Social learning theory proposes that people learn from observing others within the context of social interactions and experiences. Mass media is considered a major influence on social learning in modern society due to its pervasive presence. Two influential media theories are the magic bullet theory, which suggests media has a powerful direct influence on viewers, and the two-step flow theory, which argues media's impact occurs through opinion leaders who influence others. The two-step flow theory emphasizes that individuals' unique nature and environment shape how they respond to media messages more than the message content alone.

1. SocialLearningTheoryinMedia
Inthepsychologicalstudies,inthecrimestudies,sociallearningwasanewtopicthatwaspromotedbyAlbert
Bandura.Nowadayssociallearningisunderconsiderationbyalotofpeople.Massmediaisconsideredasthe
importantcomponentofanysociety,itactuallyisknownasthefourthpillaroftheestablishment.New
generationdependsalotonthemassmediafortheinformationgatheringandentertainment.
History
Likeallsocialstudies,socialstudiesisalsobasedonthebehavioralobservationandstudy. Asdescribedaboveit
wasoriginatedasaresultofthecrimestudy. Basics of this study lies on the fact that the actions of the
humans are derived from their interaction with other people and their observation.
According to behavioral sciences younger people are faster at learning than the elders; their
fresh minds are capable of quicker observation and longer memory. From the very beginning
humans are very adaptive for the behaviors of the people around them. They are more or less
the same as the people around them tend to do.
Now with the increasing importance of media, it has penetrated into the everyday use of the
people. Therefore it has major influence on the development of the learning behaviors of the
modern society.

2. Significance of Theory in Media
Importance of media has increased many times in the last few years, hence the social learning
is increasing because of the media. In the start mass media was dependent on the newspaper,
radio, etc. now with the invention of internet mass media has grown faster and influencing.
Social networking sites are a performing a larger share in the social learning process as it is
dependent on the social interactions. At present this deeper influence cannot be removed from
the lives of the people. This non virtual world of the internet has helped people do all the things
that they do not afford in the real life. It has crossed the limits of impossibilities and physical
restriction.
Magic bullet theory in mass media
This theory is also known as hypodermic needle theory, this theory says that nowadays media
is too active and influencing that it implies all its affects on the people like a fired bullet or the
needle on the viewers of the media. The theory was put forward in 1930, during the behavioral
study of World War 1.
The main idea of this theory was that the influence of the media is very strong no one can hide
or save himself from that. It makes the people accept the ideas thrown by it, without research
of cognitive actions.
Two-step flow theory
‘Two step’ theory is the modern and popular media theory that is generated from the diffusion
hypothesis. It was put forward by the Lazarsfeld and his fellows; he presented the idea that the
message flow from the media is not just an instant. The media throws the message and the
audience has the ability to choose to adopt the message or not. They had the study group of 93
people in which they studied that when people exposed to media, their responses and
observations were different towards the messages of the media.
In 1960s Marshal Mcluhan and cultural studies made improvement in this theory by researching
the cultural aspects of the places in learning. The research was made on the basis of
observation of natural behaviors except for the study of the controlled groups. He said that the
nature and behavior of the person facing the media is more important in the influence rather
than the strength of the content of the media

3. He also put forward the idea of the global village, in his view the internet connecting the far
away people make people feel that they are near to each other. And they become used to the
people of those places.