Medias Influence on Children Essay - 1324 Words

The powerful media is considered a leading influence in our society both directly and indirectly. Media is available and readily accessible today more easily than ever. Printed materials, television, sound recordings, internet, and radio all fall under the umbrella of the big bad – or seemingly bad word – media. Is media bad? How is it controlled? And where does this all stem from†¦? These are some of the major concerns parents are faced with in raising children in today’s times. Although most of our media appears to be superficial and meaningless fluff, violence and chit chat, it is also a source of education, humor and non-violent entertainment. Both salesmen and individuals wishing to promote various things have at some point made†¦show more content†¦A study was conducted on 3,155 children ages 2-18, in regard to the impact of media on society. The survey was done by The Kaiser Family Foundation, and independent national healthcare philanthropy , and the results appeared alarming. Children ages 8 and above, 65% have a bedroom TV and 21% have a bedroom computer. Of all kids, in all ages in our society 69% have a computer at home and 45% with internet access. One of the many results researchers were surprised to hear that of the children ages 8 and above, 61% live in homes without any rules regarding TV and internet usage. Many researchers and educators were alarmed with the extreme results and the percentage of time children spend watching television. They believe there is a connection between too much media consumption and violence or acting out among children. (Barbour, et al, 2008) (Clark Blackwell, 2002) In the discussions regarding the influences media presents to our society two important factors must be included. On factor, called media literacy was addressed by an educator, Renee Hobbs. Hobbs is quoted saying â€Å"Just because our students can use the media and technology doesn’t mean they are effective at critically analyzing and evaluating the messages they receive.† Hobbs continues to express her ideas, by saying children need to be taught the skills to ask important questions about the media they watch, see, listen to andShow MoreRelatedMedia’s Influence on Children and Adolescents Essay examples574 Words   |  3 Pagesis â€Å"born† in it. By this statement, it is implied that children today are much closer to technology and media than adults are, and so, are more likely to be affected by it. Perhaps, the highest impact on the physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development of children and adolescents is by media due to its ready availability through Smart phones, tablet PCs and other portable devices. 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