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Professor’s Name
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The Influence of Media on Identity
The media has gained popularity over recent years due to technological advancements.
The society at large gets to showcase their lifestyle on social media platforms, while
organizations use mass media for advertising its commodities. Whether we like it or not, the
media influences our thoughts, perceptions, actions, and identities. Identity is a socially
constructed attribute and can, therefore, change over time. We often see stories in the media of
the horrific things worldwide, which influences our thoughts on a particular matter. The
increasing rates of sexual promiscuity, violence, and gender-stereotyping have been termed as
the significant ills of media outlets. Research indicates that American adolescents spend
approximately seven hours per day on average, engaging in some form of media (Davis, 2282).
The media platforms' interactions become a form of entertainment and could be an external
element for comparative research over time. We are what we consume. The more we watch
positive staff, we are encouraged to be positive and vice versa. Despite the negativity that comes
with the media, there are significant positive aspects that shape our society. For instance, media
platforms have aided the justice system in profiling the adverse aspects seen in our lives. The
case of George Floyd is an example of a story that circulated quickly worldwide, opening up
conversations on the importance of national and personal identity on matters concerning race.
Society needs to understand that their actions could have a permanent impact on the lives of
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others. Considering the adverse effects of media on identity, every citizen should ensure that they
spread positivity to encourage personal growth.
Annotated Bibliography
Source 1
Davis, Katie. "Young people’s digital lives: The impact of interpersonal relationships and
digital media use on adolescents’ sense of identity." Computers in Human Behavior 29.6
(2013): 2281-2293.
The article by Katie Davis examines the impact of digital media on the sense of identity among
adolescents. The sense of identity among adolescents is attained by progressive continuity
during the developmental stages of human beings. Individuals who can navigate through the
developmental stages without any challenges are likely to experience identity synthesis and
acceptance. The author examines the interpersonal relationships that affect the identity of
adolescents. The author used questionnaires to collect data from a sampling population of 2079
students, 57% females, and 43% males between the ages of 11 and 19 years. All the students
attended a school in Bermuda. The findings were that parents contribute to the identity of the
students. If the parent consistently showed a negative perception about the student, the student
was more likely to have negative opinions about themselves. If the parents were accommodative
and encouraged their children, it is likely that the children will value themselves. Friends also
played a mediating role, especially when it comes to digital usage. The negative association with
friends on digital platforms resulted in partially low friendship quality. Communication with
friends on social media platforms appeared to play a significant role in adolescents' sense of
identity. From the findings, the author concluded that digital peer communication has both
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benefits and adverse effects on friendship quality. The article is detailed with credible and
reliable information from different sources. The author focuses not only on the effects of media
on adolescents but also on peers and parents using digital devices. The article discusses both the
positive and negative effects of digital communication on adolescents' development and
acceptance. The sub-topics in the research paper makes it easy for one to read and understand the
different concepts. The article has relevant information that would help me with other
assignments.
Source 2
Gündüz, Uğur. "The effect of social media on identity construction." Mediterranean
Journal of Social Sciences 8.5 (2017): 85-85.
The article by Gündüz gives insights on the contributions of social media platforms in shaping
our identity. The advancement in technology has made it easier to access social media platforms
and interact with people daily. Technology has brought both positive and negative effects on
how we relate to one another. Family relationships have become worse as members tend to pay
attention to social media rather than communicate directly. On the positive side, technological
devices have enabled faster communication among members of a family. In as much as people of
different ages widely use social media, the most affected people are young adults and children.
Research indicates that 38% of young children who use social media have experienced adverse
effects and have affected how they think and feel about themselves. Cyberbullying has become a
significant crime resulting in mental illness among young adults. The good thing about social
media platforms is that one gets to present herself or himself to control the perception of others.
People use fake names and fake pictures on social media platforms to control their narrative. The
author discusses both the positive and negative influence of social media on our identities. He
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points out new aspects, such as controlling how others perceive us, which is interesting. The
author uses up-to-date sources, which adds to the credibility of the information obtained. Despite
the strengths of the article, there are a few weaknesses. Firstly, the author fails to use rhetorical
devices such as ethos, pathos, and logos, which aids in connecting with the audience. The paper
is detailed but plain. Although the article is divided into sub-sections, the sections are too long,
and one might quickly lose concentration. I would use this article in my assignment to explain
both the positive and negative effects of social media on identity construction.
Source 3
Leavitt, Peter A., et al. "“Frozen in time”: The impact of Native American media
representations on identity and self‐understanding." Journal of Social Issues 71.1 (2015):
39-53.
Leavitt et al.’s article talk about the impact of media representation on social identity and self-
understanding. The article was published in 2015 under the Journal of Social Issues. Media
displays the views and ideas of the majority and its impact, therefore, affects the perception of a
wider population. If there is a negative perception of a group, it will impact others' opinions
about the group and all those in the particular community. The Native Americans, for example,
are hardly represented in the media. The few times we get to hear about the group, they are
showcased stereotypically. Research indicates that the misrepresentation of Native Americans
affects their interaction with other people and how they fit into contemporary domains such as
employment and educational institutions. The theory of invisibility says that whenever a group is
underrepresented in the media, the group members are deprived of an opportunity to tell their
story. The community is deprived of showing their experiences and are, therefore,
misunderstood. The limited representation conveys negative messages to members of the group,
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affecting their identity. The article by Leavitt et al. gives detailed information on how the media
influences particular groups. The authors give relevant examples of groups such as Native
Americans who are underrepresented in the media, which affects their identity. The authors use
credible sources throughout the paper, which adds to the credibility of the topic's information.
The article is divided into sub-topics, making it easier to read and understand each section's
content. The authors of the article use different rhetorical devices such as logos in the form of
statistics, which adds to the credibility of the information obtained. Although the authors use
credible sources, there are many ancient sources as early as 1988. Information keeps changing,
and authors are advised to use up-to-date sources for reliability purposes. Despite the few
weaknesses, the article is well articulated and would help in my future projects and assignments.
Source 4
Zhang, Lingling, and Beth Haller. "Consuming image: How mass media impact the
identity of people with disabilities." Communication Quarterly 61.3 (2013): 319-334.
Zhang and Haller published an article in 2013 titled, "Consuming Image: How Mass Media
Impact the Identity of People with Disabilities." People with disabilities are represented in the
media both positively and negatively. Research indicates that approximately fifty million people
in the United States have a disability. Approximately two-thirds of the population represents
severely disabled individuals. Despite the diversity witnessed in the country, people with
disabilities face educational, communication, and employment barriers. Zhang and Haller's
research involved 359 participants, who were to give their perception of the representation of
disabled people in the media. The authors used an online survey to obtain information regarding
the topic. About 116 respondents, 29.7% of the population, were born with disabilities, while
274, 70.3% acquired the disabilities later. The findings were that positive representation of
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people with disabilities in the media affirms their identity and makes them feel part of the
community. Negative representation, on the other hand, led to the denial of their disability status
and identity. The research not only focuses on the media representation of people with
disabilities but also focuses on how other people's perception influences their identity. The
authors also focus on the implications and limitations of the research. The authors use logos in
making statistical facts about the topic. For example, reports indicate that unemployment rates
among people with disabilities were 15% compared to 8.7% for people with no disability. Such
statistical information shows that the disabled are not well represented in the employment
industry. The authors used a sampling population, which was only made up of people with
disabilities. To some extent, that could result in information bias. On the positive side, the
population understands their issues and would give information based on their experiences. The
only weakness from the research paper entails using old sources as early as 1968, which may
question the reliability of such sources.
