The media has played a large part in creating the social norms in which many think of. This is because there are many types of media out there, including advertisements and television. The media has this type of influence on people of all ages. The influence can be trying to sell a certain item that children and teens would want or how to act or look a certain way. For this, this is why the media has a huge influence on the attitudes and viewpoints of children and teens.
Children and teens now live in a world that is covered by media influences. In the Australian Nursing Journal article it states, “Media sites provide young people with opportunities to stay connected with friends, family, and the world, and develop technical, creative and social skills” (2012, Australian Nursing Journal). Before the influence of the media, there was a time when it was not really something that had a huge impact on children and teens. But as things moved forward with time, children and teens are engaged with what the media has to provide such as reality TV to using social media.
Children and teens now have the access to every type of media influence and what affect it can have on them. With the many types of media out there for children and teen, there are concerns from people such as parents and educators on how the media influence has on them. One of the concerns that parents and educators think that the media has on children and teens is how children and teens behaviors is influenced by the media. There are some influences between media content and children and teens behaviors.
One of those media content is the influence of body image on children and teens. Body image can be a huge influence on children and teens. The way the media portrays body images through the media can be through many things. This can include family, peers, fashion industry and through the influence of media and advertising. According to one article, “Television has been shown to have the capacity to influence awareness and to change attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors, making it potentially one of the most powerful educational resources available at the present time” (Sanders & Montgomery, 2000). If teens and children see people on the media with a certain body type it can then have an impact on their behavior. This may be that they are thinking that they have to look like the people they see on the media.
Something else that the media has an influence on with children and teens is the violent content that the media produces. By seeing the violence on the media, children and teens will likely behave in the way that might be considered aggressive or even violent. While the influence that the media has on them, they can even not have the empathy of others or have the feeling of being afraid all the time. According to Strasburger, “Research on media violence and its relationship to real-life aggression is substantial and convincing. Young persons learn their attitudes about violence at a very young age and, once learned, those attitudes are difficult to modify” (Strasburder, 2009). This type of influence does not always show what would really happen to children and teens if they act out the violence they see on the media. By them doing that children and teens will not get the true effect of what would really happens to them if they act out violence in real situations.
But then again there is the other side of the influence that the media has on children and teens, that side would be the positive influence it has on them. The media is one of the many reasons why it is now easier for children and teens to communicate. One of the most effective tools for communication for children and teens is through the Internet. According to an article by Muto, “Compared with books and other traditional media, the internet also has an interactive element. Perhaps more so than older generations, children often use the Internet as a communication tool” (Muto, 2004 pg.39). With the help of many media outlets, children and teens are able to communicate with other people. Also the media helps children and teens stay up to date on things that are happening in the world around them.
Additionally, the media is a good way to promote positive messages to teens and children. Since teens and children are so engrossed in the media world, it is important for the media to use that as a way to encourage things that teenagers and children are into. If the media takes what is not interesting and puts a different outlook on it and then shows it to children and teens they will them likely take an interest in it. An example would be making the news geared towards children and teens. The more children and teen are shown news information the more likely they will be interested. This can help educate children and teens and encourage them to become more involved in things. Some thing else that the youth can get from the media is important health messages. For example, they are able to get information that would help them such as health information, encouraging healthy eating habits, exercising and having healthy relationships with others.
Something else that the media can show is how people in the media can be role model for children and teens. There are many things that celebrities or other individuals who are on the media can show and do to help children and teens understand what values and a positive attitude can look like. This then can show children and teens that if do hard work it can turn into success.
Children and teens are at a stage where the media will always be a part of their lives and how the effects it will have on them. Children and teens are trying to understand what the media is saying to them by decoding what they see. Children and teens like to watch certain things such as love, fashion, and violence. But then again the media can be a place where they get their knowledge. The way that the media influence on children and teens can be both positive and negative.
The media influence on children and teens can help build up their knowledge about certain topics and have an important influence on their outlook towards the topics. Every day there are things that the media puts out there for children and teens to see. We cannot deny that the media has a great influence in shaping the way children and teens think. It is understandable that the media plays an important part in children and teen’s attitude about things that they are into.
Children and teens should not take what the media does as something that would influence their lives. It is up to children and teens and their ability to comprehend what the media is putting out there. The way children and teens lets the media influence them is also through their thinking as well. An example of this would be if a child or teen has a positive attitude they will see that the information that is put out in a positive way and use that for something good. The media needs to make the first move to put something out that is truthful and positive rather then something that will make the media money. Children and teens are surrounded by different type of outlooks that the media puts out for them and with that they should be able to come up with their own judgment with what they think is best for them when they see thing coming from the media.