Influenced by Television and the Internet of the Behaviors of Adolescents - Article Example

You’re Name Professor Course 7 August 2006 How T.V. and the Internet Influence the Behaviors of Teens and Adolescents For many years now there have been many quantifiable studies carried out on the behavior characteristics of teens and preteens who are subjected to large amounts of exposure to the Internet and Television. These studies have shown that those who spend more than 3 hours a day watching television and engaging in activities on the computer are more apt to fall in-behind on their school studies and be more prone to attitude and behavior problems than other kids in their age bracket are (Shifrin 2006, pg. 448). Some of the main concerns that sociologists and psychologists have with children who have overexposure to these media sources is in what they are actually exposed too. On the Internet there are images that can be considered pornographic which present themselves all the time. Even many of the sites that are considered to be comic and totally for recreational purposes have started becoming more explicit. If parents are not readily around to monitor what their children are being confronted with through media entertainment then a more psychological problem begins to occur, especially if the material is not suitable for young viewers (Newman 2006, pg. 10). A huge reason for concern is in how the images impact these young viewers. This is explicitly true when there is an issue of violence that is of a very real nature, such as the Oklahoma City Bombings from years ago or more recently September 11. Although these current issues are a few years old now, many children can still suffer emotional strain if they are overexposed to the events still ongoing, such as terrorism. Children are to young to have to be worried about issues of threats such as terrorism regardless of how very real they are or not. This is a parent’s world and they should be controlling how much reality T.V. that children are actually viewing whether it is the news, documentaries, or basic cartoon shows. Too much violence is not good for children to be exposed too period (Duggal et al 2002, pg. 494). Children do have a toleration level, just as adults do and they can not comprehend violence in reality the way that adults can. Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Pediatricians, Sociologists, and other adults who work with children can attest to the facts of what too much violence on television, the internet, and on the news can do to the minds of preteens and other young adolescent kids. They can develop PTSD with the same probability as an adult can when they are exposed to images and programs that they simply have a hard time relating too (Cavendish 1997, pg. 6). Exposure to world events such as the War in Iraq and the terrorist activities ongoing in other parts of the world are just a few of the very real issues that children can become threatened by and have emotional problems dealing with. This isn’t to say that keeping children abreast of what is happening in the world is bad but what it is saying is that a parent needs to know when to limit allowing a child to sit and watch violent news programs to them that show death and carnage for an extensive period of time, such as the immediate coverage of the war, etc. Seeing to much violence can also promote very aggressive tendencies within some children who are already having behavioral problems, or so sociologists claim. Aggression in the youth problem has been becoming a growing concern and many experts point to the media as having a high hand in these various complications within the adolescent population (Grossman 2000, pg. 10). Grossman, a member of the military and who has been in the military for many years states that violence in the media and constant exposure to what the latest happenings in Iraq and surrounding Middle Eastern regions are only puts ideas of hate and violence into young minds, especially when they hear of soldiers being killed or wounded by Arab people. Violence begetting violence has never been an answer and in fact has only lead to more problems in the world, for young people in particular. Grossman (2000) says it is good for children to know what the current events are and even positive for them to see that the U. S. does have a strong military support system but they do not need to be overexposed to actual killing and violent acts ongoing in the Middle East. The way they process information such as this is different from adults and again it can provoke them to aggression against other ethnicities, and bad attitudes in school as well. So not only do children have to deal with the reality of violence but they are also engaging in activities that are totally fiction but that hold just a high degree of violence as well such as cartoons, video games, and most importantly the Internet in particular. The Internet is one of the most affluent and influential factors that can change a child’s demeanor and personality if they are overexposed and if they come into contact with sites and images that are not meant for their age group (Wolack 2003, pg. 331). The Internet itself has come to be viewed as one of the most influential predictors of children’s behavior. Preteens and adolescents can spend hours in front of the computer and sometimes what they are doing is very educational but there are also negativities involved with this type of exposure. The Internet is known for highly explicit content and youngsters can gain access to these sites very easily. One in particular, known as ‘date game’, is full of sexual images and pornographic clips that children aren’t aware of when they initially visit it. They think it is fun and games until they get smacked with scantily clad cartoon women who are engaging in sexual actions. This type of material is totally inappropriate for teens and adolescents yet they are finding it and watching it without parents even becoming aware of it. More and more children are gaining internet access in their home, at school, the public library, and even through other sources of electronic equipment which poses more concern for those who are aware of what the implications of this could mean (Hongisk 2005, pg. 30). A recent survey done found that more than 23 million children in the United States now have access to the internet and many sites that they shouldn’t have. Parents remain blind to many of these web pages as they believe their children are simply having a good time when really they are viewing very sexual material, sites that have foul language and are meant for older people, and not only this but they are leaving themselves wide open to fall prey to predators who manipulate the minds of young people through the World Wide Web. The average amount of usages for kids has been found to be 16.2 hours per week during a school week but even more than this on the weekends and other holidays and breaks, specifically summer time. This is leading into not only a change in behavior but a whole new concept of lifestyle for many adolescents. While they see it as recreational and not posing any risk to them, the adults who investigate this type of activity truly see the potential threats that exist and some of which have already occurred to some adolescents. While the internet does provide many positive attributes for children such as, research programs, opportunities for learning for younger adolescents, as a socialization tool, entertainment, and a means of communication it poses high risks as well. For example, children can be faced with issues of isolation due to overexposure, sexual predators who use the cyber world to trick them, violent online games, pornography, online gambling, and many other factors that are not positive at all and of which impact the minds of adolescents and teenagers in many psychological ways (Hongisk 2005, pg. 30). Just imagine children being exposed to pornographic pop ups from typing in a seemingly innocent keyword search. This is not something that parents want their children exposed too and it isn’t something that can be restricted, not when a child is trying to do research or just doing a normal every day search for something they might have interest in. Studies have also shown that children are 25% of children are unwittingly subjected to sexual material online while another 15% receive sexual solicitations at some point during their internet exposure (Wartella & Jennings 2000, pg. 5). These are very adverse problems with internet usage and something definitely needs to be done about it so that children will not have to fear or face emotional problems due to what they are being confronted with on the internet. New waves of technological innovative products always promise to bring better educational experiences to young people, but as they claim these promises, in the background, there is always the negativity that is being concealed which threatens the minds and social lives of youths everywhere in the United States and all around the world. The main point of all of this is the fact that children model what they learn and if they are learning about things that are not positive influences then their personality and attitude is going to show it, such as with violence and foul language on television or with the Internet and pornography, etc. The list is never ending really. There are an innumerable amount of media influences in children’s lives today. Some good and some are bad. The main focus is on how these influences change their perceptions and attitudes. For instance, children do role model and they do admire those that they see on television. Honestly, adults form from their childhood experiences, there is no denying that. So this is where we must ask ourselves are our children turning into the young adults that we want them to become or are they being molded by the electronic media instead? Furthermore, there is no doubt that the way a person acts and speaks is definitely articulated by what they are exposed too in reality and through the media as well. For instance, take foul language for an example. What a child hears they are going to articulate. If a youth hears their parent using profanity, a child is automatically going to see no harm in doing so either. Take for example a mother in the kitchen that is cooking dinner. Accidentally she cuts herself with a knife and a cuss word slips out before she can catch herself. Her son hears her say the word and as a result of this he does the same thing when he accidentally hurts himself, of course with no ill intent or vulgar implication meant by it (Hochman 1994, pg. 29). Nevertheless, the child is learning to use words that are not appropriate through the parent. The same happens with television exposure as well, even more so. It is true that television provides adolescents and teenagers with role models whom they can admire and learn from. Now not all of these role models are bad but there are many times where their actions are not something that a young person should actually be replicating. Unfortunately this does not stop the kids from doing so. For example, as has been mentioned profanity among the youth is a problem and it is something that many entertainers use quite a lot to entertain television viewers, possibly not realizing that over half the viewers are children. Statistically television reaches approximately 190 million viewers everyday, so it could be stated to be something that is an intricate part of the American families’ social atmosphere. Therefore, television has become something that is far more powerful than many people realize, especially to the population of young people (Rowe 1993, pg. 14). Even though there are television regulations, the problem comes in for air stations that don’t fit in the regular broadcasting areas and it is these programs that have the majority of the cursing and violence in their program lineups which children have easy access too all the time. In conclusion, parents want what is best for their children. They don’t want to know that they are being exposed to material that is negatively affecting or confusing their young and developing minds. Experts know how detrimental it is to monitor what a child is exposed to, especially when it comes down to children who are entering their preteen stages, and adolescents who are soon entering into these years. They are highly impressionable and will follow suit to what they see and what they think is cool. Their behaviors will gradually change and their personality can actually become despicable if something is not done to prevent them from having exposure to electronic media that is a wholly negative influence. The best thing that adults can do is safeguard their children by placing restrictions on the television, radio, and internet as well. Even the cell phone is starting to become a negative attribute in young people’s lives so possibly this needs to have restrictions as well. In order to protect young people from sexual molestation, kidnapping, violence, Psychological issues, and other influences that might pose a hardship onto young people the adults need to be very involved in their children’s lives and be ready to offer advice and listen instead of just allowing them to be taken care of by the electronic media that is available. If this is done then many of the concerns can be alleviated and family life can go back to what it use to be, not perfect, but not being bombarded by so much violence, vulgar language, and pornography like it is today. Works Cited Cavendish, Marshall. “Violence in the Media.” Encyclopedia of Social Issues 1 (1997): 1-6. Duggal, H. S. & Berezekin, G. & V, John. “PTSD and TV and Viewing of the World Trade Center.” Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 41 (2002): 494-495. Hochman, David. “Do You Kiss Your Mother with that Mouth?” US Today (1994): 29-30. Hongisk, John. “Children’s Exposure to Negative Internet Content: Effects of Family Context.” Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media 10 (2005): 30. Lt. Col. Grossman, David. Teaching Kids to Kill. New York: Phi Kappa National Publishing Press and Forum (2000): 10. Newman, Elaine. “Children & Media Coverage.” Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media 38 (2006): 193-204. Shifrin, A. “Effect of Media on Children and Adolescents: Its About Time.” Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine 160 (2006): 448-450. Wartella, Ellen & Jennings, Nancy. “Children and Computers: New Technology, Old Concerns.” Children and Computer Technology 10 (2000): 1-13. Wolack, J. “The Exposure of Youth to Unwanted Sexual Material on the Internet: A National Survey.” Journal of Youth Society 34 (2003): 330-358. Read More