Mass media exerts a tremendous influence on American popular culture.
This truth is especially evident when one considers the powerful effect of television. A report by the American Psychological Association pointed out that 30 years of research confirms the harmful effects of TV violence. This conclusion reaffirmed an earlier study by the National Institutes of Health, which found that violence on TV does effect the aggressive behavior of children and adults. The problem with mass media is larger than TV violence. Movies, magazine ads and popular song lyrics often convey messages that encourage consumerism, abuse of drugs and tobacco, stereotypes of women and minorities, and a distorted understanding of human sexuality.