LC480 Media, Communication and Society Assignment Sample

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PART 1 BLOG

The current Blog will be shared on social media platform which helps in creating awareness related to the benefits and limitations of digital media for social activism. This blog will create awareness within young people related to necessity of accurately utilising technology for bringing positive changes within society.

Digital media, social activism and democracy

Social activism implies for the diverse activities, practices and efforts that are undertaken with the aim of addressing social issues such as racial equality, gender equality, child welfare and LGBTQ+ rights. Introduction of digital era has increased the use of social media platform which ultimately acts as a powerful tool for boosting the social activism. Digital media offers adequate access to all information which enhances democratic engagement and aids in bringing suitable changes. Additionally, it promotes freedom of expression as provides offers opportunity to marginalized people and group to share their opinion, issues and perception (Sinpeng, 2021). In this regard, social media amplifying voices which helps in creating awareness within the wider section and thereby bringing suitable social changes. Digital media has increased social movement such as #BlackLivesMatter, #ClimateStrike and many more which eventually aids in bringing positive social change.

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LC480 Media, Communication and Society Assignment Sample

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Social media platform is playing a crucial role in mobilizing mass movement by disseminating crucial information to the wider society. Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and twitter are the major social media platforms that motivate people to join any protest and thereby introduce transformation within social & political sphere. Digital media aids in forming the diverse virtual communities which enhances collaboration, co-ordination and communication (Akhila and John, 2024). This online forums support people with common interest to collaborate with each other that facilitate suitable social changes. Along with this, digital media enhances direct engagement with political parties that aids in timely resolving any issue. This social media platform assists in easily expressing their opinion and communicate with elected officially which ultimately initiate required changes within society. For example: Online petition, crowd sourcing endeavour and electronic polling are diverse digital platforms and technologies which ease the process of social activism.

Moreover, digital media allows activist in mobilizing resources and support which ends up sustaining adequate change within the society. Social media offers crowdfunding platform that assists in raising funds to finance initiatives and thereby manages overall success of social campaign. In addition to this, social media influences overall policy outcome and play a crucial role in forming the public discourse (Role of social media in activism and Social movement, 2025). Digital media and platforms are used to generate public pressure and creating awareness which ultimately assists in forming adequate policies. In this regard, activist are involved towards sharing encouraging conversation, viral campaign and leverage hastags that forces policy makers to address prevailing social issues (Lorenz-Spreen et al, 2023). However, digital media promotes democracy and social activities but also develops the diverse new constraints & issues. Theseissues are related to disseminating irrelevant and inaccurate information that eventually exploit social perspectives. Furthermore, digital media has reduced individual trust & confidence towards democracy and political parties due to online trolls and fakes news. In addition to this, underrepresented groups and communities usually face issue in engaging with digital era which ultimately reduces benefit of such development.

PART 2 COMMENTARY

Power in and around media

Media is the strongest mode of communication which reduces the false and unrealistic claims, spreads knowledge and alters all the out-dated and incorrect information as to form public opinion. Media is the mirror of society which diffuses the liberal norms and settles down conflicts and respect human rights. Media in 21^st century has reduced geographical constraint by disseminating information all around the world which makes people updated and aids in remaining competitive in the current scenarios. One of the pivotal media power is to enhance knowledge by disseminating crucial information and public narratives (Gisondi et al, 2022). However, the increasing use of social media has created a threat by conveying perception and opinion of minority groups and community which were earlier ignored. Today’s media offers information related to all the interested and latest areas such as war, weather, politics, science, history, finance and many more (The Power of Digital Media, 2025). Contradictory, both current and past media uses algorithm that offers an opportunity to alter information and misguide users.

In addition to this, current media channels provide freedom to all social groups to clearly convey their issues and thereby amplify their voices. This helps underrepresented group to capture attention of the political parties and general public that contributes towards bringing positive changes in their lives. In addition to this, current media has power to mobilize collective actions which support in sustaining positive social changes (Nafees et al, 2021). Social media platform establishes diverse campaign and hastags on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook that aids in spreading crucial information related to the social issues. Additionally, current media has put government accountable for its actions which develop highly representative democracy. Social media facilitates people in connecting with officials, raise their issues and demand accountability from government (Singh, Raun and Sole, 2021). This ultimately forces the government to take accurate decision for prevailing issue and promote transparency related to the decision which eventually promotes democracy.

In addition to this, 21st century media does not offers third party view rather provides societal perception and narratives which enhance overall understanding related to the social issues. Media is involved towards sharing real life opinion, issues, beliefs and perception of victims that promotes transparency and facilitates conveying accurate as well as reliable information (Cheung et al, 2022). Moreover, current media sustains power of social changes and advocacy which ultimately aids in the growth and development of society. Through documentaries, storytelling and investigating report media is capable in highlighting human right violation, social injustice and environment issues. This motivates people and government official to take necessary actions on timely basis which ultimately drive positive changes.

Contemporary social issue with digital and social media

It has discovered that digital and social media has integrated various positive changes within the society but also results into developing diverse new social issues and problems. One of the biggest social media issues is the wide spread diffusion of false and inaccurate information that ultimately impacts overall trust of the general public (Castaño-Pulgarín et al, 2021). Social media provides an opportunity to share all type of information which could misguide public related to the issues. These rumours as well as fake news mislead people and develop confusion & chaos which ultimately hampers public trust and democratic processes. Moreover, this type of information increases conflicts within diverse social groups which eventually impacts the country’s prosperity. In addition to this, social and digital media has negatively impacted on overall mental state of people (Rachmad, 2022). Social media platform has enabled people to easily bully and harass each other without any restriction that negatively impact on victim’s overall well-being.

There are no significant consequences of cyber bullying which has resulted in increases number of such issues. It has identified that cyber bulling reduces self esteem and increases emotional stress of victims which negatively hampers overall society (Matamoros-Fernánde. and Farkas, 2021). In addition to this, social media addiction is another critical issue that impact on society growth and welfare. It has recorded that social media addiction has increased case of depression and anxiety which negatively impact on overall productivity of society (Global views of social media & its impact on society, 2024). Digital media has reduced cognitive control of brain which negatively impact on emotional regulation, impulse control and memory. Moreover an individual highly addicted to texting, posting and scrolling is deemed to ignore diverse issues prevailing within family and surrounding that also negatively hamper society growth and development.

Beside this, digital & social media has increased data security and privacy issues as this platform collect huge amount of personal information which is sold to third party for target marketing (Swart, 2021). Such activities hamper overall confidentiality and privacy of users which ultimately reduces their overall trust & confidence. For overcoming such issues, strong and robust data privacy regulations should be introduced that contributes towards overcoming the confidentiality obstacles. Child Exploitation is another critical social issue that emerged after introduction of social and digital media. Social media platform has enhanced the access of pornographer and predators to easily communicate with the children through live session and messages which exploit youth.

Moreover, digital media has increased trend of “Kid Influencers” which distracts their focus from productive activities. Additionally, all social groups are not well versed in utilising social & digital media and do not have access to required infrastructure that widen society gap. A marginalized community does not have access to proper internet services, resources and digital literary that ultimately broaden overall digital gaps (Azzaakiyyah, 2023). This ultimately develop issues in creating awareness related to their social issues & problem and thereby impact on overall well beings. Furthermore, all the social media content are based on algorithm which negatively hampers people mindset & thinking ability. Digital media uses algorithmic to provide content according to their preferences & beliefs. This restricts users in gaining comprehensive information related to real world scenarios which leads to polarization and end up developing unhealthy society.

Reflection of my media diary and own Media

For reflecting my experience related to media diary, Gibbs reflective model will be used. It is six step process which aids in easily describing situation, feeling, evaluating, analysis, concluding and forming action plan for the prevailing issue (Gibbs reflective Cycle, 2024). This blog helps in enhancing my understanding related to the digital media and its role in promoting social activism & democracy. At the initial level, I have encountered positive impact of internet and digital media for overcoming all the social issues. I have identified that Social media sites support all individual to easily convey their opinion, perception and issues to others which assist in amplifying social movements. This platform enhances communication process as it provides platform to marginalized group to clear convey their issues and obstacles which further helps in bringing positive changes in their lives.

I have developed the sense of satisfaction & empowerment by contributing in online discussion, spreading awareness related to social issues and signing petitions. This blog enhances my understanding related to role of participating in online protest and its impact on overall lives and welfare of others. However, this media post also helped me in understanding the necessity of critically evaluating all the social media information before sharing to others. I have discovered that inaccurate and fake news are widely spread through such platform because of which people distract from crucial issue present within society. Along with this, it have determined that media literary should be promoted which help individual in distinguishing between actual and fake news (Torous et al, 2021). Moreover, Blog also created awareness related to echo-chamber that impact on overall democracy and social activism.

Due to this process, I was unable to explore broader view point related to topic and only exposed to information related to my beliefs and perception. This restricts me in gaining comprehensive knowledge of the topic which eventually ends up taking inaccurate decision. In order to overcome this issue in upcoming time, I have decided to communicate with people who disagree with my opinion which contributes towards gaining broader knowledge of the topic. This assignment also enhances my knowledge related to power of media in influencing government decision, people opinion and resolving prevailing social issue. Further, I have identified that privacy, child exploitation, metal health issue, cyber bullying and depression, addiction and scams are diverse social issues that are caused due to digital and social media (Farsi, 2021). Moreover, I have identified that strict regulation, technology advancement and promoting transparency are diverse measures through which such issues could be easily overcome.

REFERENCES

Part 1

Books and Journals

• Akhila, K.P. and John, J., 2024. Deliberate democracy and the MeToo movement: Examining the impact of social media feminist discourses in India. In The Routledge International Handbook of Feminisms in Social Work (pp. 513-525). Routledge.
• Lorenz-Spreen, P., Oswald, L., Lewandowsky, S. and Hertwig, R., 2023. A systematic review of worldwide causal and correlational evidence on digital media and democracy. Nature human behaviour, 7(1), pp.74-101.
• Sinpeng, A., 2021. Hashtag activism: social media and the# FreeYouth protests in Thailand. Critical Asian Studies, 53(2), pp.192-205.

Part 2

Books and Journals

• Azzaakiyyah, H.K., 2023. The impact of social media use on social interaction in contemporary society. Technology and Society Perspectives (TACIT), 1(1), pp.1-9.
• Castaño-Pulgarín, S.A., Suárez-Betancur, N., Vega, L.M.T. and López, H.M.H., 2021. Internet, social media and online hate speech. Systematic review. Aggression and violent behavior, 58, p.101608.
• Cheung, M.L., Leung, W.K., Aw, E.C.X. and Koay, K.Y., 2022. “I follow what you post!”: The role of social media influencers’ content characteristics in consumers' online brand-related activities (COBRAs). Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 66, p.102940.
• Farsi, D., 2021. Social media and health care, part I: literature review of social media use by health care providers. Journal of medical internet research, 23(4), p.e23205
• Gisondi, M.A., Barber, R., Faust, J.S., Raja, A., Strehlow, M.C., Westafer, L.M. and Gottlieb, M., 2022. A deadly infodemic: social media and the power of COVID-19 misinformation. Journal of medical Internet research, 24(2), p.e35552.
• Matamoros-Fernández, A. and Farkas, J., 2021. Racism, hate speech, and social media: A systematic review and critique. Television & new media, 22(2), pp.205-224
• Nafees, L., Cook, C.M., Nikolov, A.N. and Stoddard, J.E., 2021. Can social media influencer (SMI) power influence consumer brand attitudes? The mediating role of perceived SMI credibility. Digital Business, 1(2), p.100008.
• Rachmad, Y.E., 2022, June. Perception of Social Media Marketing by Users of E-Commerce Marketplace and Online Food Delivery. In Proceeding of The International Conference on Economics and Business (Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 121-134).
• Singh, B., Raun, N.F. and Sole, N.A., 2021. Contemporary Social Media. Big Data Analytics in Cognitive Social Media and Literary Texts: Theory and Praxis, p.101.
• Swart, J., 2021. Experiencing algorithms: How young people understand, feel about, and engage with algorithmic news selection on social media. Social media+ society, 7(2), p.20563051211008828.
• Carvalho, A.F., Keshavan, M., Linardon, J. and Firth, J., 2021. The growing field of digital psychiatry: current evidence and the future of apps, social media, chatbots, and virtual reality. World Psychiatry, 20(3), pp.318-335.