More than 400 years the information played an important role in peoples lives. First newspapers appeared in England in the 17 century. From this point on the development of information and mass media became faster and faster. There are a lot of mass media: radio (wireless), TV, newspapers, magazines and nowadays Internet. There are for example more than 4000 newspapers and magazines in Russia. Sometimes information given by television, radio, newspapers and internet is contradictory and man must decide which one is more reliable.
Previously it took news months to travel from one country to another; today it takes it only several seconds. People started to get comparatively quickly with the appearance of newspapers. Newspapers are very important for up-to-date man. The choice of the newspapers is wide. Now all newspapers are classified into two groups: quality and popular. Quality newspapers are serious national papers intended for educated readers. Popular newspaper are tabloid, they are designed for common reader. Radio became widely used during World War 1.
At the turn of the 20 century TV became part of peoples daily life. And nowadays it is the most popular and widespread mass media in our life. TV offers to its viewers current affairs programs, chat shows, sport programs, children programs etc. It informs, educates and entertains people. It plays really big role in every civilized society, but there are numerous debates concerning its advantages and disadvantages. One of the advantages of watching TV is the possibility to be well informed. TV programmes are various and people have a chance to select what they want to see from documentaries, current events and sport programmes to films, science fiction cartoons, dramas and entertainments programmes. TV brought ballet, opera and theatre to big masses of people. Television provides great opportunities for education. With the help of TV it is possible to learn foreign languages, to know a lot of wonderful things concerning the world flora and fauna.
At the same time there are a lot of arguments against TV. The grip it has on many people is great ands they don’t know how to spend their free time without television. They can watch TV programmes from about 6 in the morning to the early hours of the next day watching everything. Among the biggest TV-viewers are not only adults but children as well. It is damaging for their health and abilities. TV cuts people from the real world. People become lazy, instead of doing sport they watch TV. Television takes free time from the people. Instead of reading books people watching various TV programmes. Certainly, nowadays we mustn’t read books, because we can see this or that screen version, but we must know when to stop. The best thing is to watch only selective TV programmes and not to be governed by them. In addition, the advertising is becoming a part of the mass media. At that, TV programs and advertising are unconcealed and impudent enough, despite the fact that many children watch TV without parents checking. Children as we know absorb information like a sponge, and I know a lot of TV-influence-examples of my friends, who have kids. And these are not good examples, they are educative, but not in wanted direction.
The internet is the recent innovation. It has broken the traditional frontiers and helps people to establish contacts and moreover to learn the most fresh news. The internet was created in 1983. Since that time it has grown beyond its largely academic origin into an increasingly commercial and popular medium. The internet connects many computer networks. Almost every man on our planet has computer and every third has internet. And I think if it go on further, the internet will become the first and the most important part of the mass media in our life, leaving the television behind.
The mass media have its social, economical and psychological functions. It is called as “the fourth power”, after legislative, executive and judicial power. We can’t imagine our life without mass media. Our Information Age is determined in many respects by the mass media. The mass media don’t only spread the news; they impose certain values on contemporary men. The mass media report about various aspects of life, they form and affect public opinion. But at the same time the mass media has its ethical aspect that means its ethical influence on the people. There are a lot of discussions about this problem. What should be on television and what shouldn’t? At what time and for whom? Nowadays I think the situation on the television is catastrophical. We have a lot of brutal and rude programmes, which can’t be shown at all I think. By the way, there are many programmes not for children, and these are shown when kids can watch TV. Sometimes parents can’t keep an eye on them. This is I think one of the reasons when kids began to say rude words and obscenity.
To have a comprehensive picture of what is going on, people must watch TV programmes, read newspapers and magazines, use the Internet, but do it selectively. Especially, it is concerned the children. And it must be done from the direction of the mass media too.