Cheryl DeVito

Kelley Warren

ENC 1102

Final

6 April 2014

                                                      Media influence on Children

               Media today is and always will be very influential in our society. Today this basic tool of

 information has become a big part of our daily lives. Everywhere we go we are bombarded with

 some form of information. Media can be defined as a multi-messaging medium that spreads

 information quickly informing the public of news, through television, radio, printed materials

 and computers. Media exposure infiltrates the minds of our youth. According to the American

 Academy of pediatrics, “Children are influenced by media. They learn by observing and

 imitating. This can affect their attitudes, values, and behaviors.” At a high degree this exposure

 can be damaging. The majority images seen by young people in the media are men and women

 portrayed as stereotypical roles, with women and men as sex objects. Many photos shown in

 media are either altered or photo shopped to show a different reality then what really exists. This

 media influence manifests in the minds and bodies of our youth and brings about unrealistic

 expectations to them ("Media Lesson"). Therefore, media is harmful to our youth impressing the

 wrong values.

 

        It is clear that the media influences our youth. First of all it destroys values in todays’

 society by drawing the population into the world they predict. Media influence can also be

 deliberate often directed towards children. Advertisers spend billions of dollars on marketing

 strategies knowing that children are easy prey (Raising Children Network”). You are not the first

 to buy your child what is the in thing. Secondly, through magazines, advertisements, and music

 videos, media presents unrealistic, unattainable, body images and beauty messages that can have

 a strong impact on their desire to look and be the same through some kind of diet or beauty

 regimen. These indirect media influences can suggest to teenagers that this is the normal way to

 look and behave. Our teenagers are just learning how to make up their own minds, and the media

 influence can be a big impression on their developing minds. Research shows that the influence 

 of the media has linked the promotion of body thinness with body dissatisfaction and the

 development of eating disorder practices particularly in girls (Lawrie, Z, et al).  Over the past

 years anorexia and obesity has been an ongoing issue among young people (AAP). This is

 especially worrisome when there is no one to disagree with the thin beauty message portrayed. 

 Body ideal images in the media have increased in teenagers to want to have plastic surgery, such

 as breast implants and muscles enhancement (“Media Influence on teenagers”).

         Some may argue that media is a positive influence. Through watching educational

 programs, like Sesame Street and Barney, the media becomes a teaching tool for the very young.

 Teenagers can develop social and political insight by watching current affairs and documentaries

 through the news. This all depends on what quality of media is being used ("Media Influence on

 teenagers"). However, this information cannot be the whole truth. Media information is made up

 from a group of people who for a purpose, decide what to put into words, what to show through

 pictures and what to leave out (American Academy of Pediatrics).

        Nonetheless, media can have much to teach our youth but some of what is being viewed

 may not be what we want our children to be watching. We as a society also have to be

 accountable for what we watch and let our children watch. Teachable moments are there when it

 comes to advertisements and reality shows portraying incorrect values. Discuss what is

 happening by encouraging your child to really think and ask questions about the media messages

 you are watching. For example, why did the man jump up seconds later after he was hit by a car?

 Choose quality, age appropriate, educational programming.  Do not leave the television on when

 nobody is watching, instead read a book, listen to music, play games or spend time with your

children

. 

          All in all, media information should be just information that reflects reality without any

 ulterior motive or interpretation that misleads the public. These written, audio or visual messages

 that are a part of our daily lives, reinstate influences on our youth’s minds and dictate what the

 norm needs to be in this society. They also portray impossible body images for men and women

 that are unrealistic to achieve, which gives the public low self-esteem. Finally media relays more

 pessimistic messages giving a negative effect, harming our youth for their own purpose and 

impressing upon them the wrong values of a healthy life.

                                                                  Works Cited

.American Academy of pediatrics. N.p., Web 8 Apr 2014. www.thepediariccenter.net.>

Lawrie, Z, et al. “Media influence On The Body Image Of  Children And Adolescents.”

            Eating Disorders 14.5 (2006) 355-364, CINAHL Plus with full text Web. 8

            APR. 2014

“Media Lesson.” . N.p. Web 6 Apr 2014

“Media Influence on teenagers.” Raising childrens network. N.p., . Web. 7 Apr 2014.

            <www.raising children.net.au.>

perf. “Advertising and children.” Raising childrens network. N.p., . web. 8 Apr 2014

            <http://raisingchildren.net.au/verve/_resources/advertising_podcast_transcript.

            Pdf>.