Source of Culture

The role of mass media in democracy is a medium to communicate to masses what is going on in their country concerning the government, economy, public events and entertainment and etcetera. All the information that citizens of the country would need access to, such as issues concerning their country, their state and their neighborhood. Mass media be not only a form of communication but also a form of entertainment. That isn’t to say that entertainment couldn’t be formal, personally I just wouldn’t want to watch anything but the news all the time. However, some people believe that entertainment should be regulated because not every show or film or radio program is suitable for all ages. It’s true, a four year old shouldn’t be watching Family Guy but it is the job of the parents to shut it off. I think this is true for all forms of media. It is the job of the responsible viewer to shut off a program that is not appropriate for younger viewers. The government should not step in and try to do the viewing for the viewer. I do believe in the ratings system because a rating on a television show, video game or movie will tell the consumer that the product is not appropriate for younger children and it is up to the consumer or viewer or listener to be responsible. When the government or major corporations try to step in and control media more than that, they are overstepping their bounds. Personally, I feel offended because a larger power can’t seem to trust people enough to let them make their own decisions and decisions are a huge part of culture. Something doesn’t just become popular people make it popular by enjoying it (or not enjoying it) and spreading the word to their friends. Thus, when something becomes popular in culture it’s because as a culture we decided that it was good and enjoyable. Then the larger corporations and government cater to that, not the other way around.