Cultivation theory is a sociological and communications framework that examines the lasting effects of media, primarily television. The theory posits that long-term exposure to media shapes how the consumers of media perceive the world as well as conduct themselves in life. The central hypothesis of cultivation analysis is that people who spend more time watching television are more likely to be influenced by what they watch when compared to others who watch less but share other similar demographic characteristics.
Some key aspects of cultivation theory include:
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Mean World Syndrome: Heavy viewers of television are exposed to more violence and therefore are affected by the Mean World Syndrome, the belief that the world is a far worse and dangerous place than it actually is.
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Stabilization and Homogenization of Views: Television has the ability to stabilize and homogenize views within a society. Children who watch commercial TV have notably more sex-stereotypical views of women and men than children who dont watch commercial TV.
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Impact of Exposure: Watching television frequently influences an individual to develop certain ideas of reality or beliefs and assumptions about life that mirror the most consistent or universal values that are showcased on television.
Cultivation theory is one of the most common theories in today's lives, especially for teens and children, because adults can control and discern content on TV shows and social media, but minors cannot tell the difference between right and wrong all the time.
