PRIMING

My last post was about agenda setting and how the media gets to choose what the audience sees, which means they have a major say in telling the public what to think about. Priming intertwines with agenda setting because they both have a major effect on the media’s audience. Under aged kids watching rated R movies is an example of the priming theory.

The priming theory infers that media images stimulate related thoughts in the minds of audience members. People are not usually aware that the priming is taking place because it is understood to occur outside the awareness of our conscious. Priming is different from memory that straightforwardly retrieves information because direct retrieval relies on explicit memory, and priming uses implicit memory. The effects of priming are proven through research and little examples in everyday life like kids watching rated R movies.

A study took place in the May issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs that found that youngsters who watch rated R movies are much more prone to drinking than those who don’t. The doctors who took on this study believe that when a child sees adult content in movies it actually changes the adolescent’s personality, and sadly it is becoming more and more common for kids to watch rated R movies.  A commenter posted their thoughts about the study that I found interesting. “I think that’s true. The first R rated movie I saw was Color Purple and I was only 7. I can still remember asking my mother for a shot of tequila after watching that.” Pondering this comment makes me think back to the days of my childhood when my parents wouldn’t allow me to watch BRING IT ON. I was so angry at the time, but now when I hear my nine year old little cousin singing along to Kesha’s famous single Tick Tock, which speaks of brushing teeth with a bottle of jack; it makes me realize how times have changed, how the media has changed, and how kids have changed because of this media.  

This video of Beyonce's Single Ladies compared to the video of a group of 7 year old girls in a dance competition is a prime example of how the media has effected the girls and an example of the priming theory in action.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m1EFMoRFvY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ir8BO4-7DkM

sources:

Cherry, Kendra. “What is Priming?” September 19. 2010. www.psychology.about.com. Web.

Franich, Darren. R-rated movies can cause early drinking, says Science; “Pop Watch.” April 26. 2010 www.popwatch.ew.com. Web.