Think about this for yourself - Are there any forms of media that you think society gives greater status to? For example, which do people see as 'better': films or television? soaps or detective dramas? opera or britpop?. Do you have any feelings about the kinds of audience these different forms of media attract? Are some likely to be more thoughtful and more intelligent than others?
I think that, depending on what form of media it is, society does give it a greater status. I think this because people can't help but judge people by the things that they listen to or the things they watch on the television. Music can give a stereotypical status and therefore we are judging someone before we've actually got to know them. For example, if one person is into metal and the other person is into pop they would both be seen differently, not only by each other, but maybe by other people who like different genres of music. People might see these people as 'uncool' and therefore their status has dropped, in their books! But if they hanged around with other people who enjoy the same music that they listen to then their status has immediately reached the same level as of those who enjoy the music that this person listens to. However, society will give a stereotypical label to people who are, let's say, into rap music. This kind of music makes society think that they are into binge drinking and roaming the streets late at night making us think that they are not interested in education. If they aren't interested in education this could make them unintelligent and therefore society has stereotyped someone who listens to rap as being unintelligent and yob-ish. But, if you were to see someone who is interested in classical and opera music, we automatically think that they are intelligent and smart, in the way they dress. Therefore I think society gives greater status to classical and opera music.
However, in recent years, different genres of music have merged and therefore they aren't one specific type of genre. I think this is really good because it shows that stereotypes have been merged together and so, it makes it harder for someone to stereotype someone else which is good because society shouldn't judge people just by the way they dress or the music that they listen to. Also, listening to 'indie rock' or 'pop punk' breaks boundaries because it gives a wider variety of what people 'can' listen to in that genre. Also, it can make people look 'cool' because they are listening to two genres of music instead of just one.
An example where music has separated two different groups of people is in present times. People who are interested in 'rap' and people who are interested in 'punk' or 'rock' have chosen to see these different groups in negative ways. 'Punk' genre have chosen to see the people who are into 'rap' as chavs and people who re unintelligent, like mentioned in the first paragraph, because the music is, in their own opinions, not very good and it sounds more like talking than actual music. On the other hand, 'rap' have chosen to see people who are interested in 'punk' as people who hang around with, what they might think, other wierd people. This is because they aren't used to that kind of music. Also, they always think they are cooler than another group of people who are interested in different genre of music. This always happens though because we, as humans, can't help but stereotype and feel more 'superior' to people who are interested in music that we aren't interested in.
Personally, I am into all sorts of music. I don't have a specific type of music that I am interested in. But, I definitely don't like classical music as it can give me a headache and I don't feel that the music has any meaning. Although, saying this, I don't think it can class a person or set a status because people shouldn't be judged on what they listen to. I, therefore, wouldn't like to be judged and stereotyped by the music I listen to.
Linking this to the cultivation theory and the hypodermic syringe effect, I think that this can affect your actions and can most likely influence what you do and what you listen to. The hypodermic syringe effect, I think, depending on what music you are listening to, can affect your actions. I think this because it sets the mood that you are in. For example, if you are listening to sad and depressing music, you are going to be sad and depressed because that music has just set the mood that you are now in. I think the cultivation theory has a lot to do about how society is with music. I think that teenagers who idolise the musician that they like, can then be influenced into doing whatever it is that the musician is into. This can lead to negative effects but it can also lead to positive effects. It could lead to negative effects because if the singer is into drug taking and drinking excessively then teenagers will think that this is cool and therefore copy what their idol is doing. Although, I think that the media can portray information about a certain musician, in this case, wrongly and this can cause the teenager to harm themselves because of false information given about their idol which has influenced them.
Society can see teenagers who watch the news, documentaries and detective dramas as more intelligent and more intelectual people. This is because it requires the person to use their brain in order to learn more things about the world. Also, when the young person is watching and involved in politics, it makes society think that they care and want to learn more about the country. I think that this can influence the young person in their later life. However, teenagers who watch 'Misfits' and 'The Inbetweeners' will be young people who have a good sense of humour but maybe society has looked upon these teenagers as people who will not go far in life. I think that this is very bad of society to think in this way because nobody should be stereotyped just because they watch a certain programme.
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