Sociology

Mass media has enabled many companies which use this means of communication to reach many people and popularize their products. Forms of advertisements have become sophisticated and has led to the shaping and creation of consumerism and needs that were not budgeted for, or conversion of luxury goods into necessities. Increased competition among companies has increased the need to make profits to cover the massive expenditure that go to advertisement.

The significance and potency of print media according to research carried out by SCA, shows that advertisement has little to do with the economic aspect, but cultural. In addition, advertisement is not a business practice whose main aim is to increase the movement of goods from the shelf, but is more of a vital element of modern culture. Advertisement plays an integral role in consumer capitalism since people look upon it in order to learn new ideas, and acts as a basis of social information which is often entrenched in commodities. Print media is a vital sector in the society since it acts as a source of patterned system of meaning, which is useful in social reproduction and individual socialization (Waldrep, 2008). Therefore, the marketplace is part of the cultural system and not just a means of exchanging commodities and cash.

The persuasive nature of modern advertising shows how cultural properties of social communication creates an ideology through visual imaginary, which shapes consciousness by sanctioning a particular line of thought and disapproving others. For example, advertising can be done through printing of well-groomed and smart people who want to succeed in dating or relationship. Therefore, advertisement brings out the suitable and the unsuitable images or versions of behavior for men and women (King, Plunkett, 2005). This leads to a situation where image acts as an important tool than linguistic information, although verbal imagery is important, visual imagery is becomes more emotional, iconic and fictive.

The technology associated with print communication is said to advance the concept of individualism and uniformity. He argues that it started the form of silent reading by ensuring that people can easily and cheaply access printed materials. Print enhances individualism since information is supposed to be read silently and privately thus creating the aspect of personal privacy which is commonly practiced by the modern society. Print promotes increased literacy levels which are critical in unifying and solidifying regional dialects thus encouraging the increased sense of nationalism. Therefore, print promotes the spread of literacy materials and the importance of nationalism, thus acting as a source of individualism and uniformity.

Popular American culture is associated with the integration of mainstream ideologies, images and perspectives that is commonly spread by the society. The development of this culture has been influenced by a number of factors which include movies, music, news, newspapers and magazines. The magazine acts a major representative of American culture that satisfies the contemporary culture of the people.  The print medium creates and responds to the current social values that defines the panorama of the modern American culture (Waldrep, 2008). Despite the fact that printing presses were developed during the time of American colonization, the publication of the magazines started to advance in 1741.

Newspapers are often viewed as the serious and the formal side of American media, and often bypassed as the source of the popular culture. Unlike the magazine, the newspapers are produced daily thus having a continuous impact on American lifestyle. Modern media can spoil the morals and distort the values and beliefs of people through creation of modern culture. On one side, the notion of freedom and the success of materials are the positive factors within the concept of democracy and spread of popular culture. However, the second aspects leads to the increase in expectation of views of life that is unrealistic.

The consequences are much more serious when the American popular culture is shared with other countries where the perception of wealth and power can become more unrealistic and thus initiating a state of psychological and social confusion. In the early nineties, the American daily newspaper proved to be the major and undisputed generator and propagator of American popular culture, and it held that position till the development of commercial broadcasting.

The print media has kept the society updated on issues that concern the lives of people, the environment, goods and services, through the extension of the level of knowledge of a report, throughout the country. Some of the popular treads that the print media have propagated include matters to do with food, fashions and health clubs. The popular trend that concern foods is seen where most American citizens prefer dining at home instead of eating out. They choose foods that are healthy and easy to prepare (King, Plunkett, 2005).

However, there is increasing trend in America towards consumerism where most individuals prefer to dine out as a result of advertisement in the print media. Health clubs have become famous and the media has been keen on advising people about the best practices of staying healthy. Lastly, fashion industry has advanced quickly due to the publications that are spread and popularized in the print media. Items that are commonly popularized in print include clothing, cinemas, cars and many others.