It’s an undeniable fact that nowadays, media act as a very powerful and insidious instrument of social control. Everything that children see or hear in the media early on in their lives impinges on their individualities in some way. It’s very saddening that a huge part of what media is currently purveying contains several forms of violence. Media noticeably wield a lot of influences not only on adult’s behavior but most especially on children’s. But the question on whether those influences are favorable or not have been considered controversial for the longest time.
Majority of the given articles and essays partly affirmed that media is indeed one of the leading culprits for the sweeping influences in children’s behavior. Watching violence on television and films or by merely playing video games poses dangerous effects as it serves as an outlet for children to vicariously express their aggression. Violent programs create stressor in children which can lead to the onset of many inappropriate manifestations. It was quoted from Daphne Laver’s article “The verdict on media violence: it’’s ugly … and getting uglier: sex and violence, designed to sell soap, soft drinks and cars, seems to sell itself far better than the products, and the audience for this tawdry message is our children” that “the critical period of exposure to television is preadolescent childhood…. The aggression-enhancing effect of exposure to television is chronic, extending into later adolescence and adulthood.” The statement alone implies that everything that children perceive through media perilously affects them in some way. It’s because children by nature don’t have the notion of what is appropriate and inappropriate. Children don’t have the ability to distinguish reality from falseness and because violent situations are all too common in daily entertainment, they think that crude behaviors are part of the social norm because they often see it exhibited by many people in the “screens”. It is said to be that children learn by observing and imitating the things that they were exposed to. If this is the case, then children will more likely mimic vicious actions for they habitually see it.
The Essay on Media Violence Television Violent Percent
Jarrod Pierce Eng 131. 001 4 August 2003 Media Violence An issue that has many Americans in uproar is the possibility that aggressive behavior and destructive acts are caused from television violence. The battle for limiting television violence has been an issue since the 1970 s. Evidence has shown that television violence has caused aggression in children and adults. Also this exposure to ...
Both Michael Zimecki and Sissella Book, in their writings also believe that children’s behavior has something to do with what the media is trying to portray to them. Since children cannot easily discern fantasy from reality, they elicit behaviors from the things that they see.
There are evident consequences of children’s media consumption that take effect on their behaviors. Primarily, they may become less sensitive to violence and those who suffer from it because they think that seeing such things is ordinary. There’s a possibility that they may increase their hostility and tolerability towards violence. They might also develop an undying desire to see more violence not only in entertainment, but also in real life. Viewing violence as an acceptable and easy way to settle conflicts is also a consequence. When children are often shown adverse programs, they might apply all the things there in their individual experiences. Another undesirable consequence is that violence in media desensitizes them and makes them believe that the world is actually a more abusive and frightening place than it is. If they were taught in school that the world is filled with love and peace, this teaching will eventually be contradicted by the child because what he sees in television is visibly not an act of “love” and “peace”. The contradiction itself leaves the child in a confused and bewildered state. Hence, when these consequences are fused together, children may be more likely to behave in antagonistic or hurtful ways towards their significant and generalized others. What’s worse is when children are more likely to become either offenders or victims because of their distorted beliefs.
The Essay on Censorship Of Television Children Media Behavior
On one hand parents argue that violence on television causes aggression in their children, on the other hand, media figures, professionals, and figures of authority say that there is no proof that television influences children. There have been more than a thousand papers published on the effects of media on behavior. There have been studies in many countries of the world. Generally, the evidence ...
On the contrary, Oliver Stone’s essay “Memo to John Grisham: What’s next? A Movie Made Me Do it” rejects the affirmation that media disseminate influences towards children’s behavior. Although Stone mentioned that media somehow heightens the sensitivity of a child, he doesn’t completely agree that it is associated with changes in behavior. Instead of blaming media, he presented a wide array of factors that might instead contribute to children’s aggressiveness or whatsoever. One of the factors that he mentioned was an “abusive upbringing” or unsuitable environment. He supposes that a child’s mental and emotional facets are developed or shaped by the people surrounding him. Apparently, this might be his parents, siblings or peers- people whom a child interacts with during his earliest days. He thinks that a child must have been exposed to some other things other than media to exhibit inapt behaviors. Oliver Stone also believes that a child is the one who’s actually accountable for his actions and not the writers, photographers or film makers whose jobs are to just create materials of pure entertainment.
Though Stone’s points were clearly presented, it’s still not yet right to make a child “responsible” for his actions. The key reason is that children are still on their early stages of life. Meaning, they are still forming their own sets of beliefs and creeds. The “formation” process is indeed very crucial and sensitive as this will serve as the basis of a child’s adulthood in the latter part. One profound example is that when a child repetitiously watches a cartoon program wherein his ideal superhero aggressively hits or punches his enemies, he will begin to think that this type of violence is part of the norm. There’s even a considerable amount of chance that the child will copy the stunts of his ideal superhero, thinking that it’s the proper way to fight for the things that he want. When the child hold on to this belief for a long time, it might be difficult to modify it later on in life.
In conclusion, though it’s not entirely proven that media serves as a precursor to increased aggression in children or whether media poses short-term or long-term effects, it is still clearly known that it generates vast influences. That fact alone must be enough for parents to be attentive to the contents of what their children is watching or playing. With the current fast-paced society, some of the parents truly have no clue as to what their children watch on television or what games they play. Since most parents are wrapped up with their professions or personal leisure, they sometimes tend to forget to be concerned with the actions of their children. They are gradually becoming unconscious of the fact that media cannot be wholly trusted when it comes to imparting things in their children’s mind.
The Essay on Is Daycare Beneficial For Children And Parents?
When you are a child, who takes care of you? Now, the cost of living is so high that many people under age twenty-five are moving back in with their parents. Young people are getting married later now than they used to. The average age for a woman to get married is about twenty-four, and for a man twenty-six. Newly married couples often postpone having children while they are establishing careers. ...
Aside from media, lots of indicators of how children will behave still exist. Some of these are the involvement of parents in their children’s lives or their mere interaction with each other.
Though parents greatly contribute to the behavior of their children, it is also noticeable that media must also be held responsible. It is the duty of the media board to be conscientious of the things that they show and depict, especially if majority of the audiences are young-minded. Television programs or any other forms of media must be critically analyzed to weigh down their positive or deleterious effects on children. Media must therefore encourage more positive values and help stimulate learning by creating lots of educational television shows, films, or games. The priority of children must always come first for they are very vulnerable in their own rights. They are ought to be well-taken care of not only in physical means, for they will soon take their own stand in the society. Their sense of selves is certainly dependent and reliant with the things that enfold their lives including media. Once this is completely understood, then media shouldn’t have such a long-lasting effect on children’s behavior at all.
Works Cited
Book, Sissella. Sizing up the Effects. Reading, MA: Perseus Books, 1999.
Lavers, Daphne. “The verdict on media violence: it’s ugly … and getting uglier: sex
and violence, designed to sell soap, soft drinks and cars, seems to sell itself far
better than the products, and the audience for this tawdry message is our children.”
Insight on the News, 13 May 2002, 28.
Stone, Oliver. “Memo to John Grisham: What’s next- “A Movie Made Me Do It?”
The Essay on Media and Its Effects
Today the media is integral part of our lives. According to research, an average teenager spends 10 hours a day on either auditory, print, or electronic media. Media is a manipulative messenger that rapidly became a powerful tool that greatly contributed to a dramatic decrease of families interaction times ; it maintains our consumerism ,delivers a content that shapes our moral beliefs, , and ...
http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/patterns10e/pages/bcs-main.asp?v=&s=99000&n=00060&i=99060.01&o=
Zimeki, Michael. “Violent Films Cry ‘Fire’ in Crowded Theaters”
http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/patterns10e/pages/bcs-main.asp?v=&s=99000&n=00060&i=99060.01&o=
