Effects of the Media

The media's ability to influence social learning plays a key role in defining what values and attributes an individual desires and or despises, such as the depiction of heroism in the films of John Wayne, as well as irrevocably shaping one's opinions of the world around them.
The media itself has proven to be an indelible force that is able to change public opinion regarding what is and is not acceptable. A person's actions, and indeed, self worth, are defined by a set of ever fluctuating rules that are as fickle and capricious as the people who enforce them. One moment, the public may find itself weary of rock and roll and thus begin to spread out and begin to experiment with other genres of music such as disco. Or moviegoers may tire of westerns and instead begin to demand cop films. Yet, as soon as these shifts arise, they are just as quickly swept away amidst a tide of boredom from the general public. It may seem to some that these waves of public opinion, or fads, are utterly out of the hands of the media at large. And while it is true that the media cannot always create a fad or ensure that a product or idea succeeds, it is in fact able to plant the idea in the public's mind, and influence their thoughts and behavior. Thus, social learning is both a blessing and a curse for the media, in that the media is able to provide the tools and means for the public to fully embrace a new idea, such as the rise of hip hop music throughout the 2000's, but not able to ensure that the idea takes hold in the public subconscious.
What I find to be most interesting in regards to the media's social influence, is its seemingly self-perpetuating value system. A group of kids will grow up watching westerns starring John Wayne, and then begin to idealize a sort of "rough and tumble cowboy" as evidenced in the film "Tough Guise" by the massive support garnered by Ronald Reagan. These children grew up idolizing the John Wayne character and everything he stood for; he was a sort of indelible being, who could do no wrong. As such, when a man came along touting the same values and attitude that defined their childhood hero, these men and women set their reservations aside and chose to follow he who defined the epitome of their values. Yet, why did these children learn to fantasize about cowboys and the American way? It was the media who imparted the vision of such an individual in the collective minds of a generation, making Ronald Reagan's election possible.