Mass Media Have Great Influence in Shaping People’s Ideas

Topic 1: To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The mass media, including TV, radio and newspapers, have great influence in shaping people’s ideas. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

To a large extent that I agree the mass media have great influence in shaping people’s ideas. Due to the rapid development of technology, people can get information through TV, radio, poster and internet easily. Mass media appear everywhere, it can influence people’s thinking. It may affect people’s critical thinking, loss of own’s view and become passive.

First, the mass media may cause people lack of critical thinking that people can get information easily. According to the news, people will affected by the repeated information through a research. Using slimming ads as an example, the slimming ads always repeat the same information that people will misunderstand using technology is the only way for slimming. (Melody Cheung, 2010, SCMP) This news reflect that we can see many ads through mass media. They are presenting the same information to the viewers that people will receive and believe on these kind of information imperceptibly. Because of the effect, people become lack of critical thinking. They won’t think about the background meanings or the bad side. Nowadays, many ads like inviting famous star to represent their brand which make a lot of teenagers follow them without any thinking. This will only lead to a more serious situation. People don’t know how to think about two-side thing which means that they are lack of critical thinking.

Second, more type of mass media will also lead to people loss of their own’s view. Since the technology is developing, there are more ways of mass media. For example, you can see a ads on YouTube, not only on TV. People can get the information from different and many channels. As I mention that the mass media cause people lack of critical thinking which will also lead to loss of personal own viewpoint. Because people just believe on the information provided by mass media without determine. Then they will not have their own opinion in daily life, whatever how bad is the others idea they still follow it. Because they are lack of critical thinking, they don’t know this thing is good or not. They just follow the others and believe without thinking. So, the people who are lack of critical thinking will also loss of their own viewpoint.