The Medias Influence on Health Essay - 2760 Words

The mass media (including everything from television and music to popular novels and fan cultures), creates an endless and accessible flow of information. What we know about the world beyond out immediate surroundings comes to us via the media (Yates 1999). The technology of electronic media and the art of advertising have combined to create very powerful tools of influence. These tools are capable of shaping the attitudes, values and behaviors of large numbers of people (Walsh.) By identifying and examining the various forms of health information contained in the media, problems arise because the media does not present its messages in a neutral and straightforward way. Because the media distorts reality, the public must become more†¦show more content†¦The stages include pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation or decision, action and maintenance. The model views behavior change as a process in which individuals are at various stages of readiness to change. The Stages of Change Model is not linear, and individuals can enter and exit at any point and may repeat a stage several times. This acknowledges that not everyone is ready to change behavior. The Social Cognitive Theory proposes that behavior change is influenced by the environment, personal factors, and aspects of the behavior itself. The theory explains ways individuals gain and maintain attention, specifically addressing the processes of attention, retention, reproduction and motivation. Individuals experience an education process consisting of reinforcement, self-efficacy, behavioral capacity (learning what to do and how), expectations, and outcome expectancy. Social Cognitive theory helps a health educator understand the complex relationships between the individual and his or her environment, how actions and conditions reinforce or discourage change, and the importance of believing in and knowing how to change (Health Behavior Models, 1998.) Many would agree that the media are the bigges t educators in todays society. By age 18 a young person will have seen 350,000 commercials and spent more time being entertained by the media than any other activity except sleeping (Walsh.) A society with suchShow MoreRelatedEffects of Mass Medias Ideal of Thinness1482 Words   |  6 Pagesindividuals are changing their perspectives to match that of the media’s current ideals. Concern over the media’s influence on body image has recently risen, striking the notion that many people regard the images shown throughout media as ‘real’. However, unbeknownst to them, such unbelievably thin body types are not quite attainable in reality, and therefore, individuals’ own beauty ideals and body images become unrealistic. The mass media’s ideal image of thinness has greatly impacted the overall bodyRead More Enjoyment of Being a Girl: Overcoming Industry Standards Essay1489 Words   |  6 Pagesweight loss. 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