Social Learning and the Media

I believe that the concept of social learning helps me understand the media's influence over the general public, because it is through social learning that the public begins to imitate that which is shown in the media. Social learning is when people begin to follow or model themselves after things they have seen in the media. People will learn new behaviors based off of things they have observed in the media. This can especially have an effect on younger children and is the reason why some people are so hesitant to allow things like violent video games in today's society. After being exposed so often to certain behaviors on television or in video games, etc., people may begin to imitate these behaviors. The concept of social learning is directly shown in the films we viewed in class:  "Killing Us Softly" and "Tough Guise." In "Killing Us Softly," many advertisements featuring nearly unnaturally thin women were shown. In today's society, many women feel that they need to model themselves after the way these incredibly thin/digitally enhanced women (that we see so often in advertisements) look. "Tough Guise" showed the concept of social learning coming into effect in the way that men are often portrayed in films or on television:  as ultra-masculine, tough, sometimes to the point of violent, guys. Through social learning, this has led imitation by many boys or men who feel they need to be as tough as the men they see so often in the media, which unfortunately, can ultimately lead to violence.