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HOW DOES MEDIA AFFECT KIDS?
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HOW DOES MEDIA AFFECT KIDS?
There has been an on-going debate whether or not media influences a child’s behavior. There isn’t a doubt that the media has an impact on a child, but is it so influential that it can make a child do something that they would have never thought of doing until they see it on the television? According to Dr. Susan Villani (1999), there is a significant amount of evidence linking behavioral effects of repeated exposure to media violence. The purpose of this study is to determine if in fact the media does influence a child’s behavior. A total of 25 Pershing Elementary School students in the before and after school program, participated in this study. They were observed prior, during, and post a Tom & Jerry video clip. After observing their behaviors post the video clip, each child was asked 2 questions based on their everyday television watching habits. It was found that television does influence a child’s behavior. Although, the results indicate that there wasn’t a significant difference between the pre-video and during-video behaviors. Further implications and limitations of these results are to be found in the paper.
Whether the media affects a child’s behavior is a question that has been asked over and over again. Many people, to this day, are still debating whether a child is truly influenced by the media. There is no doubt that the media has an impact on a child, but does it really influence them to act out even though they know it’s wrong? Is the media that influential that it can make a child do something they would never think of doing, if not seen on the television? According to Dr. Susan Villani (1999), “there is an established body of evidence documenting the troubling behavioral effects of repeated exposure to media violence.”
Many psychologists will agree that the media has become more and more harmful to the younger generations. For
HOW DOES MEDIA AFFECT KIDS?
Student:
Supervisor:
HOW DOES MEDIA AFFECT KIDS?
There has been an on-going debate whether or not media influences a child’s behavior. There isn’t a doubt that the media has an impact on a child, but is it so influential that it can make a child do something that they would have never thought of doing until they see it on the television? According to Dr. Susan Villani (1999), there is a significant amount of evidence linking behavioral effects of repeated exposure to media violence. The purpose of this study is to determine if in fact the media does influence a child’s behavior. A total of 25 Pershing Elementary School students in the before and after school program, participated in this study. They were observed prior, during, and post a Tom & Jerry video clip. After observing their behaviors post the video clip, each child was asked 2 questions based on their everyday television watching habits. It was found that television does influence a child’s behavior. Although, the results indicate that there wasn’t a significant difference between the pre-video and during-video behaviors. Further implications and limitations of these results are to be found in the paper.
Whether the media affects a child’s behavior is a question that has been asked over and over again. Many people, to this day, are still debating whether a child is truly influenced by the media. There is no doubt that the media has an impact on a child, but does it really influence them to act out even though they know it’s wrong? Is the media that influential that it can make a child do something they would never think of doing, if not seen on the television? According to Dr. Susan Villani (1999), “there is an established body of evidence documenting the troubling behavioral effects of repeated exposure to media violence.”
Many psychologists will agree that the media has become more and more harmful to the younger generations. For
References: Belton, T. (2001). Television and imagination: An investigation of the medium’s influence on children’s story-making. Media, Culture, & Society, 23, 799-820. Lisosky, J. M. (2001). For all kid’s sakes: comparing children’s television policy-making in Australia, Canada, and the United States. Media, Culture, & Society, 23, 821- 842. Mock, R. (1970). Education and the imagination. London: Chatton and Windus. Villani, S. (1999). Violence in the media. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry,38,1208. Villani, S. (2001). Impact of media on children and adolescents: A 10-year review of the research. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry,40 392-401.