al-Samarraie, H., Bello, K. A., Alzahrani, A. I., Smith, A. P., & Emele, C. (2021). Young users' social media addiction: causes, consequences and preventions. Information Technology & People, 35(7), 2314-2343. (https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/ITP-11-2020-0753/full/html) 8. Bhargava, V. R., & Velasquez, M. (2021). Ethics of the attention economy: The problem of social media addiction. Business Ethics Quarterly, 31(3), 321-359. (https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/business-ethics-quarterly/article/ethics-of-the-attention-economy-the-problem-of-social-mediaaddiction/1CC67609A12E9A912BB8A291FDFFE799)

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Essay on Media: Short and Long Sample Essays

• Updated on  
• Dec 18, 2023

Media plays an important role in shaping our perceptions, influencing public opinion, and connecting individuals across the globe. The role of media in today’s modern world is not limited to just providing information. There are three basic purposes of media; inform, educate, and entertain. A society with free media allows it to have a social and cultural impact on it. Media offers us information about every activity going on in the world. Our smartphones, laptops, televisions, radios, and even public transportation have access to media, where we can watch news anytime and anywhere. Media not only influence our thoughts but can often manipulate our understanding of a particular topic. Continue reading essay on media to know more. Stay tuned!

Also Read: Social Media Bane or Boon

Also Read: Essay on Colonialism

Short Essay on Media

‘Media plays an important role in shaping our perceptions, influencing public opinion, and connecting individuals across the globe. Media includes different platforms such as television, radio, newspapers, and the internet. Media is considered a powerful tool to disseminate information and have social, cultural, and political influences on the masses.’

Some of the roles played by the media are:

• Informing the public through newspapers, news channels, and online portals.
• At the push of a button, media can provide us with a large source of information.
• Media has a significant impact on public opinion by framing issues, influencing perceptions, and shaping narratives.
• Some media platforms are considered political watchdogs, scrutinizing the actions of government officials and institutions. 
• Several media platforms rely on advertising revenue, and in turn, they provide a platform for businesses to promote their products and services.

Media can have both positive and negative impacts on an individual and society as a whole. Understanding the role of media and its limitations is important when watching or reading news. Media is meant for informational purposes. Its influence can vary from person to person. Media is a double-edged sword, which can have a negative or positive impact on our understanding, depending on how we perceive information.

Also Read: Essay on Social Issues

Long Essay on Media

‘Media is a great source of information. Some watch media for entertainment, while others for information or educational purposes. The way we perceive media can have a great impact on our understanding of a particular topic or information. In recent years, the influence of media has significantly increased. The role and influence of media is not limited and can take different forms. Newspapers and radio stations are some of the old and most preferred media sources as compared to television and internet media sources. The choices made by editors, the emphasis given to certain stories, and the narratives crafted can significantly impact how we perceive the world.

Types of Media

There are different types of media, which determine our choices.

News media comprises various platforms like SMS, blogs, email, internet, etc. These platforms are used to access and disseminate economic, social and political information. It offers new ways to develop business relationships with telecommunication companies that are capable of disseminating critical information that can change people’s lives.

Mass media includes print (newspapers, magazines), TV and radio. Due to the fast-paced TV and radio media platforms, there has been a significant decline in newspaper readership all over the world. However, there is a section of a group who still prefer newspapers as the best sources of information. On the other hand, TV and radio stations offer live information from different parts of the world.

Community Media

Community media focuses on the development and issues of a particular community. Some journalists work for community newspapers and radio stations within their community. They have their geographical limitations and sometimes are poorly resourced with immature journalists and editors.

What is the Role of Media?

‘Media plays multiple roles, educating and informing us about different fields. Media is not only there for news but also produces some amazing stories, documentaries, magazine programs and articles through its platforms.’

‘Media allows us to raise awareness and public voice against any unethical activity or decision of the government. Apart from sharing information, media has the power to be a catalyst for social change. It serves as a platform for advocacy, shedding light on injustices, and human rights violations, and inspiring collective action. 

We have witnessed how movements for equality and justice have gained momentum through the amplifying effect of media. As responsible citizens, we should support and engage with media that contributes to positive social change.

Different Roles of People in Media

Different people play different roles in the media and mass communication sector. 

• Board of Directors – Their job is to ensure that everyone within the organization fulfills their responsibilities within the given framework. They are the real policymakers within the organization. They are not responsible for day-to-day media programs. Their job is not to influence the work of editorial staff and junior journalists. 
• Media Manager – They are responsible for the formulation and implementation of policies for employees. They keep a check on what their media covers, how they have to do it, and what resources are required for everyday media coverage.
• Editors – There are different editorial teams, based on their roles and responsibilities. It includes editor-in-chief, special projects, financial, business, assignment, entertainment, etc. They are the gatekeepers because they are the final decision-makers on what will be published. They also guide journalists on the sources they would like to see in the story. 
• Sub-editors – They are an important part of a media house as they determine the ‘End product.’ Their role is to edit stories of structure, measure lengths of stories, check factual details, etc. They are responsible for writing news headlines and captions for photographs. These people have to work under strict deadlines. Because of this, their decision can be detrimental to the published stories.
• Reporter/ Journalist – They are the news hunters and gatherers. They make decisions on which stories to cover. It is critical to identify which journalists cover your type of issues and develop a relationship with them. 

Related Articles

Ans: Media plays an important role in shaping our perceptions, influencing public opinion, and connecting individuals across the globe. Media includes different platforms such as television, radio, newspapers, and the internet. 

Ans: There are three types of media: New media, Community media, and mass media.

Ans: Several people perform different roles in a media house, including reporters or journalists, sub-editors, editors, media managers, and the board of directors.

For more information on such interesting topics, visit our essay writing page and follow Leverage Edu .

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• Effects of Social Media and Internet Words: 601
• Social Media Nature and Influence Words: 638
• Youth’s Use of Social Media and Its Impact on Narcissism Words: 1646
• Social Media in Moderation Words: 1444
• The Influence of Social Media on Mental Health Words: 2391
• Social Media’s Influence on American Culture Words: 1112
• Social Media Effect on Young People Words: 575
• The Power of Social Media Words: 2322
• Negative Effects of Social Media on Health Words: 1166
• Social Media’s Influence Importance Words: 604
• How Social Media Contribute to Mental Health Words: 1744
• Are Social Media a Good Thing to Society? Words: 1392

The Influence of Social Media on Youth

Introduction, positive effects, negative outcomes, additional benefit.

These days, media channels are becoming more diverse and innovative. Information and communication technologies and their discoveries provide the media environment intensification. Digital developments are nearly correlated with global and societal changes displayed through the update of social values and interpersonal communication models. These trends are more evident among youth as this social group is the most mobile and responsive to almost all aspects of progress. The media culture of a young person remains remarkably crucial in this process.

The question of how social media impacts youth remains debatable. The book called “Youth and Media: Current Perspectives on Media Use and Effects” examines the effects of the Internet on young people’s socialization: both positive and negative (Baumgartner et al.). The young user faces a massive stream of various information on the Internet. This is partially deposited in the mind and can influence the formation of young people’s attitudes to different aspects of life, their worldview, and the ability to socialize.

First of all, social media affects the mental health of a young person positively. Social media facilitates horizontal connections between people and are used to spread information. According to Baumgartner et al. (45), the media, especially the Internet, provides social support for teenagers, decreasing loneliness and isolation, and helping build new friendships online. The Internet has connected different societies and their cultures in everyday communication and is now creating social relationships on the network (Baumgartner et al. 56). The book’s authors provide various examples of how social media allows for uniting people with similar views. For instance, Baumgartner et al. (56) claim that young people tend to join communities because of the expectation of reciprocity, respect, and a feeling of effectiveness. Users also perceive the online group of interest as a place to interact with its other members. If it is appropriately structured, a community can also be a “safe” place to express ideas (Baumgartner et al. 56). Since young people feel more comfortable and relaxed online than in real life, they can have opinions on various topics without fear of being judged and compared, which contributes to a person’s well-being and mental health.

Secondly, communication on social networks allows the youth to master and maintain relationships with friends and relatives. For example, Baumgartner et al. (87) note that sharing photos on social media enhances family relationships. Online friendship increases the social capital and circle of acquaintances (Baumgartner et al. 87). Its increase leads to an awareness of one’s own needs and significance (Baumgartner et al. 88). The positive effect of the Internet’s influence on young people’s socialization is meaningful. People have new online platforms and chances for interaction and information exchange, facilitating, and accelerating socialization.

Despite some positive sides, several adverse outcomes caused by imbalanced social media usage are presented in the book. For instance, Baumgartner et al. (130) emphasize that young people with insufficient interpersonal experience who have difficulties in live communication perceive the network as more convenient. Consequently, overuse of the Internet can be addictive, leading to depression. Baumgartner et al. (132) observed that young people’s addiction to social networking online leads to using the Internet in more intrusive ways. Therefore, the book reveals not only beneficial factors of social media usage but also states that in case teenagers have poor communication skills offline, they are likely to prioritize online conversations. It may provoke communication anxiety, while the latter stimulates obsessive network use.

Moreover, people who spend much time on social media tend to consider online communication convenient but restrained in communicative effectiveness. It appears due to the lack of various non-verbal cues available in real interaction (Baumgartner et al. 135). According to Baumgartner et al. (136), anxiety resulting from live interaction motivates an obsessive request to communicate safely online, while successful communication attempts increase the amount of time spent on the Internet.

Nevertheless, the book’s compilers suggest that social media enables online learning for those who pursue self-education. According to Baumgartner et al. (60), the possibility of acquiring knowledge and information online affects young people’s socialization, breaking down geographic barriers between people and empowering them to receive information regardless of location. Plunging into a topic of interest, teenagers try to achieve recognition for their expertise. Some researchers call this phenomenon “geek learning” (Baumgartner et al. 97). According to Baumgartner et al. (102), the active use of social networks for communication increases students’ average scores, especially in senior years. Therefore, for numerous adolescents, social networking is an essential motive for self-development.

The Internet, especially media, is integral to the daily life of all people. Society should not categorically affirm that social media causes only benefit or only adverse outcomes. The book “Youth and Media: Current Perspectives on Media Use and Effects” focuses on the fact that social networks’ influence on youth is diverse and ambiguous. The impact on a particular individual depends on their subjective qualities. For example, communication through the Internet can be harmful as it leads to social anxiety and a lack of real-life communication. Simultaneously, this can help those who intend to find new friends and express their thoughts clearly. People should stay conscious about the use of social networks to be able to get the maximum benefit and minimum negative consequences. The Internet has advantages and disadvantages concerning the human mind, largely shaping its position and worldview, and affecting people’s ability to socialize.

Baumgartner, Susanne E., et al., editors. Youth and Media: Current Perspectives on Media Use and Effects . Nomos Verlag, 2018.

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A look at James Baldwin’s enduring influence on art and activism

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• Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/a-look-at-james-baldwins-enduring-influence-on-art-and-activism

The legendary writer and activist James Baldwin would have turned 100 this month. He is best known for his novels and essays and as a moral voice addressing race, sexuality and the very fabric of American democracy. Jeffrey Brown looks at Baldwin's enduring legacy for our series, Art in Action, exploring the intersection of art and democracy and for our arts and culture coverage, CANVAS.

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Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors.

Amna Nawaz:

This month, the legendary writer and activist James Baldwin would have turned 100 years old.

Baldwin is best known for his novels and essays and as a moral voice addressing race, sexuality and the very fabric of American democracy. Nearly 40 years after his death, his words are more relevant than ever.

Jeffrey Brown looks at his enduring legacy for our series Art in Action, exploring the intersection of art and democracy, and our ongoing Canvas coverage.

James Baldwin, Writer:

The inequality suffered by the American Negro population of the United States has hindered the American dream.

Jeffrey Brown:

James Baldwin, novelist, essayist, civil rights activist, public intellectual, here debating William F. Buckley Jr. at the University of Cambridge in 1965.

Eddie Glaude Jr., Princeton University:

He's engaged in this ongoing work of self-creation, in this sustained reflection on the power of the American idea. He's bringing the full weight of his intellect to bear on this project.

Eddie Glaude Jr. is a professor of African American studies at Princeton University and author of the 2020 book "Begin Again: James Baldwin's America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own."

Eddie Glaude Jr.:

I think, if you read Baldwin closely, there is this underlying idea that we have yet to discover who we are, right, because the ghosts of the past in so many ways, not only blind us, but they have us by the throat.

James Arthur Baldwin was born in Harlem in 1924 and raised there by his mother and stepfather, a Baptist preacher. The oldest of nine children, he excelled in school and served as a junior minister.

A man on the margins, Black and queer, he spent years of his life abroad, much of it in France, beginning at age 24. He wrote novels, including "Go Tell It on the Mountain," an autobiographical book about growing up in Harlem, and "Giovanni's Room" about a tormented love affair between two men living in Paris, and powerful essays exploring race and American identity, including "Notes of a Native Son" and "The Fire Next Time."

He's one of the greatest essayists we have ever produced, the world has ever produced I think, and his subject is us. But his vantage point, it's not that of a victim. His vantage point is from those who've had to bear the burden of America's refusal to look itself squarely in the face.

He was also a playwright and poet, an activist who marched and spoke out for civil rights, including on television, here on "The Dick Cavett Show" in 1969.

James Baldwin:

And the word Negro in this country really is designed, finally, to disguise the fact that one is talking about another man, a man like you, who wants what you want.

And insofar as the American public wants to think there has been progress, they overlook one very simple thing. I don't want to be given anything by you. I just want you to leave me alone, so I can do it myself.

Baldwin died in 1987, but he's remained a powerful cultural presence, one that's only grown in the past decade.

There are days — this is one of them — when you wonder what your role is in this country and what your future is in it.

In the 2016 documentary "I Am Not Your Negro," director Raoul Peck drew from Baldwin's own words. As he told me then:

Raoul Peck, Director:

He was already a classic, and he wrote those things 40, 50 years ago. And watching the film, you think that he would have — he wrote that in the morning, the morning before watching the film, because those words are so accurate, they are so prescient and so impactful, that you can't do it better.

In 2018, Baldwin's 1974 novel "If Beale Street Could Talk" was adapted by Oscar-winning director Barry Jenkins.

Barry Jenkins, Director:

Whether I had won eight Oscars or no Oscars, it's James damn Baldwin, you know? It's James Baldwin. That's pressure enough, in and of itself, because I wanted to honor his legacy in the way that I thought it should be honored.

And now a celebration of the centennial of his birth, including an exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery called This Morning, This Evening, So Soon: James Baldwin and the Voices of Queer Resistance, which takes its name from a short story he published in 1960, another at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture titled Jimmy: Gods Black Revolutionary Mouth, presenting Baldwin's archive of personal papers.

There's a new album by singer-songwriter and bassist Meshell Ndegeocello called No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin, and reissues of seminal works with new introductions and artwork.

Cree Myles, Host, "The Baldwin 100": What is the best lesson you have learned being in the spiritual community that you are in with James Baldwin?

Along with a podcast, "The Baldwin 100," in which host Cree Myles talks with contemporary writers and thinkers.

What is his relevance today, especially when you think about younger people, younger readers, younger citizens?

Cree Myles:

Despite the time that has passed, his amount of truth is still relatively radical. When I think about his novels and "Giovanni's Room," and we're thinking about the ways that he grappled with, like, sexuality, those are things were still coming to terms with.

Acclaimed Irish novelist Colm Toibin contributed the new book "On James Baldwin."

Colm Toibin, Author, "On James Baldwin": I'm interested in him as, I suppose, someone who really found ways of dealing with individuality versus community, with being an artist in a difficult time.

But more than anything, more than anything, he wrote well.

Toibin saw connections to his own upbringing and told us how Baldwin has influenced him as writer and man.

Colm Toibin:

It's a question of engaging with this great intelligence and with the sensuous intelligence, with someone sort of thinking brilliantly and glittering sort of way.

But it is also, of course, developing strategies, which he did in relation to his family, in relation to Harlem, in relation to Black America, in relation to exile, in relation to attempting to being an artist in a time of flux, and also in a way of being a gay artist, a homosexual artist coming out of a world which is very conservative and very religious, and attempting also to build strategies around that that give you energy, rather than ones that take you down.

One deeply resonant thread through all the commemorations, Baldwin's focus on the fragility of democracy itself.

Baldwin's exposing the lie that is the source of the suffering, that defines this fragile project, it seems to me. He's committed to democracy. He's committed to America. After all, we are deeply American. But, by virtue of that commitment, he has to relentlessly critique it.

It comes as a great shock to discover the country, which is your birthplace and to which you owe your life and your identity, has not, in its whole system of reality, evolved any place for you.

A commitment, as Glaude puts it, to the complex experiment called America.

For the "PBS News Hour," I'm Jeffrey Brown.

Listen to this Segment

Watch the Full Episode

In his more than 30-year career with the News Hour, Brown has served as co-anchor, studio moderator, and field reporter on a wide range of national and international issues, with work taking him around the country and to many parts of the globe. As arts correspondent he has profiled many of the world's leading writers, musicians, actors and other artists. Among his signature works at the News Hour: a multi-year series, “Culture at Risk,” about threatened cultural heritage in the United States and abroad; the creation of the NewsHour’s online “Art Beat”; and hosting the monthly book club, “Now Read This,” a collaboration with The New York Times.

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Where J.D. Vance Gets His Weird, Terrifying Techno-Authoritarian Ideas

Yes, peter thiel was the senator’s benefactor. but they’re both inspired by an obscure software developer who has some truly frightening thoughts about reordering society..

In 2008, a software developer in San Francisco named Curtis Yarvin , writing under a pseudonym , proposed a horrific solution for people he deemed “not productive”: “convert them into biodiesel, which can help power the Muni buses.”

Yarvin, a self-described reactionary and extremist who was 35 years old at the time, clarified that he was “just kidding.” But then he continued, “The trouble with the biodiesel solution is that no one would want to live in a city whose public transportation was fueled, even just partly, by the distilled remains of its late underclass. However, it helps us describe the problem we are trying to solve. Our goal, in short, is a humane alternative to genocide. ”

He then concluded that the “best humane alternative to genocide” is to “virtualize” these people: Imprison them in “permanent solitary confinement” where, to avoid making them insane, they would be connected to an “immersive virtual-reality interface” so they could “experience a rich, fulfilling life in a completely imaginary world.”

Yarvin’s disturbing manifestos have earned him influential followers, chief among them: tech billionaire Peter Thiel and his onetime Silicon Valley protégé Senator J.D. Vance, whom the Republican Party just nominated to be Donald Trump’s vice president. If Trump wins the election, there is little doubt that Vance will bring Yarvin’s twisted techno-authoritarianism to the White House, and one can imagine—with horror—what a receptive would-be autocrat like Trump might do with those ideas.

Trump’s first campaign was undoubtedly a watershed moment for authoritarianism in American politics, but some thinkers on the right had been laying the groundwork for years, hoping for someone to mainstream their ideas. Yarvin was one of them. Way back in 2012, in a speech on “ How to Reboot the US Government ,” he said, “If Americans want to change their government, they’re going to have to get over their dictator phobia.” He had also written favorably of slavery and white nationalists in the late 2000s (though he has stated that he is not a white nationalist himself).

Both Thiel and Vance are friends of Yarvin . In The Contrarian : Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley’s Pursuit of Power, reporter Max Chafkin describes Yarvin as the “house political philosopher” of the “Thielverse,” a term for the people in Thiel’s orbit. In 2013, Thiel invested in Tlön, a software startup co-founded by Yarvin. In 2016, Yarvin attended Thiel’s election night party in San Francisco where, according to Chafkin, champagne flowed once it became clear that Thiel’s investment in Donald Trump would pay off.

Since entering politics, Vance has publicly praised—and parroted—Yarvin’s ideas. That was worrying enough when Vance was only a senator. Now that he could soon be a heartbeat away from the presidency, his close ties to Yarvin are more alarming than ever. Superficial analyses of why certain tech billionaires are aligning with Trump tend to fixate on issues like taxes and regulations, but that’s only part of the story. Tech plutocrats like Thiel and Elon Musk already have money. Now they want power—as much as money can buy.

Stories about Vance tend to focus on his hardscrabble Ohio roots, but his relationship with Thiel—and his stint in San Francisco—are key to understanding his politics. Vance owes his meteoric rise to Thiel, who largely bankrolled it. As a Yale Law student in 2011, he heard Thiel give a speech in which he suggested that smart people should be working in tech instead of wasting their time at elite schools. Afterward, Vance emailed Thiel, who invited him to California.

Following a brief stint as a lawyer, Vance moved to San Francisco. Eventually, he landed at Mithril Capital, a company co-founded by Thiel. He finished writing Hillbilly Elegy while there, and Thiel wrote a blurb praising it. When Vance moved back to Ohio and eventually started his own fund, Narya Capital , both Thiel and Marc Andreessen invested. When Vance ran for U.S. Senate in 2022, Thiel spent an unprecedented $15 million on the campaign and persuaded Trump to endorse him (Vance had previously compared Trump to Hitler ). In 2024, Thiel led the charge to convince Trump to pick Vance as V.P.

Vance is a Thiel creation. And like his billionaire benefactor—who once wrote , “I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible”—Vance embraces a radical ideology hell-bent on destroying government as we know it. And they got these ideas, at least in part, from Yarvin.

Yarvin is the chief thinker behind an obscure but increasingly influential far-right neoreaction, or NRx, movement, that some call the “ Dark Enlightenment .” Among other things, it openly promotes dictatorships as superior to democracies and views nations like the United States as outdated software systems. Yarvin seeks to reengineer governments by breaking them up into smaller entities called “patchworks,” which would be controlled by tech corporations.

“The basic idea of Patchwork is that, as the crappy governments we inherited from history are smashed, they should be replaced by a global spiderweb of tens, even hundreds, of thousands of sovereign and independent mini-countries, each governed by its own joint-stock corporation without regard to the residents’ opinions,” he wrote in Patchwork: A Political System for the 21st Century.

Each patchwork would be ruled by a “realm”: a corporation with absolute power. Citizens would be free to move, but every other realm would also be ruled by corporate governments with chilling impunity. For example, Yarvin says the tech overlords of the San Francisco realm could arbitrarily decide to cut off its citizens’ hands with no fear of legal consequences—because they’re a sovereign power, beholden to no federal government or laws.

The realm, having sovereign power, can compel the resident to comply with all promises. Since San Francisco is not an Islamic state, it does not ask its residents to agree that their hand will be cut off if they steal. But it could. And San Francisco, likewise, can promise not to cut off its residents’ hands until it is blue in the face—but, since it is a sovereign state, no one can enforce this promise against it.

In “Friscorp,” as Yarvin calls the San Francisco realm, an all-seeing Orwellian surveillance system would enforce public safety: “All residents, even temporary visitors, carry an ID card with RFID response. All are genotyped and iris-scanned. Public places and transportation systems track everyone. Security cameras are ubiquitous. Every car knows where it is, and who is sitting in it, and tells the authorities both.”

Vance has not advocated for realms—yet—but some of his most extreme ideas echo Yarvin. They’re both fond of political purges, for instance. In a 2021 podcast interview , Vance was asked how to get liberals out of government institutions. “De-Nazification, De-Baathification,” he replied. “I tend to think that we should seize the institutions of the left. And turn them against the left. We need like a de-Baathification program, a de-woke-ification program.”

He predicted Trump would run again and win, then offered some advice: “I think that what Trump should do, if I was giving him one piece of advice: Fire every single midlevel bureaucrat, every civil servant in the administrative state, replace them with our people.” He added that Trump should defy any court orders that tried to halt this partisan purge of the civil service.

Yarvin calls this plan RAGE: Retire All Government Employees . It’s captured perfectly in Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’s blueprint for a second Trump administration, which calls for firing an estimated 500,000 federal employees and dismantling entire agencies. If Trump wins, Vance may well be in charge of executing the plan.

Vance did not get this extremist ideology from his Appalachian upbringing or—needless to say—Yale Law. It was incubated in America’s tech capital, San Francisco, where he forged crucial ties with Thiel, Yarvin, and David Sacks , the longtime Thiel associate and pro-Putin crusader who recently hosted a Trump fundraiser at his mansion in Pacific Heights. And if Vance ends up in the White House, it will be with $45 million in monthly campaign contributions from Musk , who already made a $44 billion in-kind contribution by gutting San Francisco-based Twitter and transforming it into a right-wing misinformation weapon.

In a fateful twist, San Francisco also launched the political career of Kamala Harris, who is set to inherit the task of saving American democracy from tech authoritarianism.

Gil Duran is a San Francisco journalist who previously served as editorial page editor of The Sacramento Bee and The San Francisco Examiner .

The Influence of Media Advertising on Teenagers – Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

How does advertising influence teenagers? The answer to this question can be found in the essay below.

Introduction

Negative influences of advertising on teenagers, anxiety regarding body image, unhealthy eating habits and disorders, violence and stereotypes, tobacco and alcohol consumption, enhancement of teenager’s propensity to risk.

Advertising affects teenagers in various ways, many of which are negative. Teenagers become attracted to various forms of advertisements. As they grow older, they encounter more advertisements, thereby affecting their personalities. Children are surrounded by advertisements during every stage of development. Extensive research conducted has revealed that teenagers play a key role in various markets owing to their purchase and consumption patterns (Berger 2011).

The major motivation behind teenage purchases is the influence that originates from advertisements posted on magazines, newspapers, and the internet (Kirsh 2010). According to research, teenagers are the top consumers in America, contributing about $150 billion every year through purchase of goods and services (Schudson 2013).

A study conducted by Music Television (MTV) revealed that many teenagers are attracted to advertisements and programs that include provocative features related to sex, antisocial behavior, and violence (Schudson 2013). In addition, the study found out that many adolescents proceed to model different actions and behaviors depicted on such commercials and TV shows. Similar studies have provided results that various companies and organizations use in developing marketing strategies for their products and services.

The main purpose of this paper is to explore the negative effects of advertisements on teenagers and the various ways in which parents and teachers can mitigate the influences. Negative influences of advertising on teenagers include embracement of unhealthy eating habits, lack of self-esteem and confidence, perpetuation of violence and stereotypes, propagation of drinking and smoking, enhancement of teenagers’ propensity to risk, and development of anxiety regarding their body images (Berger 2011).

It is important for parents and teachers to educate teenagers regarding the effects of advertising on their well-being. Parents should limit the amount of time that their children are exposed to advertising that affects them negatively.

Teenagers are constantly exposed to advertisements that have negative influences on their eating habits, personalities, attitudes, and behaviors (Gunter & McAleer 2005). Different forms of advertisements are embedded in movies, films, plays, and internet programs that teenagers watch. The main aim of these advertisements is to influence teenagers into buying certain products so that companies can increase sales and loyalty to their brands.

Through the influence of advertisements, teenagers buy into the culture of letting other people decide the attitudes they develop, the clothes they wear, the foods they eat, how they behave, and how they treat other people (Kirsh 2010). Advertising influences teenagers easily because adolescence is a critical stage in the development of identity as well as personal ideals and values. Teenagers behave in ways that increase chances of acceptance and validation among their peers.

Product and service companies spend billions of dollars in marketing and advertising every year. Their main target is teenagers because young people are easily influenced and as such can be convinced to subscribe to herd mentality (Kirsh 2010). Young people buy anything that is described as trendy and fun. It is easy for companies to alter their beliefs and attitudes by constantly presenting their products to them on TV, the internet, and other media platforms.

Several companies use celebrities to endorse their products because they are sure that by so doing, teenagers would be influenced into using them because of their admiration for celebrities and their glamorous lifestyles (Kirsh 2010). Advertising affects several aspects of teenagers’ lives including their psychology, physical well being, behaviors, attitudes, and personalities.

Governments, parents, and teachers are doing their best to ensure that teenagers are not affected negatively by advertising. However, the billions of dollars set apart by companies for marketing and advertising undermine their efforts. The government should impose strict regulations in order to compel companies and media platforms to avoid advertisements that affect teenagers negatively.

Advertisements create a sense of anxiety in teenagers about their body images that makes them feel inadequate (Kirsh 2010). A common method of marketing used by companies is making teenagers feel inadequate and awful about their bodies. To accomplish this goal, companies use thin female models and well toned male models in advertisements making teenagers feel fat, too thin, too big, or unattractive (Levine 2010).

Many teenagers feel inadequate, and as a result use diet regimens, drugs, and exercise to live up to the standards set by the models shown in advertisements. For many teenagers, the main goal is to attain the bodies of the models and celebrities on advertisements (Berger 2011). This striving for perfection leads to low self-esteem and diminished self-worth. Teenagers compromise their identity and academic achievements.

Advertisements show ideal body images of males and females in ways that create negative social cues in the minds of teenagers. Young people embrace the belief that if they do not possess the looks and bodies of their favorite celebrities, then they fail to measure up to societal standards. Men are presented as alert, domineering, physically active, and energetic. They possess strong hands, six-pack abs, acne-free faces, tall heights, and huge biceps (Gunter & McAleer 2005).

Young people who do not meet these standards develop anxiety and learn to dislike their bodies. Others find ways to attain these features by exercising excessively, dieting, and using steroids without minding the negative consequences on their health (Gunter & McAleer 2005).

Advertisements present unrealistic images of celebrities and models that young boys and girls try to attain in order to feel good about their bodies. Females are presented as weak, vulnerable, emotional, compassionate, and docile. Therefore, advertisements depict them as thin, buxom, and curvy. Advertisements convince female teenagers that women with these traits are perfect, loved, and happy. This makes them feel inadequate because of the absence of traits that define beauty and perfection.

Advertisements glamorize skinny models and depict them as perfect and beautiful. Surveys show that the average teenager in the United States sees approximately 3000 advertisements from different media outlets every day (Preiss 2007). This implies that the influence of advertisements on teenagers is immense.

Products that target girls approach the concept of beauty from unrealistic perspectives. Many celebrities undergo surgery as a way of attaining the ideal body size, shape, and complexion. This influences teenagers into opting for similar strategies. According to psychologists, body image is a psychological aspect that determines the self-esteem and self-worth of individuals (Gunter et al . 2004). It is determined by an individual’s perception of their body and the perception of other people.

Advertisements are edited and altered in order to meet the requirements of the advertiser. One of the major aims of advertisements is to create an illusion of perfection and wholeness that is associated with using certain products (Gunter & McAleer 2005). For instance, food supplements are accompanied by images of models with well-defined abs and well- toned biceps to show their effect on individual who consume them.

Representation of ideal body images in the aforementioned manner provides an unrealistic representation of celebrities, models, and other people of influence (Preiss 2007). Teenagers accept the representations as reality and therefore work towards attaining similar body shapes. Young people fail to realize that such images are altered using technology in order to create definite effects that pass certain messages (Gunter et al . 2004).

Teenagers fail to differentiate reality from fiction. Teenagers buy certain products hoping to attain the body images presented in advertisements. Another reason why teenagers are negatively influenced by advertisements is the fear of not being accepted by peers. The media presents various body shape ideals that alter the attitudes and thinking patterns of young people. For instance, teenagers worship celebrities because they are depicted as perfect (Gunter et al . 2004).

They are shown to have perfect bodies, exceptional fashion sense, and good mannerisms. In their efforts to ape celebrities, teenagers develop anxiety regarding their bodies because in many cases, they fail to attain similar shapes, sizes, and complexions (Preiss 2007). Advertisements associate certain body types with popularity and influence. For instance, well toned men are depicted as popular, influential, and amiable.

In order to protect teenagers from the negative effects of advertisements, parents and teachers should help teenagers understand that the images they see on commercials are unrealistic and fictional. Parents need to limit the amount of time their children spend online and watching TV (Preiss 2007). In addition, they should communicate regularly with their children in order to discuss various issues that affect their confidence and self-esteem.

Advertising influences teenagers into embracing unhealthy eating habits that result in eating disorders (Levine 2010). Numerous media channels and forms of advertising influence the food-purchase behaviors of teenagers. These channels include kids clubs, in-school marketing, TV, internet, product placements, branded toys and products (Gunter et al . 2004). Research has revealed a connection between eating habits of teenagers and prevalence of fast food commercials on television, internet, and magazines.

Teenagers who spend a lot of time watching TV and reading magazines and newspapers are more prone to unhealthy eating habits than teenagers who spend little time watching TV. Advertisements depict sugary foods, junk food, and sweet snacks as fun and indicative of youthful vigor. According to the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, teenagers are exposed to approximately three hours of fast food commercials on a daily basis (Gunter et al . 2004).

On the other hand, more than 50 percent of the advertisements that teenagers view in a year comprise fast food and unhealthy food products (Nicolas &Good 2004). Fast food organizations target teenagers because they have the ability to alter their families’ spending plans and purchase fast foods as compared to adults. In addition, teenagers are more attracted to fast foods and sugary food products.

Advertisements encourage teenagers to consume unhealthy foods that cause disorders such as obesity. Young people who often eat in fast food restaurants are less likely to develop healthy eating habits. In restaurants that serve fast foods, menus contain few healthy options. Research has revealed that in such restaurants, only 17 percent of foods served are nutritional (Nicolas &Good 2004). In the United States, the obesity rate among teenagers is approximately 17.6 percent (Nicolas &Good 2004).

This percentage is largely due to high consumption of foods with low nutritional values. Unhealthy food habits coupled with lack of physical exercise results in disorders that have negative health outcomes. Teenagers spend a lot of time online, watching TV, and reading entertainment literature.

This contributes to exposure to fast food commercials. Advertisers aim to impress children with commercials in order to build brand loyalty (Nicolas &Good 2004). Therefore, their commercials exclude the consequences of consuming fast foods on proper growth and development (Gunter et al . 2004). Advertisers show the fun that is associated with consuming such foods. These commercials create certain impressions on the minds of teenagers and as such encourage them to consume more.

Advertisements lead to insufficient intake of nutritionally rich foods that are vital for optimal mental and physical growth. Nutrition during adolescence is an important aspect because it fosters proper growth and development. The eating habits during adolescence are carried on to adulthood. Therefore, it is necessary for teenagers to embrace healthy eating habits. Numerous studies have revealed that many teenagers in the United States have unhealthy eating habits that fail to meet standard dietary requirements.

About 15 percent of teenagers in the U.S. are obese due to poor eating habits (Nicolas &Good 2004). Obese teenagers are exposed to high risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. These health risks have negative consequences on the health and productivity of teenagers. In addition, they increase health costs associated with treatment. Lack of nutritionally rich foods has a negative effect on the growth and development of teenagers into adulthood.

Optimal mental and physical health is fostered by healthy eating habits which involve foods that contain recommended nutritional components. During puberty, the bodies of teenagers undergo increased growth, which is characterized by different changes in body form. During this stage, the bodies of adolescents require high intake of energy and nutrients for proper development (Nicolas &Good 2004). Energy and nutrient intake is largely affected by teenagers’ food choices.

The main causes of unhealthy eating habits among teenagers include peer influence, the need for autonomy, preoccupation with self image, and poor nutritional choices. Research has shown that proper nutrition plays a key role in preventing chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart diseases, stroke, and cancer (Nicolas &Good 2004). Health experts urge parents to ensure that their children embrace healthy eating habits in order to lower the risk of developing disorders and complications associated with poor nutrition.

Surveys conducted to study the nutrient intake of teenagers have revealed that teenagers’ eating habits do not fulfill the requirements of nutrient intake for optimal growth and development (Nicolas &Good 2004). Many teenagers consume fatty and sugary foods and thus limit their intake of folic acid, fiber, certain vitamins, and minerals such as Calcium and Zinc (Gunter et al . 2004). Insufficient intake of minerals has adverse effects on teenagers.

For instance, low intake of calcium and iron among teenage girls affects their cognitive functions. In addition, it alters physical performance. Low intake of calcium exposes teenagers to high risk of developing osteoporosis in adulthood (Nicolas &Good 2004). Parents and teachers can prevent the negative effects of advertisements on teenagers by encouraging healthy eating habits and teaching young people about the consequences of unhealthy diets. In addition, parents should limit their children’s calorie intake.

Research has revealed that advertisements perpetuate violence and stereotyping among teenagers (Rifon et al . 2014). Gender stereotyping is the main form of stereotyping perpetuated by advertisements. In commercials, women are presented as sexual objects that are meant to satisfy men’s sexual needs. In addition, the roles of women are presented as belonging to the bedroom and kitchen only. Women are required to get married, bear children, and take care of their families.

In addition, they are expected to be compassionate, loving, obedient, and submissive to their partners. Amidst these expectations, women are required to look young, healthy, and beautiful. These advertisements influence the way female teenagers are treated at home, in school, and in society (Nicolas &Good 2004).

For instance, in school, girls play certain sports and perform certain roles that limit their potential for achievement. Gender stereotypes have a negative influence on teenagers because they limit their self-expression and achievement (Nicolas &Good 2004). In addition, they suppress their creativity because teenagers act and behave based on certain societal standards and expectations.

In advertisements, males are depicted as strong, domineering, aggressive, courageous, competitive, and assertive. In contrast, females are depicted as weak, emotional, acquiescent, kind, obedient, and polite (Rifon et al . 2014). Exposure to advertisements that contain such content influences the perspectives and attitudes of teenagers in a negative way. Girls are expected to be submissive and emotional. This way of thinking affects how boys treat girls.

Gender stereotypes affect girls especially with regard to career and professional development. In certain industries, employers shy away from employing women because of the stereotypes associated with the female gender. Research has revealed that stereotypes emanate from upbringing and external influence (Gunter et al . 2004).

Gender stereotypes restrict women to certain roles, careers, and pursuits. Society punishes those who defy its rules by perpetuating criticism, violence, and ridicule. One of the main consequences of stereotyping is gender violence (Rifon et al . 2014). Men perpetuate violent acts and reactions towards women because of the common stereotype that men are supposed to be tough and aggressive (Rifon et al . 2014).

Society regards violence against women as normal. In numerous advertisements, acts of violence are considered customary and an expression of masculinity. Therefore, many communities tolerate violence and do little to squash it. Requiring women to be inferior to men undermines them and limits their potential. The media perpetuates these ills by promoting prejudices and attitudes that encourage stereotyping.

Depicting women as sexual objects encourages violence and stereotyping (Nicolas &Good 2004). Men treat women without respect because the media has conditioned them to view women as objects to satiate their sexual desires (Rifon et al . 2014). In addition, gender violence is rampant because men are conditioned to believe that they are superior to women. Therefore, any act of disrespect or opposition from a woman is unacceptable.

Men use any measure available to maintain dominion over women. The perception that women are inferior is evident in advertisements that present women as naked, weak, and submissive (Frith & Mueller 2010). Rarely do men appear in advertisements naked or submissive. Women appear naked because society treats them as sexual objects. Such advertisements affect the attitudes of young people towards women. They learn to dominate and use women for the satiation of their sexual desires.

Advertisements create long lasting negative effects on the personalities of young boys and girls. This results from long-term exposure of violent attitudes and personalities presented in advertisements. Teenagers embrace violence due to the negative influence of violent content in different advertisements.

Prolonged exposure to violence and stereotypes leads to negative impacts on the personalities of teenagers. It is imperative for parents and teachers to teach teenagers about the dangers of violence and stereotyping. In addition, they should ensure that teenagers have limited exposure to commercials and advertisements that have negative effects on their behavior, attitudes, and personalities.

Prolonged exposure to advertising is largely responsible for the high rate of smoking and alcohol consumption among teenagers. Highly influential platforms for advertising include magazines, television, movies, and internet. Different kinds of advertisements have diverse influences on teenagers. Advertisements in magazines and concession stands have great influence on teenagers who have never encountered alcohol in their lives.

On the other hand, advertisement displays in stores, shopping malls, and television have great influence on teenagers who have encountered alcohol use either by their parents or peers (Bryant, Zillmann & Oliver 2002). Advertisements in shopping destinations initiate teenagers to drinking and smoking due to exposure over sustained periods of time. Advertisements displayed in places that teenagers frequent link alcohol with their everyday activities.

A research study conducted in 2006 revealed that approximately 30 percent of teenagers who smoke do it because of influence from tobacco advertising (Arterburn & Burns 2007). On the other hand, a high percentage of teenagers who drink do so due to influence from alcohol advertising. One of the challenges that teenagers face is the need for peer acceptance and self-assurance (Frith & Mueller 2010). In order to satisfy these needs, they copy the behaviors of their peers and as a result, many teenagers indulge in antisocial behaviors.

As mentioned earlier, product placement in movies and TV has great influence on teenagers. For instance, in movies, alcohol is depicted as a product that helps people to relax and drown their sorrows (Shimp & Andrews 2013). This depiction makes it appealing to teenagers who develop the urge to experiment with alcohol.

The influence of alcohol commercials is augmented by the behaviors of parents who drink in the presence of their children (Arterburn & Burns 2007). It is important for parents to avoid drinking beer and smoking cigarettes in the presence of their teenage children.

Public health advocates have in numerous instances presented complaints regarding the effects of the widespread alcohol advertising in the media. Alcohol advertisements, product placements in movies and films, as well as the inclusion of alcohol lyrics in music presents an avenue through which young people learn about alcohol.

Proponents of controlled alcohol advertising argue that the rising rates of alcohol consumption among young people are largely due to constant exposure to content that encourages drinking (Strasburger 2010). Advertisers mainly use television because it is the main medium of communication that is used by teenagers. According to research, young people between the ages of 11 and 13 years watch an average of 27 hours of television every week (Ohannessian 2014).

This period is higher among young people between the ages of 14 and 19. Long periods of watching television introduces teenagers to alcohol and ingrains in their minds images of the fun associated with consuming alcohol. In many TV shows, parents consume alcohol in the presence of their children. This phenomenon is treated as a normal occurrence in families. Advertisements appeal to teenagers because they portray alcohol consumption as a sign of adulthood and maturity (Strasburger 2010).

As such, they portray drinking as a positive experience that is enjoyable and pleasurable. Prolonged exposure to advertising shapes the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of teenagers toward drinking. Gradually, young people embrace the belief that drinking is fun and an important recreational activity. In addition, they learn to associate drinking with personality traits such as elegance and sociability (Ohannessian 2014).

This increases underage drinking that manifests in negative consequences such as accidents, risky behaviors, and poor academic performance. The government, parents, and schools are doing their best to ensure that teenagers stay away from drugs and alcohol. However, they are finding it difficult because of the role played by advertisements. Despite their efforts, more than $25 billion worth of advertisements is diluting their efforts (Strasburger 2010).

The human brain undergoes a process of development that peaks during adolescence. Adolescence is a human development stage characterized by rebelliousness, dangerous experimentation, and extensive risk taking (Ohannessian 2014). Teenagers are attracted to products that are likely to satisfy their need for instant pleasure and rebellion (Shimp & Andrews 2013). Alcohol and cigarettes are major products that parents caution their children from using.

These products develop an urge in teenagers that prompts them to drink and smoke as a way of experimenting and rebelling against their parents. Many teenagers drink and smoke because alcohol and cigarettes are associated with risky behavior, instant gratification, and independence (Frith & Mueller 2010). Advertisements link alcohol and cigarettes with outcomes such as enjoyment and acceptance by peers.

The need for acceptance and pleasure encourages teenagers to drink and smoke. Extended exposure to tobacco and alcohol advertising has adverse effects on the attitudes of teenagers (Ohannessian 2014). It shapes their perceptions and attitudes with regard to alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking. These attitudes and perceptions consequently create positive links between drinking or smoking and having fun or gaining acceptance from peers (Ohannessian 2014).

Advertisements contain content that encourages teenagers to engage in behaviors such as drinking, smoking, and drug abuse (Shimp, & Andrews 2013). Research has established a relationship between several risky behaviors. For instance, teenagers who engage in risky sexual behaviors are more likely to drink alcohol and use drugs than teenagers who do not. Advertisements are very effective in altering the attitudes and beliefs of teenagers regarding different products.

This explains why companies sue billions of dollars in advertisements and marketing projects. According to a report released by the World Health Organization (WHO), advertising accounts for approximately 30% of all cases of drinking and smoking among teenagers (Strasburger 2010). One of the negative effects of cigarette advertising is that it increases the risk of teenagers smoking cigarettes and soft drugs such as marijuana.

Many young people use cigarettes as a gateway substance to other drugs (Shimp, & Andrews 2013). Advertising depicts smoking as fun and glamorous. In addition, it presents smokers are autonomous, adventurous, fun-loving, and trendy (Strasburger 2010). In contrast, the numerous negative effects of smoking are not highlighted. Despite government’s efforts to compel cigarette companies to take more responsibilities with regard to promoting good health, the efforts have not borne fruits.

Advertising in trendy teenage magazines dilutes the efforts of parents in instilling good values in their children. According to numerous studies, cases of smoking are rampant among teenagers who own items with labels of certain cigarette brands and teenagers who enjoy reading about cigarette ads in magazines (Shimp, & Andrews 2013). A meta-analysis involving 51 distinct studies on the effects of advertising on teenagers revealed that tobacco advertising increases the risk of teenagers smoking by more than 50% (Strasburger 2010).

Advertising also encourages teenagers to use prescription drugs because it presents them as the cure for all their problems (Strasburger 2010). For instance, there are pills for weight loss, weight gain, birth control, sexual intercourse, and improved performance in school. According to government statistics, prescription drugs companies spend approximately $4 billion on advertising every year (Strasburger 2010).

Prescription drugs advertisements encourage teenagers to use certain products in order to solve their problems. Drugs such as birth control pills and condoms encourage teenagers to engage in risky sexual activities because of the misguided notion that they protect them. For instance, many teenage pregnancies can be attributed to the reckless use of birth control solutions available in the market.

Research has shown that wrong use of emergency contraception has adverse effects on women who use them for prolonged periods. Many teenage girls use emergency contraception in efforts to avoid pregnancies without considering the consequences of their prolonged use.

Negative influences of advertising on teenagers include embracement of unhealthy eating habits, lack of self-esteem and confidence, perpetuation of violence and stereotypes, proliferation of drinking and smoking, enhancement of teenagers’ propensity to risk, and development of anxiety regarding one’s body image. After a thorough discussion of the negative effects of advertisements on teenagers, it has emerged that it is imperative for parents and teachers to address the issue.

Teenagers need to be educated about the differences between reality and fiction, the negative effects of violence and stereotypes, and the importance of healthy eating habits on their growth and development. Advertisements create anxiety among teenagers regarding their bodies, encourage unhealthy eating habits, enhance teenagers’ propensity to risk, link drinking and smoking with positive outcomes, and perpetuate stereotypes and violence.

This issue needs to be addressed because the habits developed during adolescent are carried forward to adulthood. The proliferation of technology has introduced numerous challenges that teenagers encounter in their daily activities. It is important for parents and teachers to limit the time that teenagers spend online and watching TV. In additional, it is very important for the government to enact legislation that protects children and young people against the negative influence of advertisements.

Adolescence is a development stage that is characterized by rebelliousness, risk taking, and dangerous experimentation. Numerous research studies have shown that advertising has far reaching effects on the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of teenagers. Products such as alcohol, cigarettes, and prescription drugs are depicted as fun, trendy, and necessary for a good life.

On the other hand, junk food, unrealistic body images, and violence are glamorized. The glamour encourages teenagers to embrace them and incorporate them as important aspects to guide their lives. It is important for parents and teachers to guide teenagers in order to help avoid risky behaviors that are perilous to their wellbeing.

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Nicolas, S & Good, T 2004, America’s Teenagers Myths and Realities: Media Images, Schooling, and the Social Costs of Careless Indifference , Routledge New York.

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Chair Lina M. Khan

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Federal Trade Commission Announces Final Rule Banning Fake Reviews and Testimonials

• Consumer Protection
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• Endorsements, Influencers, and Reviews
• Online Advertising and Marketing

The Federal Trade Commission today announced a final rule that will combat fake reviews and testimonials by prohibiting their sale or purchase and allow the agency to seek civil penalties against knowing violators.

“Fake reviews not only waste people’s time and money, but also pollute the marketplace and divert business away from honest competitors,” said FTC Chair Lina M. Khan. “By strengthening the FTC’s toolkit to fight deceptive advertising, the final rule will protect Americans from getting cheated, put businesses that unlawfully game the system on notice, and promote markets that are fair, honest, and competitive.”

The final rule announced today follows an advance notice of proposed rulemaking and  a notice of proposed rulemaking announced in November 2022 and June 2023, respectively. The FTC also held an informal hearing on the proposed rule in February 2024. In response to public comments, the Commission made numerous clarifications and adjustments to its previous proposal.

The final rule prohibits:

• Fake or False Consumer Reviews, Consumer Testimonials, and Celebrity Testimonials: The final rule addresses reviews and testimonials that misrepresent that they are by someone who does not exist, such as AI-generated fake reviews, or who did not have actual experience with the business or its products or services, or that misrepresent the experience of the person giving it. It prohibits businesses from creating or selling such reviews or testimonials. It also prohibits them from buying such reviews, procuring them from company insiders, or disseminating such testimonials, when the business knew or should have known that the reviews or testimonials were fake or false.
• Buying Positive or Negative Reviews: The final rule prohibits businesses from providing compensation or other incentives conditioned on the writing of consumer reviews expressing a particular sentiment, either positive or negative. It clarifies that the conditional nature of the offer of compensation or incentive may be expressly or implicitly conveyed.
• Insider Reviews and Consumer Testimonials: The final rule prohibits certain reviews and testimonials written by company insiders that fail to clearly and conspicuously disclose the giver’s material connection to the business. It prohibits such reviews and testimonials given by officers or managers. It also prohibits a business from disseminating such a testimonial that the business should have known was by an officer, manager, employee, or agent. Finally, it imposes requirements when officers or managers solicit consumer reviews from their own immediate relatives or from employees or agents – or when they tell employees or agents to solicit reviews from relatives and such solicitations result in reviews by immediate relatives of the employees or agents.
• Company-Controlled Review Websites: The final rule prohibits a business from misrepresenting that a website or entity it controls provides independent reviews or opinions about a category of products or services that includes its own products or services.
• Review Suppression: The final rule prohibits a business from using unfounded or groundless legal threats, physical threats, intimidation, or certain false public accusations to prevent or remove a negative consumer review. The final rule also bars a business from misrepresenting that the reviews on a review portion of its website represent all or most of the reviews submitted when reviews have been suppressed based upon their ratings or negative sentiment.
• Misuse of Fake Social Media Indicators: The final rule prohibits anyone from selling or buying fake indicators of social media influence, such as followers or views generated by a bot or hijacked account. This prohibition is limited to situations in which the buyer knew or should have known that the indicators were fake and misrepresent the buyer’s influence or importance for a commercial purpose.

As the Commission noted previously, case-by-case enforcement without civil penalty authority might not be enough to deter clearly deceptive review and testimonial practices. The Supreme Court’s decision in AMG Capital Management LLC v. FTC has hindered the FTC’s ability to seek monetary relief for consumers under the FTC Act. This rule will enhance deterrence and strengthen FTC enforcement actions.

The Commission vote to approve the final rule and accompanying statement of basis and purpose was 5-0. The rule will become effective 60 days after the date it’s published in the Federal Register.

The primary staff members on this matter are Michael Ostheimer and Michael Atleson in the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. 

The Federal Trade Commission works to promote competition and protect and educate consumers .  The FTC will never demand money, make threats, tell you to transfer money, or promise you a prize. Learn more about consumer topics at consumer.ftc.gov , or report fraud, scams, and bad business practices at  ReportFraud.ftc.gov . Follow the FTC on social media , read consumer alerts and the business blog , and sign up to get the latest FTC news and alerts .

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Essay on Media Influence On Violence

Students are often asked to write an essay on Media Influence On Violence in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Media Influence On Violence

Introduction to media and violence.

Media, like TV and video games, often shows a lot of action and fighting. Some people worry that seeing too much of this can make others think it’s okay to act violently. It’s important to know if watching these things really does make people more likely to be violent.

Studies on Media Effects

Researchers have done many studies to find out if there’s a link between media and violence. Some studies say yes, there is a connection. They suggest that when we see lots of violence on screens, some may start to think it’s normal and act that way too.

Age Matters

Young minds are still growing and learning what’s right and wrong. When kids see a lot of violent acts on TV or in games, they might not understand it’s not real. This can confuse them and possibly lead them to act out what they see.

Parents’ Role

Parents have a big job to make sure their kids understand what they see on screens isn’t real. They can talk to their kids about the difference between right and wrong actions. This can help kids not to copy the violence they see in the media.

250 Words Essay on Media Influence On Violence

Media like TV, movies, and video games show a lot of violent scenes. People often argue about whether watching these scenes makes real people act violently. This essay talks about how media can affect the way we think about violence.

Seeing Violence on Screens

When we see a lot of fighting or hurting on screens, it can change the way we see the world. For young people, especially, seeing violent acts in movies or games might make them think it’s okay to act that way in real life. It’s like when someone watches a lot of cooking shows and then wants to cook more; watching violence can make some people feel like it’s normal.

Copycat Actions

There’s a thing called “copycat” behavior. This is when someone sees something in a movie or game and then does the same thing in real life. For example, if a kid sees a superhero fighting bad guys, they might play-fight with their friends. But sometimes, they might not understand the difference between play-fighting and real fighting, which can lead to real harm.

The Role of Parents and Teachers

Parents and teachers play a big role in teaching kids what’s right and wrong. They can help by watching what kids see on screens and talking to them about the difference between real life and what they see in media. It’s also important for them to teach kids to be kind and solve problems without violence.

In conclusion, media can influence how we think about violence. It’s important for everyone to understand that what we see on screens is not always good to do in real life. By talking about these things and teaching kindness, we can help stop violence from spreading.

500 Words Essay on Media Influence On Violence

What the studies say.

Many researchers have tried to find out if media violence really leads to people becoming more violent. They have found that after watching or playing violent media, some people may act more aggressively. This does not mean they will go out and harm someone, but they might feel more okay with the idea of violence. It’s like planting a small seed in their mind that could grow over time.

Sometimes, when a person watches a lot of violence in movies or TV shows, they might copy what they see. This is more likely to happen if the person thinks the violent character is cool or gets away with their actions. Young people, who are still learning about the world, might not always understand that what works in a fictional story doesn’t work the same way in real life.

Video Games and Aggression

Desensitization to violence.

Desensitization is a big word that means getting used to something so much that it doesn’t bother you anymore. If someone sees a lot of violence in media, they might start to think it’s not a big deal. This can be dangerous because it might make them less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others in real life.

Parental Guidance and Education

Parents can play a big role in helping their kids understand media violence. They can watch shows with their children and talk about what they see. This helps kids learn that what happens in media is not real and that violence is not a good way to solve problems. Schools can also teach students about the effects of media violence and how to handle it.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

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Meta says Russia still top source of covert influence campaigns, issues U.S. election warning

Meta says it sniffed out six new covert influence operations on its platforms in the second quarter of 2024 and expects more ahead of November’s U.S. elections.

What You Need To Know

Meta says it sniffed out six new covert influence operations on its platforms in the second quarter of 2024 and expects more ahead of november’s u.s. elections in its quarterly adversarial threat report, released thursday, the social media giant said the six campaigns originated in russia, vietnam and the u.s.  russia continues to be the top source of covert influence operations targeting people globally, followed by iran and china, meta said in the u.s., meta took down 96 facebook accounts, 16 pages and 12 groups as well as three instagram accounts it linked to a network posing as a fake political advocacy group.

In its quarterly adversarial threat report , released Thursday, the social media giant said the six campaigns originated in Russia, Vietnam and the U.S. Meta said it removed many of them before they were able to build up large audiences.

Not all targeted the U.S. 

Russia continues to be the top source of covert influence operations targeting people globally, followed by Iran and China, Meta said. 

Much of the Russian efforts appeared focused on undermining support for Ukraine and the countries in the region, including Georgia and Moldova, according to the report. Meta said that in the months leading up to the U.S. elections, it expects Russia-based operations to promote commentary and candidates who oppose aid to Kyiv and criticize those who advocate for boosting Ukraine’s military.

“This could take the shape of blaming economic hardships in the US on providing financial help to Ukraine, painting Ukraine’s government as unreliable, or amplifying voices expressing pro-Russia views on the war and its prospects,” the report said.

One Russian operation targeted English- and French-speaking audiences around the world by, in part, creating a network of fictitious news websites, Meta said. The operators would mix articles promoting its objectives with news about entertainment, celebrity gossip and other topics. 

The nonpolitical stories were likely AI-generated summaries of articles from established news organizations, the report said. The campaign also used AI-generated newsreaders in YouTube videos that focused on criticizing President Joe Biden and Democrats for providing aid to Ukraine, Facebook’s parent company said.

Meta said it removed 12 accounts, 32 pages and five groups on Facebook and three accounts on Instagram tied to the operation.

In the U.S., Meta took down 96 Facebook accounts, 16 pages and 12 groups as well as three Instagram accounts it linked to a network posing as a fake political advocacy group. “Patriots Run Project” called on “real conservatives” to run for office in Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and North Carolina, according to the report. 

The operation used accounts belonging to fictitious people, Meta said.

The Vietnam-based operation primarily focused on criticizing Qatar and primarily targeted Lebanon, the U.S., the United Kingdom and France, Meta said. The campaign targeted multiple apps, ran websites and placed ads on billboards in the U.S. and Lebanon, according to the company.

Meta also provided an update on Doppelganger, a Russian operation it first publicly identified in 2022, which uses a large network of websites to spoof legitimate ones.

The report said Doppelganger remains the most persistent Russian-based campaign. Meta said it has seen “notable shifts” in its tactics. For example, to avoid detection, operators are increasingly using nonpolitical posts and ads, including about innocuous topics such as food and health, but the links then take people to articles about the Russia-Ukraine war or geopolitics on spoofed websites.

After a pause, Doppelganger operators have resumed their campaign sharing links to their fake content — although at a much lower rate — potentially influencing opinion-makers and politicians, Meta said. 

Since May alone, Meta has removed more than 5,000 accounts and pages it traced back to Doppelganger. 

The social media company said generative artificial intelligence tactics have provided “only incremental productivity and content-generation gains to threat actors,” but added that the industry’s defense strategies against AI misuse have largely been effective.

Meta said it shares its information about foreign interference threats with other tech platforms, researchers and governments.

Microsoft last week said Iran is accelerating online activity that appears intended to influence the U.S. presidential election. On Saturday, former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, said Microsoft informed his campaign that Iran had hacked one of its websites. The FBI said Monday it is investigating the incident.

Meta’s report did not have any information about new campaigns originating from Iran.

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Russia’s 2024 election interference has already begun

Russia is already spreading disinformation in advance of the 2024 election, using fake online accounts and bots to damage President Joe Biden and his fellow Democrats, according to former U.S. officials and cyber experts. 

The dissemination of attacks on Biden is part of a continuing effort by Moscow to undercut American military aid to Ukraine and U.S. support for and solidarity with NATO, experts said.

A similar effort is underway in Europe. France, Germany and Poland said this month that Russia has launched a barrage of propaganda to try to influence European parliamentary elections in June.

With Donald Trump opposing U.S. aid to Ukraine and claiming that he once warned a NATO leader that he would "encourage" Russia to attack a NATO ally if it didn't pay its share in defense spending, the potential rewards for Russian President Vladimir Putin are high, according to Bret Schafer, a senior fellow at the Alliance for Securing Democracy of the German Marshall Fund.

“Not that they didn’t have an incentive to interfere in the last two presidential elections,” said Schafer, who tracks disinformation efforts by Russia and other regimes. “But I would say that the incentive to interfere is heightened right now.”

Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said Sunday on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that there’s “plenty of reason to be concerned” about Russia’s trying to interfere in the 2024 election but that he couldn’t discuss evidence related to it. He added: “We’re going to be vigilant about that.”

U.S. officials and experts are most concerned that Russia could try to interfere in the election through a “deepfake” audio or video using artificial intelligence tools or through a “hack and leak,” such as the politically damaging theft of internal Democratic Party emails by Russian military intelligence operatives in 2016. 

The type of pro-Russia online propaganda campaigns that thrived on Twitter and Facebook  ahead of the 2016 U.S. presidential election  is now routine on every major social media platform, though it’s rare for individual accounts to go as viral now as they once did.

Those influence operations often create matching accounts on multiple sites, which vary drastically in their moderation policies. Accounts from one pro-Russia campaign that Meta, the owner of Facebook, cracked down on late last year , an English-language news influencer persona called “People Say,” are still live on other platforms, though some are dormant. 

A “People Say” account on X is still visible, but it has only 51 followers and hasn’t posted in almost a year. Its counterpart on Telegram, which has become a  home for some Americans on the far right , is still actively posting divisive content and has almost 5,000 subscribers. 

A perfect storm

Moscow and its proxies have long sought to exploit divisions in American society. But experts and former U.S. officials said Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen, the country's deepening political polarization and sharp cuts in disinformation and election integrity teams at X and other platforms provide fertile ground to spread confusion, division and chaos. 

“In many ways it’s a perfect storm of opportunity for them,” said Paul Kolbe, who worked for 25 years in the CIA’s Directorate of Operations and is now a fellow at Harvard’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. “I think, for a lot of reasons, we will see the same approach, but amplified and, I think, with some of the constraints that you might have seen taken off."

In the 2022 midterm elections, Russia primarily targeted the Democratic Party to weaken U.S. support for Ukraine, as it most likely blames Biden for forging a unified Western alliance backing Kyiv, according to a recently released U.S. intelligence assessment.

In what appears to be an effort to deepen divisions, Russia has amplified the political dispute between the Biden administration and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott over security at the Texas border over the past month. Russian politicians, bloggers, state media and bots have promoted the idea that America is headed to a new “civil war.”

It was a quintessential move by a Russian regime with a long tradition of trying to manipulate existing political rifts, like immigration, to its advantage, experts said.

But there’s so far no sign that Russia’s disinformation operation in Texas has had any significant impact, said Emerson Brooking, a senior fellow at the Digital Forensic Research Lab at the Atlantic Council.

“So far, Russian operations targeting the U.S. have been opportunistic. They see whatever narrative is rising to the top, and they try to push it,” Brooking said. “Disinformation isn’t created in a vacuum. The more polarized a country is, the easier it is for foreign actors to infiltrate and hijack its political processes.”

The artificial intelligence threat

The bigger Russian threat to the 2024 election, Brooking and other experts said, could prove to be artificial intelligence-created fake audio.

An orchestrated deepfake or leak may not unfold on the national stage; instead, it could target a particularly crucial swing state or district, experts said. It might aim to discourage some voters from going to the polls or sow distrust about the accuracy of ballot counting.

The most likely disinformation scenario will be “hyper-personalized, localized attacks,” said Miles Taylor, a senior Trump administration homeland security official who has warned of the risks of another Trump presidency.

Deepfake audio, which is easy to create and  difficult to detect , has been used in recent elections in multiple countries. In the  U.S. last month, a fake Joe Biden robocall told New Hampshire Democrats not to vote in the state's primary. In the United Kingdom in November, a fake audio of London Mayor Sadiq Khan called for pro-Palestinian marches.

And two days before Slovakia’s parliamentary elections in September, a fake audio clip purported to show the leader of a pro-Western political party discussing how to rig the election. The audio was eventually debunked , and it’s unclear what effect it had on the election. But a pro-Russia party opposing aid to Ukraine won the most votes.

While an emerging cottage industry claims that software can identify whether audio or video is authentic or a deepfake, such programs are  often wrong .

Past Russian efforts

Alleged Russian information operations against Ukraine over the past two years open a window into some of the Kremlin’s tactics.

A  study published Wednesday  by the Slovakian cybersecurity company ESET found that a pro-Russia campaign has been spamming Ukrainians with false and dispiriting emails about the war with claims of heating and food shortages.

In a coordinated effort near the start of Russia’s invasion in 2022, cyberattacks temporarily  knocked key Ukrainian websites offline , while residents received spam texts telling them that ATMs in the country were down.  

Other apparent Russian efforts to sow division are much simpler.

Last year, celebrities who sell personalized videos on the website Cameo, including Priscilla Presley, Mike Tyson and Elijah Wood, were tricked into inadvertently recording messages that denigrated two major enemies of the Kremlin,  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy  and  Moldovan President Maia Sandu .

The messages were overlaid with text falsely claiming that the celebrities were calling for those leaders to step down. Representatives for Wood and Presley said the celebrities recorded the videos thinking they were helping a fan with addiction. A representative for Tyson said the videos of him were fake.

In the American mainstream

In the U.S., though, Russia’s propaganda themes are now often echoed in comments from some Republican lawmakers and pro-Trump commentators, including the portrayal of Ukraine’s government as deeply corrupt.

The adoption of Russian state rhetoric in America’s political debate is a victory for Moscow, experts said. Putin’s goal is to spread doubt and division among Americans. 

“An equally nice outcome for them is just what we had last time, where a third of the country doesn’t believe the vote,” Schafer said. “Democracy is questioned; the system gets questioned. So they don’t necessarily need to see their guy win to have it be a good outcome for them.”

It remains extraordinarily difficult for a remote cyberattack to take over voting systems in the U.S. and change vote counts. The American intelligence assessment of the 2022 midterms found no indication that Russia had tried to hack into election systems or ballot counting that year. 

But Kolbe, the former CIA directorate of operations official, said the Kremlin would most likely see trying to penetrate U.S. voting systems as a low-risk undertaking.

“I don’t see any reason why they wouldn’t,” he said. “You’d be hard-pressed to find where they would see the risk part of the equation. It gets close to zero.”

Such interference could come with plausible deniability. On the day of the 2022 midterm elections, the Mississippi secretary of state’s website, which hosts the official polling place finder for voters in Mississippi, was  knocked offline most of the day  after pro-Kremlin hacktivists on Telegram called for supporters to join in a low-level cyberattack against it.

Still, U.S. officials and disinformation analysts say Russia’s ability to manipulate voters shouldn’t be overstated. When it comes to spreading disinformation and fueling distrust in election authorities and election results, the biggest threat comes from within America’s fractured, polarized society, not from the outside.

“I am very skeptical, whether it’s 2016 or 2024, that the United States political and media culture needs any push from Russia,” said Gavin Wilde, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, who specializes in Russia and information warfare.

“The Kremlin has every interest in seeing an American public, or American leadership, that’s less inclined to support Ukraine, that’s less inclined to punish Russia. Those incentives are certainly there,” he said. “But we’re already doing a pretty good job of that at home. I don’t know how much of a nudge the Kremlin thinks it needs to lend it.”

Dan De Luce is a reporter for the NBC News Investigative Unit. 

Kevin Collier is a reporter covering cybersecurity, privacy and technology policy for NBC News.

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Hunter Biden Sought State Department Help for Ukrainian Company

After President Biden dropped his re-election bid, his administration released records showing that while he was vice president, his son solicited U.S. government assistance.

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By Kenneth P. Vogel

Reporting from Washington

Hunter Biden sought assistance from the U.S. government for a potentially lucrative energy project in Italy while his father was vice president, according to newly released records and interviews.

The records, which the Biden administration had withheld for years, indicate that Hunter Biden wrote at least one letter to the U.S. ambassador to Italy in 2016 seeking assistance for the Ukrainian gas company Burisma, where he was a board member.

Embassy officials appear to have been uneasy with the request from the son of the sitting vice president on behalf of a foreign company.

“I want to be careful about promising too much,” wrote a Commerce Department official based in the U.S. Embassy in Rome who was tasked with responding.

“This is a Ukrainian company and, purely to protect ourselves, U.S.G. should not be actively advocating with the government of Italy without the company going through the D.O.C. Advocacy Center,” the official wrote. Those acronyms refer to the United States government and a Department of Commerce program that supports American companies that seek business with foreign governments.

Abbe Lowell, a lawyer for Mr. Biden, said his client “asked various people,” including the U.S. ambassador to Italy at the time, John R. Phillips, whether they could arrange an introduction between Burisma and the president of the Tuscany region of Italy, where Burisma was pursuing a geothermal project.

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Gena Rowlands, ‘The Notebook’ and ‘A Woman Under the Influence’ Star, Dies at 94

By Rick Schultz

Rick Schultz

• Gena Rowlands, ‘The Notebook’ and ‘A Woman Under the Influence’ Star, Dies at 94 6 days ago
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Gena Rowlands , whose seminal and fearless performance in “A Woman Under the Influence” inspired a generation and who starred in many other John Cassavetes features as well as the romance “The Notebook,” died Wednesday at her home in Indian Wells, Calif. She was 94.

Her death was confirmed by the office of her son’s agent. In June, Nick Cassavetes , who directed his mother in “The Notebook,” shared that the three-time Emmy winner and two-time Oscar nominee had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

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After her husband died in 1989, Rowlands continued working as an actor, especially for her own children who became actor-directors. She took roles in son Nick’s directorial debut, “Unhook the Stars” (1996), his hit film “The Notebook” (2004) and his 2012 effort “Yellow,” as well as a role in daughter Zoe’s “Broken English” (2007). She also led Terence Davies’ coming-of-age 1995 drama “The Neon Bible,” set in 1940’s Georgia.

Early in her career, she made a near-effortless transition from Broadway ingenue to grande dame. In an early interview. In her acceptance speech at the Governors Awards, she shared that “A lot of women, when they can’t keep doing young romantic roles, don’t want to consider character parts and quit sooner. But I just looked at the scripts and kept seeing what I’d like to do, and never worried about it.”

Rowlands final feature credits came in two 2014 films: sci-fi comedy “Parts Per Billion,” with Frank Langella, and an adaptation of the play “Dancing for Six Weeks” with Joshua Jackson.

On the occasion of Rowlands’ handprint and footprint ceremony at the Chinese Theater in December 2014, Variety wrote of the actress, “None is better known for anatomizing mental breakdown’s terror.”

Rowlands made her film debut in 1958 opposite Jose Ferrer in the light romantic comedy “The High Cost of Loving.” She played a sturdy earth mother-type opposite Kirk Douglas in “Lonely Are the Brave” (1962) but started to explore the neurotic core of roles to come as the troubled mother of a mentally handicapped son in “A Child Is Waiting” (1963), directed by Cassavetes.

Rowlands collaborated with Cassavetes on 10 films, including “Faces” (1968), “Minnie and Moskowitz” (1971), “Opening Night” (1977) and “Love Streams” (1984). Though she also worked with other name directors — Paul Mazursky (“Tempest”), Paul Schrader (“Light of Day”) and Woody Allen (“Another Woman”) — her work with Cassavetes defined the American independent cinema of the ’70s and ’80s.

Cassavetes reportedly had to drag performances out of Rowlands, who was largely a reluctant star. The director did not ease his demands even when his wife, playing a call girl in “Faces,” was pregnant with their second child during lensing of the film.

Like her husband, however, Rowlands took work in mainstream films in order to finance his films, appearing, for example, in “Two Minute Warning” and earlier, with Cassavetes and Peter Falk, in the Italian-made 1968 pic “Machine Gun McCain.”

Rowlands also enjoyed a successful career in television, drawing eight Emmy Awards nominations and winning three: In 1987 as lead actress in ABC’s “The Betty Ford Story”; in 1992, as lead actress in “Face of a Stranger” (CBS); and in 2003 as supporting actress in HBO’s “Hysterical Blindness.”

Rowlands also won a Daytime Emmy in 2004 as the title character in Showtime’s “The Incredible Mrs. Ritchie.” She played the estranged daughter of Bette Davis, one of her screen idols, in the 1979 CBS telepic “Strangers: The Story of a Mother and Daughter.” And in the 1985 NBC telepic “An Early Frost,” Rowlands starred as a mother whose son discovers he has AIDS. It is regarded as the first major film drama about the HIV/AIDS crisis.

Virginia Cathryn Rowlands was born in Madison, Wisc. Rowlands attended the University of Wisconsin, eventually leaving for New York to study drama at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She married fellow actor John Cassavetes, who had admired her work in a production there, a few months after meeting him in 1954.

In 1952, Rowlands made her Broadway debut in “The Seven Year Itch,” and in 1956 she starred onstage opposite Edward G. Robinson in Paddy Chayefsky’s “Middle of the Night.”

Rowlands scripted and starred with Ben Gazzara — a longtime collaborator from the Cassavetes days — in “Quartier Latin,” a short included in the 2006 omnibus film “Paris, je t’aime.” In recent years she also worked in television, guesting on “Monk” in 2009 (drawing an Emmy nom) and “NCIS” in 2010.

Rowlands is survived by her children, Nick, Zoe and Alexandra (Xan), a number of grandchildren and her second husband, Robert Forrest. The two married in 2012.

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