Running
Head: TV Advertisement as Reflections of Our Society
TV Advertisement as Reflections of
Our Society
Introduction
The
evolution in the media and communication sector has seen the rise of the
television. The television has played a critical role in the in both in the
entertaining and informing the society of what is happening. Television
advertisement encompasses the use of promotion materials and information
targeting a group within the society for its benefit. Today, there are various
incidences and events within our society that need to be known by various
cadres of people in age and activity. With these reasons, the programming on
the televisions follows either the general viewing where all family members can
view together or with parental guidance where only members having attained a
given age bracket is allowed to view. The television has been the largest mass
medium for advertising because of its impact and targeting ability.
Henderson
& Kelly (2005) noted that television advertisements have become the
cornerstone of our society. Within the society, different roles are played by
different people and this has been promoted through the adverts. There are
various advertisements that reflect on the gender separation in terms of roles
for each gender and how the society expects us to behave. This has promoted
hard work among the gender in provision of basic needs. Advertisements about
food reflect on societies need and abundance of food commodities thus encourage
as a result of well shared roles in the society.
Within
our society, there are various acts against humanity that can not be known
unless through television programmes. In this regard, the television adverts
bring out the social injustices happening within our societies so that the
stakeholders and the affected can come to interact and assist one another.
Television advertisements have played a role in the interaction of people from
different sections of the world through the opinion counts and polls by the
media house.
The
society needs have been addressed well through the television adverts. Within
the society, different diseases have proved disastrous to the human health and
thus rendered them unproductive and less helpful to the society. The television
adverts have encouraged disclosure of the diseases by many people who in
process seek help from other society members. Management of diseases like
cancer has proved expensive to most people thus the adverts exactly portrays
the unending needs of the society.
With
the diminishing values within our society, the television adverts and
commercials have proved essential in the promotion and upholding the society
values. This has been through revealing the vices within the society,
encouraging the people to comment and thus promoting the values. Movies like
the Hotel Rwanda, teaches and rebukes the effects of tribalism in the society. The various adverts on the television elicit
debates through which the stake holders promote change of the society.
Television
advertisements have promoted the activeness of the society. This has been
through movie and sporting programmes that entertain and encourage the youths
in the developing their talents. The advert about the games played, the
enjoyment and fulfillment that come with help the youths in choosing their
careers. Advertisements like Samsung involve football players like Essien and
Drogba have been used by many youths as role models a concept the society lacks
and needs.
Even though the television advertisements
reflect on our society, they have also promoted the decay of the society. The
advertisements involving cosmetics and clothing have encouraged wrong outfits
that do not uphold and reflect the society. Most ladies want to appear like
those in adverts and as a result, there is moral decay among the youths Boyland
et al (2008). The television advertisements show how the
society hold men as being masculine, strong with self esteem whereas ladies as submissive,
sexual and weak. With this notion, some men have abused their position in the
society as the head of the family thus contributing to family breakdowns.
References
Henderson, V.R. &
Kelly, B. (2005) Content Analysis of Food
Advertising on General Market and
African American Television J Nutr EducBehav, 37, 191-196.
Boyland, E.J., Harrold,
J.A., Kirkham, T.C., J.C.G. Halford. (2008)
Television advertising and the
society preferences, 51, 751-764.
