Impact Of Adolescents’ Exposure To Media
Introduction
For many years, researchers, parents and policy makers have raised concerns regarding the impact of adolescents’ exposure to media content. There are several beliefs and attitudes evident in different societies about the effects of media exposure to adolescents. The media does not only provide substantial information to the public, but it is also influential in controlling the ways and direction of a given society. Adolescents and children of different ages watch and understand the media in variable ways. Research studies have shown that children aged between 8 to 18 years spend a lot of time in front of a television, computer and game screens than any other activities in their lives other than sleeping. This research paper will examine the impact of adolescents’ exposure to media content.
Discussion
An individual’s interpretation of what is watched is dependant on the length of the individual’s attention span, the ways in which information is processed and the individual’s life experiences. The same case applies to adolescents who are continuously exposed to media sources for long periods of time. Entertainment media exposure can affect the attitudes and behaviors of adolescents negatively through violence, stereotyping and cultivation of false perceptions of reality (Bryant and Oliver, 2009).
The media manipulates adolescents’ minds by reinforcing idolized body images to be accepted as the norm and negative stereotypes. It is evident that stereotypes are unavoidable in the media especially in movies, entertainment television and video games. Stereotyped characters are known to negatively influence the way adolescents view real people in the society. It is also common for televisions to stereotype racial groups and genders, in a negative way. A good example is the Disney movies that are associated with many instances of racism. Such Disney moves include the Jungle Book which portrays orangutans and gorillas that sound more like black people. Exposure of adolescents to such movies implants racism in their minds (Arnett, 2007).
Movies with stereotypical racial features have negative impact on children and adolescents. They tend to view the people portrayed in movies negatively in real life. Hence, there opinions are based on the way these groups are depicted on television. Moreover, the media leads to racial stereotyping by displaying minorities as subordinate to what is considered as the majority by the media. Prolonged exposure of adolescents to stereotypes can result to development of feelings of inequality and social prejudice. This may in turn lead to segregation and discrimination among different adolescent groups. This therefore presents one of the negative impacts that exposure to media content has on adolescents.
Researchers have suggested that media content may influence the development of negative self-esteem in adolescents through messages regarding body image. Girls in early adolescents are particularly the ones affected most by these messages. The media dictates what is presumed to be attractive. Such girls are affected most by such messages due to the fact that they have a high sensitivity about their body image and whether they measure up to the standards of their peers. Hence, it is evident that there is a relationship between television watching, eating disorders and negative body image. According to majority of movies portrayed in the media, there is a symbolic association between thinness, attractiveness and goodness. Hence, adolescent girls struggle to achieve the attractive image portrayed in the media to a large extent. Some of them develop bad eating habits such as neglecting meals. As a result they develop eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa all in the name of trying to achieve a given body image that is considered attractive by the media (Arnett, 2007).
It is unfortunate that most of the media adolescents are exposed to do not show people in a realistic way. Television characters are shown with unrealistic perfect bodies. The images portrayed are not attractive and realistic to some people, yet the desire for adolescents to imitate what they see is prominent. The media does not only glorify slender bodies, but it also emphasizes on the importance of such bodies and the importance of perfect appearances in general. Eating disorders are also so common in models that the whole issue seems to get glamorized to young adolescent girls. The issue of eating disorders is a dangerous thing for adolescents to want to imitate due to the fact that it may lead to serious health complications and may at times be fatal (Bryant, 2009).
It is essential to teach such adolescent girls that beauty comes in all colors, shapes and sizes. The notion that thinness is associated with beauty and attractiveness should be removed from their minds. Parents and guardians should keep in mind the fact that girls and teenagers are self conscious about their body image and know the right way to handle such teenagers when faced with image issues. Even if adolescents have knowledge that what they see on television is unreal, prolonged exposure can still have a great impact on their nutritional health and self-esteem. Prolonged exposure to surreal body images can lead to periods of low self-esteem, depression and eating disorders (Arnett, 2007).
The other point of concern is that adolescents’ exposure to media violence may lead to increase levels of violence and aggression. Experts have even suggested that the evidence linking media violence to aggressive behavior in adolescents is much stronger that that linking smoking to lung cancer. This emphasizes the large extent to which media content associated with violence promotes violence behavior in adolescents. Forms of violence such as suicide, homicide and trauma have been the leading causes of death in adolescents and young adults. Adolescents who are exposed to violent media content for prolonged period of time are likely to increase aggressive and anti-social behavior, and become less sensitive to violence and those who suffer from violence. Such adolescents may view the world as mean and violent, and become fearful of being victims of violence in one way or another (Connor, 2004)
Adolescents exposed to violent media content may desire to see violence in entertainment as well as in real life. They will view violence as one of the acceptable ways of solving conflicts. Adolescents who identify themselves with aggressive heroes are more likely to develop violent and aggressive behavior. Aggressive acts on the other hand lead to increased aggressive tendencies in viewers which bring feelings, feelings and thoughts to consciousness which can cause aggressive behavior outwardly (Connor, 2004).
Cultivation theory may have a negative effect in influencing adolescent’s ideals about the real world. This theory suggests that continual exposure to television gradually leads to cultivation of how viewers perceive the actual reality. Prolonged television watching cultivates attitudes which are consistent with the world portrayed on television programs than the-day-to-day world. The ides presented are acceptable and influential large groups such as the adolescents. Adolescents are vulnerable and easily influenced. Hence, they are more likely to be affected by the cultivation theory. Television stories provide a set of mainstream cultural values, beliefs and practices that may be imitated by adolescents exposed to the content for prolonged periods (Bryant, 2009).
Parents are most of the times concerned with how media exposure and media content may influence the health development of their children and teenagers. Heavy media exposure has been linked to complications such as sexual behavior, substance abuse and low academic achievement in adolescents. The media has become very much persuasive in the lives of adolescents and children. Most teenagers determine their identity in relation to the media for instance their favorite band, favorite television show and favorite book, are all more likely determined by the media. Unlike adults most teenagers and children do not know how to filter and differentiate fantasy from reality. Hence, they blindly follow everything portrayed in televisions and other media sources (Bryant, 2009).
Research findings have indicated that adolescents who view more television with sexual content are more likely to overestimate sexual behaviors. Most of them may get the notion that sexual activities are widely acceptable and part of the societal norms. Many of them will also tend to have permissive attitudes towards premarital sex. Hence, there is a link between media exposure and adolescents sexual behavior. Adolescents who are exposed to media with explicit sexual content are more likely to develop unacceptable sexual behavior. There is increased prevalence of sexual communication and explicit visual portrayal of sexual behavior in televisions. This in turn has led to reported cases of high prevalence of adolescent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (Arnett, 2007).
Consuming media has replaces reading storybooks or sport activities as the adolescents’ favorite pastime. The media has continually dictated how children and adolescents view themselves, how they view others and what methods or ways they will choose when handling situations such as fantasy, violence and prejudice. It has also changed adolescents’ views about the world. Although the media has not been held accountable for the programming choices, it is essential for the public to choose the programs that can be promoted and allowed their children t view them. They public should choose constructive and educative programs that have no negative effects to children and adolescents’ development (Bryant, 2009).
To prevent the effects associated with exposure to media, it is essential to reduce exposure to media and encourage alternative activities. Such activities may include sports and extra curricular activities. Through involving in such activities, the adolescents minds will be occupies with positive effects contrary to negative effects of the media content. Adolescents should be encouraged to forms positive peer groups that encourage positive behavior. The purpose of the peer groups should be to reinforce and build the abilities and skills possessed by each and every individual (Arnett, 2007).
.Conclusion
It is evident that exposure to negative media content can influence adolescents, children and young adults negatively. It is therefore essential to reduce this exposure in order to cultivate positive effects in adolescents. Programs with violence, sexual content and portrayal of unrealistic body images tend to dictate adolescents’ attitudes towards themselves and the real world. It is therefore essential to encourage these adolescents to take part in alternative activities such as games and sports.
References
Arnett, J. J. (2007) Encyclopedia of children, adolescents, and the media, Volume 1.
Sage Publications.
Bryant, J., & Oliver, M. B. (2009) Media effects: advances in theory and research.
Routledge.
Connor, D. F. (2004) Aggression and Antisocial Behavior in Children and Adolescents:
Research and Treatment. Guilford Press.
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