Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Response - Essay Example The media has been accessible to the populace in every facet of their daily lives, starting with simple spoken words and publications, and soaring to the twentieth century new heights with radio, TV and the internet. With such a strong grip on the current society, mass media has managed to form popular culture and to influence public opinion. Nonetheless, when the media is abused, its power has the potential of harming the general population. This paper disagrees with Oak’s opinion that media has served as a boon to humanity in his extensive and definitive discussion of the positive effects of the media. While agreeing that a certain amount of exposure to media is necessary for the masses to introduce themselves to the outside world, the paper emphasizes the fact that media is harmful to people’s well-being. Oak believes that media has greatly benefited humanity. He argues that it has exposed people to the world, allowing different people to exchange their views on various subjects and social issues, resulting into a global knowledge sharing; it provides a platform though which people voice their opinions on all kinds of social and political issues in addition to allowing information sharing. He adds that the media has eased communication and that technological development has provided a platform that has enabled people to present themselves to the rest of the world. He argues that although overexposure to media has somewhat negatively affected the society, it is evidently a pleasure. He supports this by discussing various positive effects of the media. To start with, Oak argues that news broadcasted through different media increase people’s overall awareness/knowledge by providing them with information from throughout the world. News, telefilms and documentaries on social issues raise in children a social awareness developing their concern towards society. Oak also argues that newspapers not only update people with new information and