Media effects: A functional perspective

In a modern society, mediated messages are pervasive-most homes have multiple televisions and other screen devices with access to the internet, and individuals have on-the-go and on-demand information and entertainment via mobile phones that can serve any number of functions. Debates rage over how these devices and their content influence human thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, but such debates are neither new nor particularly novel. Perhaps more interesting is that the field of human communication research has a lot to offer in these debates, given that some of the earliest research from communication scholars was specifically focused on understanding media effects. In order to orient readers to this history, this chapter offers an overview of the study of media effects from a human communication perspective, focusing on the history of media effects, the earliest scientific research into these effects, various types of medium, as well as more recent functional approaches to the study of media.