糖心破解版

"People no longer trust the mass media. Now, the only way to convey the “truth” to the voters is through the Internet (SNS)".

Even in Japan, where international surveys demonstrate that trust in the mass media is remarkably high, these ideas are becoming more popular. Given the substantial generational gap in media consumption patterns in Japan, with older generations being more exposed to TV and newspapers, it is plausible to hypothesize that these opinions are more likely to spread as the generations change.
 
In the social conditions that prevailed until the early 2000s, it was a reasonable expectation that the end of the mass media era and the arrival of the Internet age would bring a more favorable future. However, in an era characterized by the prevalent use of terms such as “echo chamber”, “filter bubble”, and “fake news” have become commonplace and where it’s clear that the Internet is not only having a positive impact on society, we cannot be complacent regarding the decline of the mass media.
 
While some criticisms of the mass media are indeed valid, many are based on stereotypes. The field of media effects theory, which examines the impact of media communication on individuals, has revealed that the perception of the mass media as “biased entities manipulating people to do what they want” does not correspond to reality. Moreover, aside from the evaluation of individual TV stations and newspapers, considering the role of the mass media in a society that has adopted democracy, it cannot be concluded that the mass media is unnecessary just because the Internet is available.
 
This book does not follow the “mass media is bad and the Internet is good” discourse that abounds on social networking sites. Nor does it follow the opposite “outdated” perspective that “mass media is good and the Internet is bad”. By deconstructing stereotypes about mass media and the Internet, the book provides a perspective that moves beyond the simplistic binary division of mass media vs. the Internet, thereby facilitating the consideration of a more optimal media environment.
 
Unlike most books on media and communication research for general readers, which often present only survey and experimental results without providing a detailed account of the research process, this book carefully explains what experiments and surveys each finding is based on. This makes the book a useful resource for a diverse audience, including university students, researchers in various fields, and practitioners interested in the impact of media communication on society. It facilitates a comprehensive understanding of the workings of media effects theory research.
 

(Written by INAMASU Kazunori, Associate Professor, Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology / 2025)