Modern Media And Its Types

Media in its conventional and modern form have greatly affected the minds of the teenagers. Especially with the development and advancement in the field of technology, media has become more powerful and impactful. The power of media can be felt in the overall development of the teenagers. It has helped the youth to mould themselves in a particular manner. The exposure it offers has helped to provide a platform to the youth for exploring their field of interests, something that wasn’t available earlier.

However what we need to understand is whether media has a positive or a negative influence on the teenagers. We all are aware of the fact that excess of everything is bad. But in the case of media, the exposure to teenagers has worked significantly for the overall evolution of the child. The teenagers are heavily dependent on media for expression, identity and elocution.

Types of Media Outlet

When we talk of media, we are not restricting ourselves to the new media.

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The teenagers rely on every form of media for their overall personality development. Some read books, other watch theatre, some resort to social media while other are on new media forms. Every form of media is used to enhance the quality of life and to give a glimpse of larger than life effect.

Television- Television has been a host to a series of programs that contribute to the life of a teenager. Many times the teenager tries to imitate their favourite television character in real life in order to live the experience.

Programs like ‘Roadies’and ‘Splitsvilla’ expose a certain kind of lifestyle to its viewer who then try to imbibe the same in their lifestyle. This leads to inculcating foreign values, abandoning the traditional values while trying to cope up with the trends.

Books- Books are often considered to be man’s best friend. They say that books transport you to a world of fantasy. It allows you to escape the reality and enter a world of fiction. Often people transgress from the real world to the world of fiction, to run away from the demons of the society. Thus, they resort to books to act like a getaway from the whims of the society and seek pleasure in the other world. Books like ‘Devil Wears Prada’ or ‘Diaries of a Wimpy Kid’ have greatly affected the lives of the teenagers. They have presented the world in a manner that many teenagers idealize it and try to live it.

Internet- Internet has opened a horizon of opportunities for the teenagers. It allows the teenagers to surf the net and bask in the ocean of knowledge. It has allowed the teenagers to browse through the net and gather as much information as they can on things that interest them. with the help of internet, the teenagers have been able update themselves with their surroundings. Such is the power of internet, a bomb blast takes place in Pakistan, within seconds, and India receives the news of the causalities.

Social Media: Sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have allowed teenagers to connect to the people around the world. Teenagers resort to these social networking sites as a medium to enhance their social life and increase their friend circle. This has compelled them to upload pictures and statuses to make them appealing to all. this way they are able to connect with others on an emotional level and help them cope up with issues of alienation and loneliness.

Movies: Cinema has always been a great influence on the youngsters. It has transformed the lives of the teenagers. Movies like ‘Student of the Year’ and ‘Yaariyan’ depicted the life of teenagers pursuing education. The teenagers try to replicate the stints performed by the celebrity in the movie. For example, after the release of the movie ‘Rockstar’, the concept of singer /artist with a trail of traumatic past started to surface the news. Many tried to imitate the actor and soon, guitarists became a sensation. This kind of cinema exposed the teenagers to a trend and style that made movies an inspirational source.

Magazines: Print has always topped the list when it comes to leaving an imprint on the mind of the teenagers. It usually deals with features and stories that discuss key issues. There are several types of magazines. Some of them include lifestyle, fashion, political and films, among many others. Magazines like ‘Filmfare’, ‘Cosmopolitan’ often attract the teenagers for their style of writing and content that pleases the teenagers.

Works cited

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