The Effect Media Has On Society Today

In todays society we have to ask ourselves an important question. Just how much influence does the media have on todays society? If we delve deeper into this topic there are a range of other questions that need answering. In this essay I'll answer two two main questions: Does violence in the media create more violence and do skinny models effect society. There are three textual examples on both questions.
Starting on the question does violence in the media create more violence, I have a prime example. The computer game Grand Theft Auto. This game had created mass moral panic and a huge effect on consumers. Why this game is such a controversial subject is because many young people were playing this game and were being heavily influenced by it. Grand Theft Auto is a "free-roam" game where the player is free to commit various crimes and get away scott-free without any penalties (sometimes). If a child or young adult were to get hold of this game there would be cause for concern becuase there have already been reports of people influenced to do crimes becuase of this game.
Another example I have is another computer game. This game is called Manhunt. Already by the title, people can see that this is going to be a violent game. There have also been reportings of crimes and even murders becuase of this game. Manhunt seems to glorify violence along with Grand Theft Auto. It is also obvious that both have dominant readings becuase both games seem to be well made with a good design.
The last example of violence in the media creating more violence is the 1980's cult film The Warriors. When this film came out at the time, it stirred a lot of controversy among the media world. There were reportings that gangs were seeing this movie and killing other gang members along the way. This movie had so much media effect that it had to be cancelled in most cinemas to stop violence in the street. Though this was a long time ago, newspapers still comment on this movie today for contributing to youth violence. Looking at these three examples, it seems that the theory of desensitization has two sides to it. It also seems these examples can be looked at in a catharsis point of view.
Do skinny models have an effect on society? The short answer would be yes. Evidence of this answer would be contemporary celebrities. Modern day celebrities all aim to be as thin as possible. Since almost all celebs are looked up to, society will do as much as it can to keep up with the new trends. Teenagers (mainly girls) would want to be as skinny as possible to look like their idols.
Skinny models and modelling itself has become so popular that even shows are made about it. For example, America's Next Top Model seems to be a favourite among teenagers and adults alike. While there is no protagonist in the show, all the participants are skinny and attractive. This show just seems to promote thiness to the extreme. Having a show like this is like an advertiser for beauty products and can also be seen as a motivator to be thin and look like these models.
The final example is about teenagers themselves. Among teenage girls, there seems to be more and more reportings of anorexia. This is partially due to the fact that these girls think that they cant keep up with "skinny model's" standards. Teenage girls want to look like these attractive models so they will do anything, espcially boycott eating, to look like them.
In conclusion the answer for both questions is yes. This is becuase looking at these examples, we can see that both violence and skinny models have major influence towards all kinds of people.