The media does have a big effect on everyone no matter how much or little you pay attention to the media. Personally I believe the clothes that I buy are mostly because of the media. While reading a magazine I also notice the different styles of the models in the advertisements. Since models usually look gorgeous no matter what, it makes a consumer think that if they had that cardigan or pair of shoes they will look/feel just as gorgeous as the model. This also makes someone, like myself, feel they will be accepted by society, friends, strangers, and family if they wear the clothes that are shown on models.
As a female, the media also shows me the "ideal" woman. Celebrities are extremely slim and tall, neither of which apply to me. That can make me frustrated since many clothes today are being made to model a celebrity's body. This new trend makes me feel as if I need to become thinner in order to fit into today's "fashionable" clothing. This is also reinforced when I hear guys talk about how hot or attractive an actress or singer is. Knowing that they like her gives me an idea of what they want, so I should strive to look like her.
I don't feel like this has effected me but, I have noticed that high school and middle school girls are much more catty today than every before. I feel like this is because of reality TV shows. These young girls watching feel like it's okay and perfectly normal to fight in public to create a scene or to create drama just because it makes things interesting just as they do in the television shows such as The Hills, Laguna Beach and Jersey Shore. Since these shows are One: on TV, Two: popular, and Three: have rich and pretty cast members the girls watching want to be like them. They need to realize how rude and disrespectful they truly are being.
The media also affects the music I listen to. I listen to a variety of radio stations that play rap, hip-hop, country, pop, alternative and the list goes on. When I hear a song for the first time, I'm usually not fond of it for some reason or another. But as time goes on the song without doubt grows on me. Just hearing it over and over again, hearing other people sing it and believing if it's on the radio then it has to be good leads me to start eventually singing along.
Why do you think these are media effects (i.e., why aren't they due to influences from friends, family, etc.?)
I think the media affects us more greatly since it seems to be of higher authority than our parents or friends. Also, we love to watch TV, movies, catch up on celeb gossip and in each of one of these our ideas about how we should act, what we should buy, how we should dress is reinforced. We see it repeatedly. When if our family members should say anything or try to influence us one way or another, they don't do it multiple times a day like the media does. Another thing is, if a family member doesn't see us change our mind they probably won't attempt again. For instance, if a girl tells her mom, "Listen to this song! It's my favorite!" and the mom responds with "Okay, I will in a bit" yet the mom never does listen to the song. Maybe a few weeks later the girl says asks, "Hey mom, did you ever listen to that song?" and she replies with a "No" the girl is going to feel disappointed and less likely to tell her again to listen to the song. But if the mom hears the song on the radio she doesn't have much choice but listen to it when in the other situation the mother had to make the conscious effort to find the song and listen to it.
