Artikel

Massa-media in de vrije tijd: enkele ethische aspecten

---

Abstract

Mass media and leisure time. Some ethical considerations - In the first part of this article, the author points out the impact of mass media use and especially of television viewing on leisure. Mass media have created a new, very homogeneous pattern of leisure activity. Man of the sixties and seventies can be called “homo mass mediations” (J. Caseneuve). Not only mass media occupy a great deal of his leisure time, but he uses them to fulfill some needs like entertainment, information and social contact. In the second part the author discusses some ethical problems of media use as a favorite leisure activity. In the mass of literature written about this problem, he underlines seven major criticisms: 1. mass media (especially television viewing) stimulates passivity; 2. mass media have a narcotic dysfunction : they provoke political and civil apathy; 3. the output of mass media is highly conservative and reinforces continuously the dominant norms and values of the so called “silent majority”; 4. mass media do not stimulate any cultural interest or any educational activity; 5. mass media incite the people, also in their leisure time, to a continuous spending and consuming on a large scale; 6. most part of media output can be described as „low taste content”; 7. the mass media output contains a very great amount of violence. Using research data, the author tries to find out what is right or false in this statements. He concludes that, if we do not longer believe in the absolute power of mass media (the “hypodermic needle model” or “transportation band theory”), there are some less sensational but very serious consequences of mass media as a leisure activity. The author sees the solution of the problem in the multiplication of communicators and the rise of some techniques like satellite television, video tapes etc., which will permit a more varied choice between media output and will finally result in some kind of “personalisation” of the media.

How to Cite:

Van Parys, G., (1974) “Massa-media in de vrije tijd: enkele ethische aspecten”, Tijdschrift voor Sociale Wetenschappen 19(1), 3–25. doi: https://doi.org/10.21825/tvsw.95959