Selective Reception

My mom used to tell me “you only hear what you want to hear”. Apparently a lot of people are like that in the world. There’s a belief that mass media audiences exercise selective exposure. They “avoid messages that are at odds with their existing beliefs” (Straubhaar 416) and only pay attention to messages that suit their needs or interests. I think people in general do have a hard time keeping an open mind about things so I see the validity in this theory.

Are you likely to spend time reading from a website against Obama or would you prefer to spend your time reading pro Obama material? 

Depending on your position regarding the President, you will only visit one site or the other. You will find messages that are consistent with your beliefs in order to reinforce your opinions, and feel good about the decision you have made.

Is this harmful behavior? In some ways I think it is. Selective exposure means you only get to see one side of an argument. Granted, you might be set in your ways regardless, but wouldn’t it be beneficial if more people spent time trying to understand where other people are coming from?

The media probably appreciate selective exposure- it makes targeting audiences that much easier. You send the message to people who will appreciate it, and your message becomes well received. With the media rewarding this behavior and conditioning us to exercise it regularly, it’s hard to imagine selective exposure ever going away.