Media
e objective of this essay is to look at the negative impacts of media on teenagers. This essay will show how the media affects the level of violence amongst teenagers. It will also look at how the media can cause certain sexual issues to arise among teens. This essay will also address some of the health issues that come up as a result of the media.
Firstly, we must determine what the media is exactly. All media are the constructions of reality that have powerful, yet subtle, social implications (Imprints). These social implications have the ability to influence how teens think, shop, dress, behave, judge people and feel about themselves (ibid). Concerns about the negative effects of violence in the media began as early as 1946, shortly after violent television programs emerged. By 1972 sufficient empirical evidence had accumulated for the U.S. Surgeon General to comment that "…televised violence, indeed, does have an adverse effect on certain members of our society" (Anderson). Things such as violence in the media can translate into violence in society. This can be caused by a teenager viewing too much violent images in the media. This can lead to things such as desensitization of the teenagers. Desensitization is when people no longer react to things such as violence and other negative stimuli the way they are supposed to. For example, after viewing many violent movies and television programs, a child may think that the idea of hurting someone else is acceptable. According to a report in the Washington Post, a one-year study found that
· 57% of television programs contained some violence
· Perpetrators of violent acts on television go unpunished 73% of the time
· 58% of violent incidents show no pain, which could lead to teens believing that violence is pain free
· Only 4% of programs provide a non-violent solution to solving problems (Hawkes).
This just goes to show how much violence there really is in media today. Up to 58% of
Firstly, we must determine what the media is exactly. All media are the constructions of reality that have powerful, yet subtle, social implications (Imprints). These social implications have the ability to influence how teens think, shop, dress, behave, judge people and feel about themselves (ibid). Concerns about the negative effects of violence in the media began as early as 1946, shortly after violent television programs emerged. By 1972 sufficient empirical evidence had accumulated for the U.S. Surgeon General to comment that "…televised violence, indeed, does have an adverse effect on certain members of our society" (Anderson). Things such as violence in the media can translate into violence in society. This can be caused by a teenager viewing too much violent images in the media. This can lead to things such as desensitization of the teenagers. Desensitization is when people no longer react to things such as violence and other negative stimuli the way they are supposed to. For example, after viewing many violent movies and television programs, a child may think that the idea of hurting someone else is acceptable. According to a report in the Washington Post, a one-year study found that
· 57% of television programs contained some violence
· Perpetrators of violent acts on television go unpunished 73% of the time
· 58% of violent incidents show no pain, which could lead to teens believing that violence is pain free
· Only 4% of programs provide a non-violent solution to solving problems (Hawkes).
This just goes to show how much violence there really is in media today. Up to 58% of