Effects of Media on Same-Sex Marriage

Media Effects
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Introduction
Same-sex marriage is considered as one of the controversial issues in society today. Although the discussions about gayism and lesbianism have existed for several decades, it is only in the recent that same-sex marriage has become a huge social agenda in a different country across the world. It is important to note that the homosexual marriage problem has aggravated as more groups of people are increasingly seeking attention and support and are also advocating for more legal rights. As a result of the impact of the media on issues related to same-sex marriage, the number of people who have to appear to favor same-sex marriage has increased steadily in the United States and other parts of the world. However, there are still people who are highly against homosexual marriage. The literature examines and evaluates how the media impacts society by focusing on same-sex marriage.
The issue of same-sex marriage has been affected by the media in different ways:
* The media has the potential to present the problems of homosexual marriages to the people; this gives individuals the opportunity to discuss and find solutions to the issue. Ordinarily, the media has the ability to change peoples’ opinions; therefore, people with varying views about same-sex marriages are likely to be influenced through the power of the media.
* The media also acts as the primary source of information in the contemporary social setting, and it offers community members with facts and details about trending social issues. Therefore, people are more likely to learn about new social issues and also express their perspectives about the problems and things they hear.
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* People are also provided with what the media believes is right for its audience. In this case, the media makes people develop the notion that what is presented through media about same-sex marriage is the right thing and that individuals’ perspectives should be shaped around what the media offers to them.
Ideally, it is crucial comprehending that in contemporary society, homosexual marriages have acquired more attention. The media tends to influence the learning of issues, and it also has the capability to facilitate formation and change of individual attitude. The media is also able to tell people what they should think about and also influence their perceptions about reality. These influences are supported by two major media theories, agenda-setting theory, which focuses on influencing particular topics and media ecology theory, which determines how the media impacts peoples’ environments.
Social media, in the current society, has undertaken an important role of leading individuals' attention and also influencing them to become more focused on the events and activities in the society that affects them. For instance, the mainstream media has positioned itself as an information provider, and people consider it as a reliable source of information. In this regard, peoples’ beliefs, behaviors, and opinions are likely to be impacted by what the media offers to them. Both agenda setting and media ecology theories have undertaken the initiative for making homosexual marriage an important social topic and linking same-sex marriage couples from different parts across the world. This has played a major role in convincing members of the society that same-sex marriages are legal and that individuals practicing it should be provided with equal rights to their counterpart straight couples.
It is keynoting that the minority homosexual couples have been historically discriminated against in society, and same-sex marriage has been considered as immoral and illegal. Additionally, the roles played by homosexuals in films for a long time have also portrayed this group of people as unsuccessful. For instance, in television shows and movies, homosexuals have been indicated as having numerous social challenges such as unstable relationships, and they are also preoccupied with their sexuality (Gonta, Hansen, Fagin and Fong, 2017). However, as a result of the media, peoples’ perspectives and attitudes towards same-sex marriages have significantly changed. It is vital to comprehend that in the recent past, the number of homosexual characters who take part in television shows as well as other media activities has increased, and this has had a positive impact on the viewers. As a result of the media effect, people have accepted that homosexuals are normal people who require social support. Besides, the negative attitudes people have towards homosexuals are socialized and not inborn, and the extent of socialization is determined by the media. Therefore, the media may cause admirable influences among the people by providing positive information about same-sex marriages. The evidence of how media has changed people’s views about homosexual marriages may be examined from how people have voted regarding the realization of same-sex marriages. For instance, in Australia, the majority of the people have voted in support of same-sex marriage (Evershed, 2017). This shows that people have accepted same-sex couples and are willing to legalize these marriages so that individuals may have equal rights to those enjoyed by straight couples. The success of social media in changing peoples’ opi...