Cultivation Theory

If I were to use my parents as research and study their tv habits, my findings would correlate quite well with the Cultivation Theory. I would rate them as heavy tv viewers, but not extreme. The reason I am using them as an example is they tend to watch shows that they can identify with. This theory claims you identify with the enviornment you're watching, and I think that is comforting to people. In particular they like to watch a lot of sitcoms, usually dealing with the husband/wife scenerio. They also watch shows more geared to their generation without noticing...like dancing w/the stars, tv land, and seinfield.

My mom is more affected by the media than my dad. She constantly worries that something bad is going to happen to me when I go out, and hates if I drive somewhere far by myself. She lets the news pour fear into her, and that is what the theory says- heavy tv viewers accept the reality portrayed on TV. I haven't decided if it is good or bad, I know it is important to know what goes on in the world, but it's not good to be paranoid.

Overall, I really don't agree or disagree with this theory. It makes valid points, yet, as the critique points out, it's hard to measure. People have different experiences, cognitive abilities, there are all sorts of things that can influence perception. We don't all watch TV the same way, and we don't all react to it the same way either.