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MASS MEDIA AND ITS INFLUENCE ON SOCIETY
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By M. A.Mughal
In the last five decades or so, the media and its influence on the
societies, has grown exponentially with the advance of technology. First
there was the telegraph and the post offices, then the radio, the

newspaper, magazines, television and now the internet and the new
media including palmtops, cell phones etc. There are positive and
negative influences of mass media, which we must understand as a
responsible person of a society.

Before discussing the influence of mass media on society it is
imperative to explain the three basic functions of mass media; they are
providing news/information, entertainment and education. The first and

foremost function of the media in a society is to provide news and
information to the masses, that is why the present era is some time
termed as the information age as well. People need news/information for

various reasons, on one hand it can be used to socialize and on the other
to make decisions and formulate opinions. Entertainment would be the
other function of the mass media where it is mostly used by the masses

to amuse them in present day hectic environment. Educating the masses
about their rights, moral, social and religious obligations is another
important function of mass media, which needs no emphasis.
In present era of globalization, majority of people in the society

depends on information and communication to remain connected with
the world and do our daily activities like work, entertainment, health
care, education, socialization, travelling and anything else that we have

to do. A common urban person usually wakes up in the morning checks
the tv news or newspaper, goes to work, makes a few phone calls, eats
with their family or peers when possible and makes his decisions based
on the information that he has either from their co workers, tv news,

friends, family, financial reports, etc. we need to be conscious of the
reality that most of our decisions, beliefs and values are based on what
we know for a fact, our assumptions and our own experience. In our

work we usually know what we have to do, based on our experience and
studies, however on our routine life and house hold chores we mostly

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Myghal M. A. Mass Media and Its Influence on Society / M. A. Myghal. – Available
at: http://www.opinion-maker.org/2011/01/mass-media-and-its-influence-on-society/