User:Theoryelderlypeople/Think Tank: Senior Citizens and Media

Senior citizens are often misled while using media. The elderly are not fully educated on all of the negative impacts of modern media, as well as knowing what proper media to use. Using an educational workshop, that could be held at nursing homes or community centers, we would like to inform groups of elderly people on how to become efficient users of media. Some goals that we would like to touch upon in this program are when to use appropriate forms of media, how to use media to its full potential, and the benefits of being more open minded to new forms of media. We are able to demonstrate these ideas using three communication theories(MP):

Classical Medium theory

This theory states that everyone is impacted by the media, regardless of whether or not they use it. Marshall McLuhan is a Canadian philosopher of communication theory. He is the theorist accredited for media theory and is known for coining the following expressions: “The medium is the message” and, “global village.” http://www.marshallmcluhan.com/
 * For more background information on McLuhan, please visit the link below:

Medium Theory Explained:

McLuhan’s thesis states that people adapt to their environment through a balance of the senses, and the primary medium of the age brings out a particular sense ratio, thereby affecting perception.

•	The idea that media, apart from whatever content is transmitted, impacts individuals in society (television affects you regardless of what you watch, the internet impacts society, regardless of what sites people visit)

•	Time Binding media- Something written in stone, something durable (an example would be a manuscript or a parchment.) This type of media is unchanging and lasts a long time, however; this type of media is immovable and because of that it has little effect on people across space and is facilitated from one generation to the next. (time binding media are biased toward tradition)

•	Space Binding media- Unlike time binding media, this type of media is easy to transport and is light (an example would be radio, television, or a newspaper.) Communication is facilitated from one location to another. This type of media displays information to many people over distances, but has little exposure time.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Innis's_communications_theories
 * For a deeper analysis of Time and Space Binding media visit the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImaH51F4HBw
 * Marshall McLuhan conducted a lecture on “The Medium is the Message” in 1977 which was recorded by the ABC radio national network in Australia. To view his lecture visit the link below:

(CW)

Expectancy Value theory

This theory states that the gratification you seek from media is determined by your attitude towards it, and your evaluations of the material.

This theory is an extension of uses-and-gratifications approach. This approach focuses on the consumer rather than the message. This approach also goes on to saying that consumers use messages to achieve their own goals. The Expectancy Value Theory is an extension of this approach that emphasizes how the media takes advantage of senior citizens.

Seniors tend to be the most closed minded age group; if we can open their minds they will see the value in new forms of media. "Utilizing this approach, behavior, behavioral intentions, or attitudes are seen as a function of “(1) expectancy (or belief) – the perceived probability that an object possesses a particular attribute or that a behavior will have a particular consequence; and (2) evaluation the degree of affect, positive or negative, toward an attribute or behavioral outcome"". http://www.utwente.nl/cw/theorieenoverzicht/theory%20clusters/public%20relations,%20advertising,%20marketing%20and%20consumer%20behavior/expectancy_value_theory.doc/
 * Follow the link below for more information on the Expectancy Value theory:

The best way to help senior citizens become more critical users of media is to educate them on new technology. Two ways that we can do this during our workshops are:
 * 1) Skype
 * 2) Sitcom

New media can bring happiness to older generation! Swaying their expectancy about new technology in a positive way, they can use media networks in a new light. Since we all know that it may not be easy to travel, especially for the elderly, Skype can be a service provided for them to use. It may not be easy but they can learn, and this way they can stay in touch with loved ones http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcN08Tg3PWw. We can also use sitcoms. For lonely elders, sitcoms and comedy shows can bring laughter back into their lives. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhliD2jEoL4.
 * Follow the link below for a video of senior citizens using Skype:
 * Follow the link below for a video example of sitcoms:

(AP)

Classical Marxism theory

This theory states that the media is controlled by the dominant class, which is how capitalists promote their profit making interests.

This theory explains how senior citizens are taken advantage of by major media corporations. Corporations are driven by profit, and therefore do not necessarily have society’s best interest in mind. Advertisers and heads of corporations control a lot of what is presented in the media, and they hold a great deal of power and influence. These powerful companies know what groups to target, and overall, it has been thought that senior citizens are a group that can be easily manipulated.

Since advertisers are more concerned with making a profit than presenting credible and accurate information to consumers, seniors are a group that can be easily and wrongly persuaded. For example, television advertisements for power scooters have wrongly misled many seniors to believe that they need a scooter in order to be mobile. While advertisers were successful in marketing power scooters to seniors and making a profit off of them, they deceived them into believing it was a medical necessity. http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/03/29/power-scooter-ads-targeting-seniors-misleading/
 * Follow this link to find out more on the power scooter controversy:

Another way that senior citizens are taken advantage of is because they are unfamiliar with new media platforms, and are more vulnerable to being scammed. Seniors lack proper skills when it comes to using the internet, and they can be misinformed on which sites are secure and which are not. They have a tendency to be too trusting and inadvertently give out too much personal information, which can put them at risk for financial scams and identity theft. The most prevalent types of scams targeting seniors are called phishing scams. These scams are sent as links through email, and seniors unknowingly follow them and provide their personal information.
 * Follow the links below to find out more information on phishing scams and how to avoid them:

http://www.whoswatchingcharlottesville.org/phishing.html

http://www.privatewifi.com/phishing-scams-identity-theft-on-rise-among-senior-citizens/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhNzPUR0TLo

In order for seniors to protect themselves against advertisers and scammers who try to take advantage of these weaknesses when it comes to using the media, there are a few tips seniors they can follow. This includes becoming more educated when it comes to internet use. By educating seniors on how to properly use the internet, we can increase their safety online and decrease the likelihood that they will be taken advantage of.
 * Follow the links below to find out more on the risks seniors face online, and how they can protect themselves:

http://www.atg.wa.gov/InternetSafety/Seniors.aspx#.UovbmEso6oA

http://msisac.cisecurity.org/newsletters/2013-06.cfm

Once senior citizens learn how to use the internet safely, they can use it to their advantage. Instead of being misled by advertisers, they can become informed and critical consumers. They can conduct internet research to find things such as prescription medication facts and side effects, find customer reviews on products, and use Google search to find answers to virtually any question. By providing senior citizens with the proper knowledge on how to use the internet safely, they will be able to become both critical consumers and users of the media.

(SR)

Benefits to informing the elderly on these theories:


 * Know what type of media is good to use in different situations
 * More information on scamming through the media
 * Able to keep up with day to day issues using media
 * Overall, have easier ways to be educated

(KR)

Using these theories, elderly people are more likely to be educated about modern media. With this, they are less likely to get scammed and know when is the proper time to use each media source. This day in age, the media is important to everyone. The media allows for people to be updated on what's going on in this world. Due to the fact that they were never exposed to the media while growing up, this puts them at a disadvantage. This makes elderly people an easy target for many scammers. Also, elderly people need to know day to day things about our world just like anyone else. It is essential that everyone in society is on the same page about things that are going on in this world. Using the theories, classical medium theory, expectancy value theory, and classical Marxism to inform the elderly, will not put them at such a risk. As classical medium says, we are all impacted by the media even if it is not being used. By informing them, we can change their attitude towards the media and help them see how proper media use is essential for everyday life in the world we live in today. (KR)