The media surround us everyday, from newspaper content to advertisements on the radio or political commentary on television. Whatever the case, media has had a deep impact on society both politically and economically. One such media tool is that of the Internet which has attracted attention for its function in building “virtual” communities and maintaining cultures.
On Wednesday, I used the case of blogging as a representation of a social function of the media. We came to the understanding that blogs contribute to the functionalism theory which states that society cannot function without the media, but also that the media serve the needs of our society and our cultures.
We discussed blogging as a form of media that facilitates the growth of communities and maintenance of culture as people come together to communicate diverse topics like religion, culture, politics and economics. When citizens engage in such activities, there becomes a link in changes in politics, society and economics.
These online communities allow for the formation of public opinion as people get together and freely discuss and identify societal problems. It is through this kind of discussion that influence political action. Hence, blogging is a form of social networking that influence society.
Through class discussion, we also learned that blogging is not limited to facilitating the growth of society and maintnance of culture but it also serves other functions like surveillance of what is going on around us, it is used to discuss various interpretations of diverse topics, and most people use blogging for purposes of entertainment alone.
Discussion Questions:
I. How does blogging facilitate culture and society?
II. How do blogs contribute to the functionalism theory?
III. What is the functionalism theory?
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