Mass Medias Effect on Youth free essay sample

A research about the impact of the media on youth and adolescent development. This research attempts to examine the extent to which the media influences the lives of adolescents. The author attempts to investigate how the media impacts the socialization of the youth culture and whether the media is so powerful that it has come to replace other socialization agents such as the family, school and peers. The author examines the way socialization agents impact stages of development and how each contribute to another aspect of the individuals forming personality and attitudes. The author makes use of various sociological theories for supporting evidence. Table of Contents: Chapters 1.0 Statement of Research Problem 1.1 Research Problem 2 2.0 Introduction to Theoretical Perspectives and Review of Literature 3 2.1 Introduction to the Media as an Agent of Socialization 3 2.2 Getting to Know the 3 2.3 The 4 2.4 How the Media Socializes 5 2.5 Media as an Industry 5 2.6 Development of Gender Roles and Consciousness of Achieved Status 6 2.7 Global Impact vs. Role in North American Society 7 2.8 Pros and Cons of Media Dominance 7 2.9 Independent and Dependant Variables 8 2.10 The Test 8 2.11 The Respondents 9 2.12 The Choice of a Questionnaire 9 2.13 Possible 9 2.14 Validity of Respondents 10 2.15 Questionnaire Distribution 10 2.16 Questions to Answers 11 2.17 Conclusion to Theoretical Perspectives and Review of Literature 11 3.0 Administration Overview 12 3.1 Time Schedule 12 3.2 Budget 12 3.3 Ethical Issues 13 4.0 Measurement Overview 13 4.1 Existing research 14 5.0 Analysis Overview 14 6.0 Implications 14 6.1 Practical Applications 15 Figure #1 The Questionnaire 16 References 18 `There is a problem in Canada that youth are unaware of the significance of the media and its influence on their day-to-day lives. The main questions that will be investigated in the research and hopefully answered if not fully understood by the end of the study would be as follows: How important is the media in the socialization of Canadian popular cultured youth? Is the media the most influential agent of socialization in a teenagers life? Has the media replaced the family, school and peers for being the centre of acquired knowledge for youth? Existing sociological theory suggest we have varying agents of socialization that have different effects on us at different stages of our development and life course. Agents of Socialization are people, groups or institutions that teach people what they need to know in order to participate in society. During the elementary years of school peers are the most important influence. A peer group is a group of people who are linked by common intere st, equal social position, and similar age categories. Even as adults we are still influenced by our peers. In this study it will be discussed that the media because of its worldwide accessibility has become a great contributor to socialization than the peer group between the ages of 15-18. The stage of development, which will be conveyed, is called anticipatory socialization (to be discussed in further detail in the theoretical discussion section). This influence at the ages of 15-18, which is referred to, as adolescence will carry on for the future generations as a vital agent of socialization through, out their adult lives.`