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Advertisements play an important role in creating community, whether it be a national one created by “society making” media or a group specific one created by “segment making” media. Turow states that advertisements more than the church or the school “promote images about our place in society” (2). Words such as “society” or “community” are abstractions and change meanings depending on who it applies to. For example, in “society making” media a community may mean a neighborhood or the church community. However, to the new “segment making” media, community will mean a group of people with specific similar interests. For example, grunge, hip-hop or even Nick-at-Nite watchers can be considered a special interest community. Therefore, regardless of the decade or style, advertising has always constructed some form of community in society.
It is hard to tell what the future hold for the media and entertainment world. However, it is certain that change will occur at a rapid pace. Once the nuclear family and the geographical sense of a neighborhood was undone, our media took on a different position advocating individuality, human rights, equal opportunity for women and even recognized teens as an important consumer target. This was the beginning of segmentation. Nowadays we have further segmented these groups into Soap-housewives, Skaters, Fashionistas, and have even created segments such as Emos to represent a certain group of people. Although there are still larger segments that we belong to they do not attract us the same way as individualized groups do. For example a female can consider herself a “fashionista” but also be part of the “women 18-34” segment. However, her appeal to the first one cannot be matched by the insignificance of the second. Being a woman from the ages of 18-34 adds nothing to her own personality, being a “fashionista” on the other hand, tells a story about her. Once this desire for individuality dies off, more society making media will be prevalent. As one trend subsides another one rises, often times the opposite of the trend that faded.
Advertising’s main interest has always been to appeal to a specific audience and influence them by promoting products or ideas. As the audience has changed from generation to generation the style of advertising has also shifted. “Segment making” media has taken the spotlight away from “society making” media. I support Turow’s claim and believe that segment making media appeals to the individualized, technologically savvy generation and therefore makes the advertising society more efficient and profitable. The segmentation in our media has brought about a new meaning to people's lives by creating a set of values and attributes that they identify with. However, we must always be willing to hear even those messages that do not apply to our own particular stories. All messages have a voice to be heard. Therefore our ability to be open-minded will allow all voices in our media to be heard.