As we navigate life in an increasingly media-saturated society, we can’t escape ads. Their presence is constant, and they affect everything from what we purchase to how we vote.
Indeed, our likes and dislikes can be shaped by the media. Its role in influencing what we want or believe should not be underestimated.
But how does this non-stop messaging blitz impact the choices we make every day? Join us as we take a fascinating trip into the influence world to discover more about the complex interplay between marketing strategies and consumer actions.
1. Media Impacts on Our Habits
The media has a significant impact on the behaviors of society. One example of this can be seen in how smoking has been portrayed over time. In the 1950s and 1960s, it was widely glamorized in different media outlets. We could have seen men and women smoking without prohibitions in TV shows, movies, and ads.
It can even be said that smoking was considered a symbol of success and elegance, shaping public perceptions and people’s habits. However, as time passed, people understood the health risks and adopted some regulations, heated tobacco devices, and other tobacco products disappeared from mainstream media.
Today, we see the active promotion of healthy diets and active lifestyles all around the media. So, instead of smoking, many people have another healthy hobby, meaning the media has changed the way we act again.
2. Media Changes Our Perceptions of Beauty Standards
The media, very insidiously, is one of the foremost determinants of social standards and influences our beauty standards. It carries beauty standards in very narrow and primarily unattainable glossy magazine covers, hand-picked Instagram pictures, and movie avatars.
Think about the influence certain celebrities have had and how they’re known to rise with fuller lips or contoured cheekbones, which has then caused waves on that most trending beauty procedure.
The constant bombarding of such idealized images not only shapes what we perceive as beauty but also subtly rules our self-esteem and outlook on our bodies.
Insofar as these standards change with the media environment, they help describe the dynamic relationship between media consumption and our understanding of beauty.
3. Media Influences on Our Purchasing Decisions
We should consider how much power the media has over what we buy: It can make us want things we never knew we needed and like stuff we might not actually like.
Think about social media influencers teaming up with brands for Instagram posts. By showing off products in their day-to-day lives and talking about how much they love them, these influencers can create a huge buzz that sends fans running to stores (or websites) to buy stuff.
Case in point: when Kylie Jenner launched her range of lip kits, she let her Instagram followers know they were coming soon. Sure enough, they’d all sold out within minutes of posting this update! If this isn’t media influence in action, we’re not sure what is.
4. Media Shapes Our Societal Norms
The media plays a significant role in shaping social norms around gender roles and relationships—perhaps even more so than we realize. From the way Disney princesses are portrayed to the depiction of macho action heroes, media images affect how we see ourselves and others.
Consider the example of a popular internet meme called Be Like Bill. By promoting positive, respectful behavior toward women, this meme may have helped create a climate where people are more likely to understand when consent is needed—or simply be more sociable in general.
Netflix’s show Queer Eye does something similar. It breaks down stereotypes about masculinity and lets viewers see different identities being accepted.
In these ways (and many others), the media can reinforce established social codes and challenge them through what it chooses to show us.
5. Media Changes Our Political Beliefs and Opinions
The media has a big influence on our attitudes toward politics—even if we don’t realize it. Biased news and false information can make us like one politician or cause more than another.
This happened a lot in the 2016 American presidential election. On social media, made-up news stories spread very quickly, changing how some people saw the candidates. Also, when experts who know a lot about politics talk on TV shows, they can say things that sway public opinion.
All the time and everywhere, we see and hear media messages that say: “Our side is good; their side is bad.” These messages can move us politically or make our existing beliefs even more robust.
It’s almost like we’re stuck with our ideas once we’ve started believing them – and exposure to media has helped put them there!
6. Media Is Fostering Consumer Culture
Furthermore, media has a crucial role in developing consumer culture and maintaining the continuous need to have and buy things, influencing who we think we are and what we value.
Take the fashion industry as an example. On social media platforms, celebrities and people who are famous for being well-known (influencers) show off luxury brands – encouraging their followers to want these products too (aspirational consumption).
In technology, Apple’s expertly staged product launches create anticipation and buzz, making people desire its latest items. Meanwhile, on reality TV shows such as Keeping Up with the Kardashians, there is admiration for having lots of stuff – which can shape viewers’ lives.
These cases demonstrate how media outlets propel a consumer-focused story that stimulates all of us to join in with – and believe in – a culture built around buying things.
7. Media Influences on Our Relationships
Media has a significant impact on our relationships. It affects how we talk to each other, how we feel connected, and what we think about other people. On social media sites like Facebook and Instagram, we now interact differently than before.
These platforms often show us an edited view of someone’s life, which can affect how we see ourselves compared with others (our self-esteem) and our relationships.
One example is couples or friends feeling they must live up to the standards set by couples online who seem to have perfect relationships.
Another example is how viewers might judge what’s normal or not in healthy friendships or romantic partnerships after watching a lot of reality TV with arguments galore!
Media can change how we understand relationships because it presents idealized versions of life and real-life situations that may be good and bad for you. So, it’s worth thinking critically about the media you use.