Impact of Mass Media on:

Education, Children & Youth

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES
 Mass Media
● Mass Media consists of the tools used for circulating information and ideas. It conveys the information to
the masses, both generic and targeted.

● Historically, the ability to transfer information was limited to oral information and some manually written
information. It was in the form of books, scrolls, documents, etc.

● As the world became more advanced and complex, the quality of education also enhanced. Therefore,
helping impart education quickly, efficiently, and without geographical limitations.

● The earlier medium of information dissemination proved to be unworthy for fulfilling the technicalities
of the task. Thus, technology made its introduction into the area of delivering education.

● Today, various mediums of mass media are available to deliver information.

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES

 Categories of Mass Media
● Print Media: The oldest form of media is print media. It consists of any type of printed material.
They include books, newspapers, magazines, journals, newsletters and many more.
● Electronic Media: Secondly, we have electronic media which made information entertaining. It
was made possible with the help of television, radio, movies and more.
● Digital Media: With technology evolving by leaps and bounds, digital media has in a way
overtaken the other forms of media. With its help, the conversation became two-sided. Digital
Media is a fast and efficient form of mass media. It encompasses all types of social media, blogs,
forums, web portals, and others. You can learn more about social media and its effects here.

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES

 Education
● Education is a very integral part of our society, a social institution that shapes individuals and
teaches them how to act and behave in certain situations.
● In simpler time education was a big contributor to society, helping it evolve into something more
acceptable. In a time when people were grouped based on their socioeconomic status, people who
had a better education were able to overcome these barriers.
● As we know today from observing societies that lack education, that it has played a huge role in
the development of humans, and has resulted in improvement in many ways, in the way we live.
● Societies which have poor or no education, are often considered backward and do not have the
same standard of living as of the more educated societies.

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES

● Education, for a very large part, can be credited with the advent of technology and technological
boom that allowed human beings to speed up their discoveries and innovations, in a manner that
has left no field untouched by technology.
● From Business to STEM fields, technology has become a great facilitator; even the functions of
a society have altered with technology.
● The changes in society have mostly been due to how information is transmitted, with people
being constantly plugged in and constantly staying informed of what’s going on in someone’s
life or what’s going on all over the world.
● However, whether it is social media or some other form of technology, education as a social
institution has been affected by the rapid growth in media.

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES

 Role of Mass Media in Education

● The technological innovation in mass media of educational communication means that education
can now be transmitted to far off places.
● Without geographical hindrances. A person sitting in India, for instance, can benefit from a lecture
being delivered in the United States. This saves a lot of time, effort, and money.
● With ever-growing innovations in technology, education can now be transmitted in real time over
the computer screen from far off places.
● The major roles mass media plays in the education field are:

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES

1. Universal reach
● Mass media has made the world smaller; it
has connected people like never before.
● Education is something which must be
universal.
● Mass media has helped tremendously bridge
that gap.
● That is, it is now within everyone’s reach and
making the world a better place.

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES

2. Storage of information
● Mass media allows storing information
which can be accessed from anywhere at any
time.
● It is available at our fingertips literally,
which saves a lot of time and energy.
● Therefore, it serves as a rather useful
resource in the field of education.

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES

3. No Physical Constraints
● One of the major drawbacks before mass media was a physical constraint but not anymore.
● Mass media has reduced the distance and made the world smaller for good.
● For instance, it is not necessary to be present at the place physically to gain knowledge now.

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES

4. Organized Influence
● Previously, the medium of information was rather
unorganized.
● Now, the mass media of information offers much
more organization and sophistication in delivering
information.
● In addition, the authenticity of the information being
imparted can be readily checked and reviewed.
● It is possible with the availability of mass media.
● This results in the reduction and elimination of false
information or rumors.

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES

5. Fruitful Results
● Another huge advantage of current technological
innovation in mass media is the increased
memorization capability of students.
● Many scientific pieces of research have proven that
transmitting lectures via an audio-visual format is
quite effective.
● It has a far more positive impact on memorization
capacity of the brain than merely an audio lecture.
● Above all, this is only possible because of the mass
media.

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES

 Impact of Media on Education
● The improvement in how we communicate and interact with people, has affected how children are
educated.
● Our parents were taught in a more complacent and rigid style. There was a right answer and a
wrong answer to everything, however in the current education system, children are encouraged to
explore the world on their own terms.
● One way in which education has been affected by media is the books. Not a very long time ago,
secondary school students were given huge heavy books, which would make carrying backpacks
very difficult.
● Today many schools use digital portals to issue books to their students, and workbooks are much
lighter and portable.

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES

● Many schools have replaced textbooks with tablets and PCs instead; this has helped students
prepare from a very young age, for the digital era.
● There are schools who have altogether stopped giving paper-based homework to their students.
Students are expected to submit their assignments online.
● Schools that use such a system have invested in building their own portal, where they can create
accounts for teachers, students, and administrators.
● This portal is then used for a variety of purposes; teachers use it to assign homework, maintain
records and calculate grades.
● Students use it to access lesson plans, study material, and resources, and submit all their
assignments.
● Administrators use the portal to maintain checks on teachers and students and make
announcements.

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES

 Digital Media in Education

● Another way we have seen the role of digital media in education evolve is how students actually
gain information.
● In the age of the internet, students have access to unlimited information, knowledge at their
fingertips has caused many students to not pay as much attention in class.
● Physically going to class in colleges and schools, is becoming redundant, there are so many other
places students would rather be if it weren’t for attendance requirements, no one would have gone
to class.
● Due to the availability of video lectures and other resources, learning has become far more
accessible.

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES

● Another way digital media has affected
education is through a variety of other
technologies, such as smart boards and smart
podiums which allow teachers to easily draw
graphs and bring out images and other resource
material to improve the learning of their
students.
● Many teachers today use a variety of tools to
improve learning in their subject; these tools
include various activities, books, digitally
published research papers and PowerPoint’s.

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES

 Media in Distance Learning

● Another way, that media has affected learning and education is through using distant learning
programs.
● Many universities from around the world now offer remote learning programs which allow
students to enroll in courses from their own remote locations.
● As the access to education improves around the globe, there are still many people who are unable
to attend colleges because of their locations.
● Developing countries where the societal norms do not support women leaving the house have
benefited greatly from remote learning programs.
● These programs allow students to continue their education, without leaving their homes.

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES

● Many students who would not be able to
afford to live in the country can also enroll
for such programs and are able to learn
without having to bear the extra costs of
living and boarding in a foreign country.
● Such has been the role of mass media in
distance education, allowing students to
benefit from a university’s curriculum,
allowing them to pursue their dreams and
improve their future without having to
burden themselves too greatly.

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES

● Another method of distance learning that has
recently become more popular is MOOC
courses. MOOC courses are short courses that
are often offered for free, by many Ivy League
schools.
● These courses are available in the form of video
lectures and small worksheets. These courses
are helpful for students and adults looking to
learn new skills or get information about a new
topic.
● Mass media has not only succeeded in making
education more accessible it has also made it
more engaging and fun.

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES

 Social Media in Education

● Even the role of social media in education has become undeniable.

● Many students use social media and the information they gain from it as their primary source of
knowledge.
● Random facts and news headlines designed to give away the most information in the shortest
amount of time is how the newer generation is programmed to take in bits of information.
● Social media is a tool that organizations use to ensure communication with their stakeholders.
● Today social media has become a terrifying force, being used to correct social ills.

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES

● So many public officials resign when their scandals get leaked on social media, with the #MeToo
movement, much high profile Hollywood Actors and Producers, were forced to step down from
their positions.
● In the education system, there might have been some mistakes being made, such as about of
racism and unfairness, where a social media campaign has been able to call attention to the issue.

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES

● Since Social Media, has become a tool for social
accountability, it has also become a very important tool
for researchers and academicians.
● Since so much of the world is now using social media,
and it has become a force to reckon with – not only has
social media become a field of study, it has allowed many
studies to be conducted as well.
● Using tools like Survey Monkey and Google Forms,
many researches have been able to collect data and build a
much larger sample size for themselves.
● Although there is a greater chance of a validity error, in
this case, it is still being used as a method to gather
information.

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES

 Media & Health Education
● So ever since social media became a very large source of information and social action, there is
also a lot of research available on the internet regarding health.
● One thing we all must appreciate the vast amounts of information available online is that there is
no price on it and a lot of the resources available are for free.
● This has allowed people to become more informed and has enabled them to make better decisions.
This means better decisions for their own health.
● There are also internet support groups and other platforms which have allowed people to find a
place where they can belong.
● People, who suffer from stigmatized illnesses, are often cast out from society, but with media, they
can not only hope to understand their own condition better but also find people who suffer from
similar conditions.

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES

● Many parents who have children suffering from Autism have been able to form communities
online, which allows them to share different milestones in their child’s progress and discuss better
treatment options.
● Even information on topics that may be considered taboo becomes easier for the youth; any
questions that one might have about their bodies can be answered through the internet.
● The internet has also proven to be very helpful when it comes to raising awareness, so when it
comes to breast cancer awareness or ALS awareness, there have been several campaigns all across
the globe which has helped save lives.
● So the role of media in health education has been very beneficial.

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES

 Media & Environmental Education
● As has been mentioned earlier, a key theme
in this piece is the power of social media.
● The internet, the social media, and even
traditional media are now taking
responsibility of educating the masses about
the impending doom of climate change lest
collective action is taken.
● The role of media in environmental
education is key to raising awareness and
promoting sustainable solutions.

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES

 How Media Impacts Youth and Children Today

● Today’s kids are surrounded by media in all its forms and the effects of long-term exposure can be
life-changing.
● All over the world, parents and carers, teachers and medical professionals are expressing concern
about how media impacts youth and children.
● They worry about the long-term effects of continuous or extreme exposure and wonder what
action, if any, to take.
● It can be difficult to recognise when children are at risk because adults tend to use media in a very
different way to children.

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES

● The most striking differences between media use in adults and children are invariably linked to
maturity and development.
● Adults have a level of maturity that enables them to make more informed choices or to
recognise the positive and negative aspects of on-screen or online content.
● Impressionable youngsters can develop behaviour patterns based on what they hear, see and
read.
● Overexposure can have a detrimental effect on diet, social interaction, sexuality and emotional
development.
● In some cases, media use can also lead to various process addictions such as addiction to social
networking, gaming or gambling.

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES

 Effects of Media on Children and Young Adults?
● During their formative years, children develop the behaviour patterns, values and attitudes that will shape
their lives.

● Often, those values are tied to how frequently children view certain types of media productions and what
they learn or understand from them.

● Concerns over how media impacts youth and children stem from how much exposure kids have and the
type of content.

● Educational media content and age-appropriate entertainment can be positive for children and their
families, provided that they don’t replace homework or healthy activities.

● On the other hand, overexposure can have a detrimental effect on numerous areas of a child or young
person’s life including:

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES

● Diet
- Prolonged media use can lead to kids grabbing quick and often unhealthy snacks in place of
regular, nutritious meals.
- Good nutrition is vital for growth and development and the problem is compounded by media
advertisements for calorie-laden fast food or sugary drinks.
● Social Skills
- When young adults or children spend too much time using various forms of media, they miss
out on regular activities like seeing friends, sports, school events and family life.
- As a result, their ability to function well in social settings can diminish rapidly.

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES

● Sexuality
- Sex between unmarried partners is 24 times
more likely to feature on media sites than
sex between married couples.
- Exposure to sexual violence and deviance
is often a feature of music videos, films and
games and this affects the way that kids see
sex and influences how they might behave
in future.

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES

● Attitudes, Values and Behaviour
- Unfortunately, the attitudes that kids see on media sites are often adopted in real life. A recent study
noted that the average North American child sees 12,000 incidences of violence on television each year,
for example.

- Media violence often leads to kids acting violently themselves or seeing violence as an acceptable form
of behaviour. Too much media time also exposes kids to racism, sexism, brutality and other deviant
behaviours.

- Alcohol and drug abuse are featured in films, popular series, music videos, video games and thousands of
websites. When these behaviours and values are portrayed as ‘acceptable’ there is a real danger of kids
taking them on board.

- The immature brain soon becomes ‘immune’ and kids begin to accept potentially addictive behaviours
including drinking, gaming or gambling as somehow ‘cool’ and attractive.

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES

 Positive Impact on Children:

1. Simulation with learning: It helps students to a great

extent. It acts as a very important tool for young
students. It creates a real-life scenario which makes
practical learning possible for children. This ‘hands-
on’ learning experience proves to be very useful for
them and ensures better retention. Eg-Kidzania

2. Spoken Tutorials: Learning with the help of videos

proves to be very convenient. It is less expensive and
less time consuming for students. They can learn at
any time of the day.

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES

 3. Kindles-Kindles/E-books: These are another
convenient and easy option of learning. Students can
store innumerable books and read or refer to them at
any time of the day. Thus 24x7 learning is made
possible. Also, students need not have to carry heavy
books everywhere.

4. Synchronous Learning: Takes place when

teachers/trainers are physically separated from the
students. This makes it easier for both the parties. The
tools used in learning include chat, online seminars,
screen sharing, telephone learning, etc.

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES

 5. Blended Learning: It is a method which is used
today in most of the schools and colleges. It is a
method which involves a combination of modern and
traditional learning. For Eg. Black board and chalk
method is used by teachers simultaneously along with
projectors.

6. Also, magazines such as Toot, Magic pot, etc and

newspapers like HT education and Education Times
have gained popularity over a period of time.

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES

 Negative Impact on Children:
1. Children have become isolated and antisocial due to the Internet, video games, etc.

2. There is lack of routine in the lives of the children. One of the main reasons behind this is online
learning, due to which students take learning for granted.

3. Neil Maroki in his book, ‘Impact of Internet in the Education Systems in the new Millennium’
states that the internet has made our minds obsolete. According to him,we will soon not use our
minds and our thinking abilities will decrease gradually. This phenomenon is called ‘Erosion of
Mind.’

4. Media has made students dull and lazy. They have become dependent on Wikipedia and Google.

5. There is lack of detailed study and research. The students do not delve deeper to study subjects,
like they did in earlier times.

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES

 Positive Impact on Youth:
1. It actually caters to all the 3 main aspects for the youth such as Education/ Entertainment/
Research.
2. It has simplified life.
3. It acts as a tool for progress.
4. It leads to all-round development.
5. It leads to a transformation in the outlook and attitude of the youth.
6. Media empowers the youth to take decisions and have an opinion of their own.
7. It acts as a prime communicator.
8. Media has inculcated higher level of openness and confidence in young minds.
9. It has led to better to interaction.

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES

 Negative Impact on Youth:
1. Glorifying Negative behaviour:
- Movies glorify characters drinking alcohol, consuming tobacco and
drugs as well as indulging in violent behaviour.
- They believe that smoking and consuming drugs allows them to
attain freedom.
- It makes it difficult to make responsible choices.
- They feel negative behaviour is readily accepted and justified.
- Nowadays, the protagonist in movies portrays negative behaviour
which influences the young minds.
- Eg: Ek villain. Here the protagonist shows negative behaviour and
justify his rebellious behaviour. Also, murder and extortion is
justified.

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES

2. Video Games:
- Excessive use of video games over a long period of time may lead to aggressive and violent
behaviour in teenagers.
- Killing, beating, thrashing, etc is justified and the Youth tend to follow the main characters in these
video games.
- They get confused between the virtual world and reality and start imitating the same actions in real
life.
- They become insensitive and gradually stop feeling guilty even after doing wrong things. Their
moral judgement gets impaired.
- Also, they at times experience Antisocial personality disorder as they mostly remain in isolation
and avoid interaction.

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES

3. Internet:
- One can find anything and everything on the internet. A teenager these days has very easy access to
internet through the phone or laptop. WiFi has made this even easier for them.

- Sometimes, Youth tend to blindly accept facts and information available on the internet which can be
detrimental.

- Over use of the internet can cause obesity, low creativity, depression and spoon-feeding. A new
psychological problem is being noticed in youngsters known as Facebook depression which occurs as a
result of overuse of Facebook.

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES

- Cyber bullying is another rising problem. Teenagers at times upload doctored and morphed photos
of their peers on social networking sites. The victims due to this at times undergo depression,
aggression, frustration and low-self image. These victims are at times seen to have bullied people in
the future to vent out their frustration.
- Youth are also exposed to Pornographic content on the internet at a very early age. This has led to
an increase in rapes, molestations, crimes and early pregnancies. At times, these videos may cause
disgust in the young minds which may cause difficulties for them in the future.

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES

4. Television
- It has led to an increase in violent behaviour,
aggression and negative psychological impact.
- Some reality shows have also caused psychological
damage to children.
- Eg: Shows like Big Boss show vulgar language.
- Eg: A child aged 9 years once tried to imitate a
dangerous stunt from Roadies due to which he lost his
life.
- Thus Tv characters at time act like role models for
children due to which they follow them blindly.

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES

Overall Impact of Television Programs:
● Values, regulations
● Social messages
● Awareness, acceptance, attitude
● Change in cultural, structural, style and behaviour
● Aspirations, demands, discontents & opportunities
● Impact on mass, elites, leaders, government
● Western and global influences are changing the traditional
social values of societies
● Address audience needs and their changing preferences

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES

● Time displacement - people spend less time on reading books and
magazines, sports activities, socialization with friends, family
and entertainment

● Role of Government in regulation, ownership, financing and

technology.

● Enhances the quality of public life, empower individuals, social

group to participate fully and equitably.

● Interpersonal exchange of people

● Media program content

● Healthy mix of their own cultural resources to create interest,

achievement and preservation motive for their own cultural
identities.

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES

 References:
● https://www.toppr.com/bytes/role-of-mass-media-in-education/
● https://bestessaywritingservice.org/blog/role-of-media-in-education/
● https://www.thecabinchiangmai.com/blog/how-media-impacts-youth-and-children/

Dr. Vaneeta Raney. SIES

 Thank You!
A presentation by

Dr. Vaneeta Raney

(SIES College of Arts, Science and Commerce)