In the modern world, media has become a support for society by informing and educating, enabling users to maintain contact with friends and family, and serving as a source of entertainment and leisure. The term media encompasses traditional media such as television, newspapers, magazines, and radio, as well as new products of digitalization. Media has become a part of daily life, making life without it unimaginable. When used correctly and with the aim of enhancing knowledge and society, media and media content can be a positive aspect of society, while when used for manipulation, media poses a danger.
Various studies show that media can contribute to society through the development and production of quality content. Media informs us about various topics and important news happening around the world. Additionally, through reporting, media can raise awareness about socially important issues. Furthermore, various cartoons and animated films teach children the importance of friendship, understanding diversity, and respect, while educational programs and shows use songs and rhymes to prepare children for school.
However, certain media content includes violent elements that can have harmful effects, especially on children and youth. Moreover, excessive time spent in front of computer screens or smartphones can lead to neglecting real-world responsibilities and losing touch with reality. This is particularly dangerous for developing children as it can slow the further development of imagination and hinder spontaneous play. While media can promote healthy lifestyle habits and raise awareness about certain issues, they can also promote stereotypical behaviors and exacerbate social polarization.
Media can play a positive role in society as educators and informants, while they can also have a negative role by promoting discrimination and violent behavior. Children are exposed to independent consumption of media content from a young age, which can pose a potential danger given that they do not have developed critical thinking skills at that age.
Digitalization and globalization have brought many changes, especially in the field of media and communication. Innovations in human communication have made a vast amount of information accessible to people and improved education and the business world; however, they have also brought many dangers. To recognize the potential negative consequences of media and media content, it is necessary to continuously enhance media literacy competencies, which ensure the development of skills such as analyzing and critically thinking about available media content.
Check your knowledge about the positive and negative impact of media:
The goal of the quiz is to help users of the platform learn to recognize the positive and negative media effects.
This quiz has been designed as part of the project “Improving the Culture of Fact-Checking,” conducted by HUOJ in collaboration with media professionals from Lider Media and the Faculty of Economics at the University of Zagreb, with financial support from the European Union – NextGenerationEU.
