Depending on what subculture, age, gender or class you are in, we all like different types of media texts. I think that peer pressure can affect what type of media somebody likes, for example, somebody may not want to watch a certain programme in fear that their friends or peers will show a negative response. However, media like photography can be seen as something that each individual can determine if they like it or not, not if they are in fear of what their friends think. I do believe that age has a major part in what types of media texts you are involved with. Whenever somebody makes a media product or text, they almost always have a target audience in mind to have something to aim for. With films, there is an age restriction to who can watch them, so normally for example, a 12 year old will not watch an 18 certified film.
Using the example of newspapers, class can depend what media text you are interested in. Everyone may read newspapers, but different ‘brands’ of newspapers can depend on what class you are in. A working-class person may not like the way in which ‘The Independent’ newspaper writes about stories, they may be more interested in the less formal and the quirky way in which ‘The Sun’ newspapers writes about stories – however they both still write about news and the latest events. The now multi-millionaire Alan Sugar came from the humble area of East London which back then his family would have probably read ‘The Daily Mirror’ (a tabloid and supports Labour) but now because he may look at money and society in a different way, he would probably read ‘The Times’ – as it is a broadsheet, is £2.20 an issue and is seen as a serious publication with high standards of journalism.
Who watches a certain television programme can be determined by what time the programme is shown and what channel. An adult wouldn’t choose to watch ‘Mickey Mouse’ on the Disney channel if their child wasn’t watching it. However, when it comes to teenagers, they are much more likely to watch general programmes instead of children’s television.
A media text that does seem to have audiences of all kinds of people would be photography because a picture can be taken from the photographer’s personal perspective. There is no right or wrong. It can be whatever the photographer wants it to be. Not everyone could understand what the photo means or the purpose.
Another interesting example of a type of media that could be watched by anyone is the news. The children’s television channel ‘Newsround’ takes serious issues but directs them at a younger audience by using less complicated and direct dialogue and tells the news fast to keep the young viewers interested. They also tell strange and sometimes unique stories to keep interest. However, I do think it also depends on the issues. The news aimed more towards adults may try not to ‘polish’ an unpleasant story like ‘Newsround’; they would just tell it how it is.
Reality television programmes like ‘Big Brother’ or ‘The Jeremy Kyle Show’, aren’t made to focus on one specific gender, but they do without purpose are watched by mainly females.
Teenagers are easily led by their peers which could then link onto what music a person listens to. If you are put into a subculture, you would be expected to listen to the type of music which has been made by other people from the same subculture as you. We may be pressured to be interested in the music in which we are stereotypically ‘meant’ to listen to. A person in a subculture may feel peer pressure if they do not like or choose to listen to the type of music which is typical. However, there will always be somebody who likes to break the stereotypes of their subculture, and not listen to the type of music in which other people have set them.
2. How much of your media experience is when you are on your own and how much when you are with others?
When you go to the cinema, you are much more likely to go with somebody else than you are by yourself. However, when you buy the DVD to this film that you watched at the cinema, you would watch it on your own at home. Also, if a child is watching a child-aimed television programme and an adult comes to sit on the sofa, that adult wouldn’t turn the programme over, they would watch it. I think it also depends on who has the main control over the television remote if the whole family is watching the television.
A games console is more likely to be used by males of different age groups, social class and subculture. What games console and how many games a certain person has may be affected by what they can afford. A person can play on a games console on their own or with friends.
Reading a magazine or newspaper can be seen as an individual thing for somebody to do. As it depends on what events each individual is interested in whether it is celebrities, fashion or world events etc.
An iPod is for an individual use as it is possible to only fit one pair of ear phones in it. However if you are listening to music from loud speakers or live, there is an unlimited amount of people who can listen to it.
3. Are there any ways in which you share your experiences of the media with other people who weren't around when you experienced the text?
The main way you share your experiences of the media with other people is by telling them face to face. You can ell them your own opinion and views on technology, films, magazines etc. If you were to tell your friend about how you didn’t like a film that you saw, they may not want to go and see it as you have given it a bad review. Another way you could share experiences of media is by social network sites, online forums, blogs and reviews when on the internet. These can rapidly affect peoples thoughts on whether they want to buy a product or go to see a film at the cinema. People are free to have their own opinions about different media forms.
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