Wrestling and Media Influence: A Closer Look at WWE's Impact on Society - Paper Example

Media plays a significant role in our day-to-day activities. We depend on the media to receive information concerning the running of the world politically, the latest fashion trends, impending danger to us, and news that the government wants to relay to citizens, among other things. This type of information needs to be relayed to the people through mass communication. Mass communication refers to the transmission of the same information to a large group of people at once. There are many modes of mass communication used to relay information to the masses; radio, social media, television stations and programs, and print media materials.

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The media has a significant effect on its audience, mainly because it influences what they think. If the media brings up news about a criminal, the whole country who viewed this will never look at that individual as anything else but a criminal. Various theories explain the effect media has on its audience; cultivation theory, hypodermic needle theory, and silence theory spiral, among others. The spiral of silence theory states that people have an urge to belong and, therefore, support the majority opinion. On the other hand, the hypodermic theory states that the media has an effect on people just like a bullet has on a body.

The cultivation theory promotes the idea that media affects its audience both consciously and subconsciously. It states that the more we see in the media and the more exposed we are to the media's ideas, the more we will try to match them (Shrum, 2017). All modes of mass communication influence their audience, but television has the most significant effect, mostly because it presents both audio and visual communication. When people watch programs or anything else on television, they are likely to remember it more than when they heard it on the radio.

Wrestling, for example, has been on television for many years and has continued to be viewed to date. Wrestling is an entertainment program that involves men and women fighting, and a winner is decided when the other party is pinned down. In wrestling, some characters depict good characters and are loved by people, and some depict bad characters and are not the audience's favorites. This show represents a measure of strength and power in as much as it is entertaining. The show is among the most-watched programs globally, and its events are attended by thousands of people from across the world.

The art of wrestling depicts strength and courage, something that most people want to have. People identify with wrestlers and look up to them, especially if they are outstanding in their fights. Wrestlers like The Undertaker are recognized across the world even by people who do not watch wrestling. His fans copy his fighting tactics, and you will find them mimicking his moves as they pretend to be fighting in a ring like him. When people watch wrestling, they get violent thoughts and desire to keep proving their strength just like their heroes in WWE. Some even join gyms and start taking a different diet to look like the stars in wrestling who are well-built physically.

The cultivation theory is applicable because the audience that follows wrestling becomes fans of the show and loves the fighters. So much so that they even buy clothes like those that their favorite wrestlers wear to the ring. The people become so attached to the show that they take videos of themselves behaving like their favorite stars and supporting their work. Many children who start watching wrestling at an early age grow up with the wrestlers as their role models, and some even end up getting into the wrestling industry.

WWE, being the top entertainment show for wrestling, has made a significant impact on society. The stars in the show participate in charity events to help various people in disadvantaged positions; the latest one is the 'Make a Wish' foundation which helps children diagnosed with cancer. The show supports the organization's cause, and the superstars help entertain and encourage the children when they visit them in hospitals or bring them to one of their live events. They also support the "Be a Star" campaign that focuses on reducing bullying.

These stars also encourage children who want to take up wrestling as a career because they have role models to look up to. Having role models and people who have succeeded in specific fields is always a good motivation for others who want to explore the same career. Therefore, WWE serves to improve society because it shows there is success in wrestling, and this is a path that parents would also love to have their children undertake. Similarly, it also promotes violence, especially among children, because they try to prove their strength, which also encourages vices in society.

Conclusion

Generally, everything that comes on television has its advantages and disadvantages. All the shows and programs aired have both a positive and negative impact on society. Depending on what we watch, different cultures and practices can be instilled in us. Some new behaviors can be picked up, and new dreams and plans can be made. These programs can easily influence us to change and start leaning towards being good citizens, but it can also cause one to start being negative and have no value for good morals. We get to choose how we want to be and the attitudes we want to have by choosing what we want to watch on television.

References

Introduction to Media Studies by Jessica Shaw, Hannah Sheehan https://mediastudies.pressbooks.com/

Shrum, L. J. (2017). Cultivation theory: Effects and underlying processes. The International Encyclopedia of Media Effects, 1-12.