Name
Capella University
PSYC FPX 3002 Developing a Psychology Perspective
Prof. Name
December, 2024
Argument Paper
An argument paper covers a specific area of interest in a manner that draws out a thesis statement, relevant data, rationality, and fair viewpoints. It seeks to convince readers on any given issue, stance, or course of action, and in doing so, evaluates opposition, strengths, and weaknesses (Koban et al., 2021). The topic of reference revolves around media content and its effects on societal behavior, an important field in contemporary society given the increased use of social media and other forms of media to control, influence, or, change individual or people’s behavior. To that end, this paper focuses on analyzing how content influences social behavior, assessing the main argument, considering the counter-argument, and concluding.
Content Influence on Social Behavior
Media contents play the role of the mirror reflecting society and the role of an agent that influences society. It completely impacts how one perceives him or herself and society, changing relations, interaction, and relations (Gong, 2020). While social networking sites expose users to different cultures and opinions making them more liberal, they allow stereotype selling and the propagation of the wrong image of beauty. For instance, gifs that show images that are heavily filtered or idealized lifestyles impose pressure and hence result in dissatisfaction and anxiety for vulnerable consumers, especially the youth. Moreover, the consumption of polarization or sensationalist material can lead to rivalries becoming worse and the policy of ‘shoot the messengers’ takes over from the policy of ‘intolerance of the intolerant’. On the other hand, stories of hope and representativeness in media have the potential to elicit emotions such as empathy, cooperation, and inclusion (Winaldo et al., 2022). Media content that deals with issues such as social equality, environmental concessions, or mental health ordinarily encourages people to work toward change. Therefore, media content has a directive function concerning constructing and showing social behavior that is both positive and negative in terms of the type of media that provides the information with a specific and possible further intent.
Argument
In the same stance, media content has both positive and negative effects on the social behavior of people. On the one hand, it serves as an agent of change that unearths geographical and cultural differences and promotes interconnectedness (Greitemeyer, 2022). Platforms racialize persons; they also facilitate educational enlightenment such as climate change and mental health awareness to pierce the populace. Such access has produced enormous behavioral changes such as increased activism, volunteerism, and increased perceived awareness of key social issues. Furthermore, the cybersphere allows oppressed groups to express themselves, campaign against injustice, and make society progress (M & Shamsi, 2024). But, as everybody knows there is the ‘flip side’ to the media content which we cannot turn a blind eye on. Malicious fakes and clickbaits, sensational content have created a lot of chaos in the minds of consumers. Also, cyberbullying and unfavorably ‘competing’ content affect self-esteem, depression, and other psychological disorders. Therefore, the argument emphasizes the requirement of media literacy, ethical content production, and the necessity of the regulations, which would smooth out these opposite motifs, to maximize the positive effects of the media while minimizing the negative impacts.
Counterarguments
It must be admitted that media content does have effects; several critics complain that effects on social behavior are greatly exaggerated. The public also tends to think that personal liberty and rationality are more effective as influences on behavior than the media. For instance, to particular sex, values adopted, levels of education attained, and socialization processes all determine how an individual processes and responds to media content information. Further, technology has initiated ways through which the effects of undesirable information can be minimized (Greitemeyer, 2019). AI-assisted content filtering solutions more often detect and eliminate potentially improper or deceptive content within various platforms. Those at par with this argument also argue that the audiences are more critical, and before making any decision, they will triple-check their sources. In addition, self-responsibility is emphasized – potential risks related to media consumption are discussed, users are expected to manage their environments exclude negative content where possible, and consume media safely. The critics affirm that the content of the media may influence perceptions, but the actual interpretation of that formation in a social context remains the person’s burden.
PSYC FPX 3002 assessment 3 Conclusion
The contents of media with no doubt play a role in social behaviour, as agents of change and as agents of negativity. Thus, whereas the strong interest in content as a determinant of the nature of social relations is considered the primary argument, the existence of counterarguments that speak about the substantial roles of individuals and technologies as a remedy for risks (Burkhardt & Lenhard, 2021). For this reason, media literacy, good regulatory frameworks and policies, and ethical creation of content are paramount. It is clear that the effects of the media are as profound on social behavior as they are on other features of human society; as the media continues to diversify and expand, analyzing these effects will remain indispensable to exploiting this resource in a socially constructive manner.
PSYC FPX 3002 assessment 3 References
Burkhardt, J., & Lenhard, W. (2021). A meta-analysis on the longitudinal, age-dependent effects of violent video games on aggression. Media Psychology, 25(3), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1080/15213269.2021.1980729
Greitemeyer, T. (2019). The contagious impact of playing violent video games on aggression: Longitudinal evidence. Aggressive Behavior, 45(6), 635-642. https://doi.org/10.1002/ab.21857
Greitemeyer, T. (2022). The dark and bright side of video game consumption: Effects of violent and prosocial video games. Current Opinion in Psychology, 46: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101326
Gong, H. (2020). Multi-scalar legitimation of a contested industry: A case study of the Hamburg video games industry. Geoforum, 114, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2020.05.005
Koban, K., Biehl, J., Bornemeier, J., & Ohler, P. (2021). Compensatory video gaming. Gaming behaviors and adverse outcomes and the moderating role of stress, social interaction anxiety, and loneliness. BBehavior& Information Technology, 41(13), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929x.2021.1946154
M, R. K., & Shamsi, T. (2024). Screen Addiction and Behavioral Change Among School Going Students in Dhaka City. Social Science Research Network. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4763077
Winaldo, M. D., & Oktaviani, L. (2022). INFLUENCE OF VIDEO GAMES ON THE ACQUISITION OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. Journal of English Language Teaching and Learning, 3(2), 21–26. https://doi.org/10.33365/jeltl.v3i2.1953