Medias influence on society

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The Influence Media Has on Society Media is one of the largest influences on a young individuals interpretation of the world. The influential power of television, internet, radio, and print is creating negative results in society. As technology increases, so do the problems associated with media. Media plays an integral part of American culture and is a valuable source of teaching. But some of what is taught is non-conducive to an individuals well-being. Youth are becoming desensitized to the violence they see. Sex, drugs, and violence are glorified. Not only are sexuality and violence a problem, there is a deterioration of the emotional, intellectual, and physical health of the nation. Positive media does exist. Although it is harder to find, educational programming and some internet sites offer alternatives to the constant bombarding of sex, drugs, violence, and unhealthy information. By taking an initiative parents can use the media to open communications with their children; helping them to discern the negative influences media presents. While Sesame Street may encourage learning, it is merely a substitute for parent to child interaction. The idea of forgoing personal interaction with a child can lead to a habit of not interacting. While appropriate stimuli — close interaction with loving caregivers; an enriched, interactive, human language environment; engrossing hands-on
Mendez 2 play opportunities; and age-appropriate academic stimulation -- enhance the brain's development, environments that encourage intellectual passivity and maladaptive behavior (e.g., impulsivity, violence), or deprive the brain of important chances to participate actively in social relationships, creative play, reflection and complex problem-solving may have irrevocable consequences(Healy). When a child outgrows educational programming the parent has often times become dependent on the television as a “babysitter.” Though the opportunity is available, many parents do not utilize taking time with their child to establish media literacy or open communications. By the time a child is ready to talk about critical issues, he/she has been exposed to numerous scenes on television. The information a child needs to make decisions has likely been provided., through inadequate knowledge and misinformation provided by forms of media. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children spend over 21 hours per week watching television(Understanding the Impact of Media). This does not include the time spent playing video games, watching movies and videos, listening to music, or using a computer. Combined, these forms of media take up more time than schooling. All of the time spent engaged in media takes away from physical recreational activities. Not much time is left for riding a bike, exercising, or stimulating creativity through exploration. Media consumption is a sedentary activity that contributes to an increase of obesity. While physical activity leads to an increase in energy levels, media consumption causes a decrease in energy. Childhood obesity has shown to be attributed to the increased television use (Media Education).

Mendez 3 In children under two, television offers nothing to stimulate the intellectual or social development of the child (Shute). Neuroscientists have shown that environmental experiences significantly shape the developing brain because of the plasticity of its neuronal connectivity. Thus, repeated exposure to any stimulus in a child's environment may forcibly impact mental and emotional growth, either by setting up habits of mind or by depriving the brain of other experiences(Healy). Several studies have documented a link between television exposure and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (Shute). Even aside from violent or overly stimulating sexual content, the fast-paced, attention-grabbing "features" of children's programming (e.g., rapid zooms and flashes of color, quick movement in the peripheral visual field, sudden loud noises) were modeled after advertising research, which determined that this technique is the best way to engage the brain's attention involuntarily. The brain's executive control system, or pre-frontal cortex, is responsible for planning, organizing and sequencing behavior for self-control, moral judgment and attention. These centers develop throughout childhood and adolescence, but some research has suggested that "mindless" television or video games may idle this particular part of the brain and impoverish its development(Healy). Not only are problems with attention rising, social interactions are affected. With each increase in the amount of media exposure a child consumes the higher the incidence of negative effects are seen. Some of the negative effects are; poor school performance, the failure to get along with parents, getting into trouble, the child is often unhappy or sad, and the child is often bored (Children Media Consumption). Media also influences body perception in females. The portrayal of women is
Mendez 4 often an unrealistic image of how people look. Girls are beginning early in life to make decisions about image in an attempt to be perfect. It is estimated 80% of 9 year old girls, in an attempt at fulfilling the image society portrays, have dieted. Young girls are being deluged by media images of skinny models. The desire to be thin has become so strong that the amount of people suffering from eating disorders has increased 400% since 1970. Girls are not the only victims of this crisis, researchers show an alarming increase in the amount of obsessive weight training and the use of dietary supplements and steroids among males(Media Influence Youth). Adolescents are exposed to sexual content in the media during a developmental period when gender roles, sexual attitudes, and sexual behaviors are being shaped. As the desire to be thin and beautiful parades its way through media outlets we find attached to it the idea that beauty equates to sex and sexuality. Sex sells. Television, movies, magazines, music and the internet are flooded with sexual innuendos and depictions of sexual acts. The average viewer is exposed to 14,000 sexual references each year. Sixty-four percent of shows have sexual content. Of these shows, less than fifteen percent outline adverse consequences like sexually-transmitted disease or pregnancy (Understanding the Impact of Media). Youth that watch sex on television are more likely to initiate sex(Facts and TV Statistics). Media creates a sense of normalcy in regards to sex. Young teens rank media as the top source for information on sexual issues(Lagorio). Studies show that repeated exposure to media with sexual content may influence teens to have sex earlier.

Mendez 5 Media, especially music videos, have a common theme; the portrayal of women in a seductive or sexual manner. Women are often scantly clothed when compared to their male counterparts. Much of the popular hip-hop music is an overwhelming source of derogatory references to women. Words like bitch, ho, nigger, trick, and slut are common.
References are routinely made to sexual acts in this genre of music. The desire to look sexually pleasing has consumed youth to the extent that the demoralization of women is acceptable. Young girls fantasize of becoming the next “video vixen,” where they will also be the subject of disparaging lyrics. The concept of acceptance of looks goes beyond physical appearances. Society has the desire to look “cool.” Smoking, drug use, and alcohol are used in media as an acceptable venue to show status of a person. Current statistics show three-quarters of hit movies show smoking as pervasive. Advertisers create ads that associate smoking with desirable outcomes (independence, social success, sexual attraction, and thinness). It comes as no surprise that each day 4,000 youth start smoking for the first time (The Role of Media). Just as smoking is glamorized, so is alcohol consumption. Media fails to show the negative effects of alcohol, the elation from drinking is shown. The constant attributes of drinking and smoking provide the image that these behaviors are acceptable. Children are under siege. They are being subjected to a constant stream of negative messages about drugs. Their world is teaching them that drug use is not only normal, but risk-free. They are being taught that they can put illegal drugs into their bodies and suffer no apparent consequences. Sixty-three percent of all rap songs refer to illicit drugs in some manner. Television shows and
Mendez 6 music videos constantly bombard our children with the idea that drugs are cool, drugs are fun, and drugs are harmless. Rock stars, movie actors, models, and professional athletes are constantly being arrested for drug use, and because of their immense wealth, they suffer very little consequences for their actions. All of these factors send the wrong message to children about drug use. Youth often fail correlate the consequences in relation to smoking, drug use, or alcohol consumption. Violence in the media, whether it is reflected in music, cartoons, wrestling shows or movies, desensitizes children to the effects of violence, legitimizes and glorifies violence and increases aggressive behavior in those who watch it on TV or the Internet. Before the average child reaches 12 years of age, he or she will have witnessed 100,000 acts of violence on television, including 8,000 murders (Zur). Parents who want to protect their children from media violence have a difficult task before them. Violence appears on all major television networks and cable stations, making it impossible for channel surfers to avoid it. Violence appears in all forms of media; cartoons, movies, video games, and television news channels all show violent acts. The proliferation of violence and pornography on the Internet has become a huge factor in desensitizing children to violence and sexual crimes against women, children and vulnerable minorities. Cartoons show repeated violence, often with the intent to humor the watcher. When humor is attached to violence a child is taught to handle difficult situations with force. From media violence children learn to utilize violence in resolving conflicts. Children often mimic the actions of television. When a super-hero annihilates their arch-rival, children cheer and recreate the very scene. Young children are more likely to exhibit aggressive behavior

Mendez 7 after viewing a violent show or movie (Television’s Impact on Kids).Reports have shown children are traumatized by news, reports of bombings, natural disasters, and violent crimes(Media Education). Violence is not reserved to just television, internet plays a crucial part of media consumption. Youths who most frequently visited sites depicting real people fighting, shooting, or killing were five times more likely to report engaging in assaults, stabbings, robberies, and other violent behavior than were those who never visited violent web sites (Potera). Numerous violent attacks have been attributed directly to musical lyrics (Dawursk, Jr.). The violence in video games has brought war and murder to all ages of youth. Ninety percent of popular video games have a violent theme (Dawursk, Jr.). Violence in general is a staple of the video game industry. The current trend is for players to be the bad guys, acting out criminal fantasies and earning points for attacking and killing innocent bystanders. Although these games are rated M, for mature audiences, it's common knowledge that they are popular among pre-teens and teenaged boys. Children who played violent video games early in the school year exhibited increases in physical aggression such as kicking, punching, and hitting three to six months later (Potera). Research strongly supports the theory that playing violent video games is a causal risk factor for relative increases in later physical aggressiveness, and rules out the notion that naturally aggressive children prefer violent video games (Potera). When combining the violent factors of media it is noticed that society has become addicted to violence. Each new video game or show must reach higher levels of violence in an effort to satisfy the
Mendez 8 consumer. Direct links have been made to media’s influence and the increase of violence.
Violent video games train our children to kill, glorify violence, desensitize them to suffering and legitimize and trivialize violence. The society of today is greatly impacted by the abundance of negative media content. From a young age children’s lives are molded by the media they are subjected to, from brain development to the potential of life long health risks, including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and obesity. As children age the risks of media’s influence is increased. Body image, sexuality, and health all are impacted by media. The greatest danger is the effect violence is creating in the youth of America. Media is repeatedly cited as the cause of violence in tragic events played out across the nation (Dawursk, Jr.). The reality is that we become what we consume.

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Works Cited
“Children Media Consumption: 7.5 hours a Day”. Clean Cut Media. 3/07/10.
Dawursk, Jr., Glen E.. “Media’s Influence on Youth”. Yuthguy. 03/07/10 http://yuthguy.com/Literature%20review.htm>
“Facts and TV Statistics”. Parents Television Council. 03/06/10 http://parentstv.org/ptc.facts/mediafacts.asp
Healy, Ph.D., Jane M.. "Understanding TV's Effects on the Developing Brain". AAP News, American Academy of Pediatrics. 03/04/10
Lagorio, Christine. "Media May Promote Teen Sex". WebMD. 03/06/10 "Media Education". American Academy of Pediatrics. 03/04/10 “Media Influence Youth”. Crisis Connection Inc.. 03/06/10 Potera, Carol. "Sex and Violence in the Media Influence Teen Behavior". AJN, American Journal of Nursing. 03/04/10
Shute, Nancy. “3 Ways Electronic Media Harm Kids’ Health and 3 Ways They Can Help”. U.S. News & World Report. 03/08/10 "Television's Impact on Kids". Media Awareness Network. 03/07/10 “The Role of Media in Promoting and Reducing Tobacco Use”. National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute. 03/06/10 http://cancercontrol.cancer.gov/tcrb/monographs
"Understanding the Impact of Media on Children and Teens". American Academy Pediatrics. 03/04/10
Zur, O. (2010).“Teen Violence, School Shootings, Internet Addiction, Bullying, TV Violence, Internet Predators & Teen Suicide: Facts, Ideas, And Actions”. Zur Institute. 03/05/10 http://zurinstitute.com/teenviolence.htm