The benefits and disadvantages of the media in our society

The benefits and disadvantages of the media in our society
Media can be used in a variety of different ways which have both advantages and disadvantages on our society. The media is a powerful place and it can be used to promote and advertise products and services to the extent that we are always hearing about them, which increases businesses chances of gaining customers. A lot of the media is seen through entertainment on the TV for example, as people can easily sit and watch the TV and relax however there are some educational programmes like documentaries that people watch as well as looking at the news every day. Although the watching the news is raising people’s awareness, they can sometimes over publicise issues making people feel more worried than what they should be because they are repeatedly hearing the same issues all the time, whether that be on the TV, the radio or in newspapers.

For the majority of people, the media is a way for them to communicate to other people. A lot of this is done through social media like Facebook and Twitter and although it seems harmless there can be some dangers that come with it such as people of all ages have access and will communicate with people they don’t know. However, social media can be good because people are able to speak to people they haven’t spoken to in a while. For some people they will put up personal information to social media thinking that no one can access it, however many people are able to access that personal information and leak it meaning that the information is being shared with people they don’t know.

Students will use the media regularly to gather information they need for their subjects, this is commonly done through the internet. By using the internet, students can get as much information as they need as there are usually lots of different articles and websites that have got those details. Information can spread really fast which is why we are able to find out about something that’s happened on the other side of the world in a matter of a few minutes after the event. We are able to read it on the internet or watch it on the TV and the news on the event can be spread all over the world, allowing people to hear about it.

The media is responsible for a lot of globalisation as many businesses depend on the media to help them grow larger. They will do this through the media making their products or services more popular in order for them to grow. The media will play a huge role in businesses as it is widely used to bring in customers, therefore benefiting the business financially.

When people use social media it can open up the possibility of hacking and fraud, meaning the person is no longer in control of their accounts, instead someone else is pretending they are them and using their personal information. However, the use of social media allows people to stay in contact with those they don't see regularly, therefore becoming really useful for them.