Media regulation essay

 How effective is current media regulation?

I think that media regulation has become less effective over time. Regulating media is very important as it determines what messages and representations are being conveyed into certain audiences, especially for age demographics such as gen z and younger individuals. It helps protect people by being aware of whether things such as violence or sex are being shown enabling age restrictions to be made on each film which intends to be released. However, over the last decade it has been increasingly hard to regulate media due to things such as technological advancements as well as changes in culture which goes hand in hand with fragmentation. 

 

Unlike a couple of decades ago when all displayed media could be controlled and only viewed at a certain time on a particular channel, people now have unlimited freedom to the internet due to the advancement in Web 2.0 (released in 1999 allowing users to become active online with an average of 399.5 minutes spent by each person online). One issue with this however is that those in control of what media is being shown to a population can’t control what people choose to view due to the World Wide Web. Giving those in power less control over individuals and more freedom and risk for the young to view things unsuitable and potentially harmful. The hyperaemic needle theory (also known as the magic bullet theory) created by Harold Lasswell states that media is able to influence audiences opinions in a way that could potentially cause them to act harmfully. 

Fragmentation also comes into play as parents no longer have the same control of what their children are now being exposed to. This is due to the development of different apps as well technological convergence. such as instagram (released in October 2010) or TikTok (which began in 2016) partperned with inappropriate content being posted on social media which can have millions of views before it is even noticed. 

Hegemony is a concept that refers to the way in which dominant groups in society use their power to maintain control over others. In the context of media regulation, hegemony can be used to reinforce existing power structures and social norms. For example, media representations of women as passive and submissive can reinforce traditional gender roles and maintain the power of men in society.  Therefor influencing the population.  Similarly, media representations of people of color as violent or criminal can reinforce negative stereotypes and maintain the power of white people in society. By challenging these dominant representations, as influencers these days often do and creating more diverse and complex portrayals of different groups of people, the media can help to disrupt hegemonic power structures and promote social equality for the population, encouraging more social acceptance as well creating a certain culture within a country. China, for example, only accepts 34 foreign films a year due to them not abiding by their films administration regulations. As they are very cautious about what messages they want to disperse into their population due to potential damaging results.