Technology Transforming Human Life: Impact on Film and Social Media

The advancement of technology has transformed human life. The film industry and social media applications are some of the areas that have been adversely affected by these changes. Today, societal norms reflect on the trends and behaviors that people learn from the film, television programs as well as social media. Thus, they play a significant role in making citizens responsible as well as blaming victims. Film-makers and television programs develop fictional and real-life events contents that reflect on the trends in different parts of the world. Moreover, social media has been on the frontline for ages now in debates, topics, fashions, and trends that have a great influence on a person's beliefs. Because technological manifestations through theatric arts and social media are central to human development, understanding how film, television, and social media make citizens responsible as well as blame victims are critically essential and the primary focus of the paper.

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The characters and characterization of individuals in films and television play a significant impact on the viewers, particularly children and young adults. Many people have developed close, though not the personal, but distant relationship with the celebrities that they identify with from the television. An excellent example is the personalities that play the roles of advocating for justice in the popular litigant TV shows (Kohm 2006: 694). The interaction of the viewers with these characters has enhanced the responsible mindset in many people around the world.

People have become more cautious about the lawsuits, the criminal justice procedures, and as well as the need to embrace a just society. People who have no legal background knowledge have been able to develop some basic understanding of the real law and its application as a result of watching the films and television programs on popular law. It is worth noting that the films, though fictional, closely relate to the real-life events happening all over the world. Therefore, they present an opportunity for the viewers to learn about what happens in the world, thereby enhancing responsibility amongst citizens.

Social media has been an essential tool for condemning evil deeds both at communal, national, and global levels. The technological changes have ensured that people witnessing dirt in the community can film and share the acts in social media, which has a global audience. As a result, citizens have become more cautious and careful about their actions as opposed to the past. Films, television, and social media have been at the focal point in the fight against social, institutional, and structural injustices (Dodge 2016: 68). One of the recent examples in the case of the brutal killing of George Floyd in Pennsylvania. Social media also applies what Alexa Dodge terms as "the power of digital photography" in his article.

Recently, social media has effectively caused a series of debates on sensitive topics such as sexual violence, including rape, drug abuse, and criminal gang-related activities. The social media discussions and debates arising from digital photographs of horrific and traumatizing events have effectively helped in the molding of responsible citizens. Additionally, the alarm raised through social media has enhanced the apprehension and prosecution of offenders, henceforth instilling a responsible mindset in citizens. Nonetheless, social media has had several negative effects, including contributing to blame victims, especially for cases involving sexual assaults and drug use in women (Dodge 2016: 66). Thus, condemning victims and sharing of sexual abuse photographs and films through social media has had a negative impact in the making of responsible citizens, and promoting blame victims through cyberbullying.

Films, television, and social media, together have been the modern-day educator. Both children and adults acquire different life skills and problem-solving techniques from movies and social media. Daniels, in her article on the narratives of addiction, outlines the role that films and reality TV shows play in encouraging addicts to seek medical and psychosocial therapies (Daniels 2012: 103). The article examines how people who have undergone severe and life-challenging experiences have been able to retrace their steps and manage to become responsible citizens.

Daniels' article explores some of the many success stories in which films, television, and social media have been able to mold accountable citizens (Daniels 2012: 105). Films and reality shows, such as the one hosted by Oprah Winfrey, are amongst the many ways through which television helps in developing citizens. Social media, on the other hand, brings people from different parts of the world, thereby enhancing the sharing of ideas and problem-solving techniques. It houses both religious, non-religious, and philosophical individuals who can offer solutions to virtually all life's problems.

Those struggling with family or relationship issues can acquire the necessary help at the lowest costs. Additionally, talented individuals with marketable skills can share that with the global audience created by social media. Therefore, television, films, and social media are central to enhancing responsibility amongst citizens through interactive learning and the exchange of ideas in a global space.

The dramatized programs in television and films today focus on the themes of crime, love and marriages, sexuality, drugs and substance abuse, and crime and punishment through the legal systems. There is a close relationship between what happens in contemporary life and the depiction that film-makers accord these events in television and movies. The themes addressed in films and television and the topics discussed in the social media forms the fascination and anxieties of people. Therefore, social media, television, and films influence the ways of life of people as a result of the borrowing from the developed fictional contents.

Violent behaviors demonstrated in fictional films and television is one of the areas of focus of psychosocial studies. Though not conclusive, sociologists and psychologists have pointed out the fact that media violence has some kind of relation to the violence amongst viewers. Supporters of this controversial and long-running theory believe that film-makers illustrate criminal activities bin a glamorous manner, thereby instilling such minds on viewers. Therefore, the criminal activities that viewers experience in films and television are the primary cause of delinquency and blame victims (Dodge 2016: 69).

In conclusion, television programs, films, and social media play a pivotal role in the creation of a conducive environment for citizens to be responsible. Television and films serve as an avenue for the presentation of sensitive and controversial discussion topics that enhance objective reasoning and judgment. The characters and characterization in the films and televised programs pose the qualities that resemble those of real-life settings.

Thus, their problem-solving techniques helps viewers to be responsible and better in handling different challenges. Social media is effective in creating responsible citizens by unearthing, displaying, and condemning the rots in the community. The use of photography and filming in social media impacts responsibility in people as they tend to be vigilant and cautious about their actions and repercussions. However, social media, films, and television contribute significantly to victim-blaming and sexual abuse amongst women.

References

Daniels, J. 2012. Intervention: Reality TV, whiteness, and narratives of addiction. Critical perspectives on addiction, 14, 103-125.

Dodge, A. 2016. Digitizing rape culture: Online sexual violence and the power of the digital photograph. Crime, media, culture, 12(1), 65-82.

Kohm, S. A. 2006. The People's Law versus Judge Judy Justice: Two Models of Law in American RealityBased Courtroom TV. Law & Society Review, 40(3), 693-728.