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Media
Influences:
Re-channeling the media:
Do touch that dial! Spread the Word!
April 25-May 1, 2005 is National Turn
off the TV week!
Why the concern? A research
review
| An estimated
that the average youth will have witnessed 200,000 acts of
violence and 40,000 murders by the time they reach 18 years
of age. More than 1000 studies have confirmed that children
become desensitized to violence and the feelings of others
when they are exposed to it an early age. |
See www.psych.org/public_info/media_violence.cfm
(American Psychiatric Association position paper)
See www.mediafamily.org/facts/facts_vlent.shtml
Dr. David Walsh, President of the
National Institute on Media & the Family put a problem in
a nutshell when he states “They shock us, titillate us,
scare us, disgust us, and deceive us. Why? For the same reason
two year olds do it: Attention getting often yields rewards”
The ways in which indiscriminate TV
watching threatens the wellbeing of youth are numerous. The Kaiser
Family Foundation found that 66% of broadcast programs contained
sexual content in 2000 representing a 15% increase in the trend
occurring in less than two years. That was before impotence prescriptions
appeared in commercial form. So what’s the concern? Many
studies have linked viewing sexually explicit scenes with premature
sexual activity, STDs and unwanted pregnancies. Furthermore, rap
music tends to link sex with violence and degradation. Video games
tend to link humor with sex, violence and degradation. Youth have
easy access to hardcore pornography on the internet. Studies also
reveal that an estimated 1 in 4 or 1 in 5 teen internet users
has been the victim of unwanted sexual solicitation in chat rooms
of over IM (instant messaging) In other words add demoralization
to the list of offenses!
Disrespect and negative world views
are being perpetuated through the flagrant use of profanity in
the media as well. Broadcast TV shows a scene with profanity nearly
every 6 minutes while cable TV presents profanity every two minutes.
Top grossing cinema films flaunt profanity every three minutes
with hard core verbal assaults erupting every nine minutes. Our
children are eating a bad diet in front of the TV in many more
ways than one!
In addition to this youth are finding
themselves counseling peers regarding suicidal thoughts, and episodes
of bad indiscretions in the IM forum because of the nature of
intimacy that comes with IM chit chat. With peer counseling comes
great potential for guilt, and certain anxiety.
See http://www.psvratings.com/issue_children.html
See www.kff.org/entmedia/entmediafactsheetsseries.cfm
Studies indicate that through
media messages youth learn
- The art of violence and deception
- Lack of sanctions as a norm
- Disrespect as a form of elevation
- Ostracism as a skill
- Distorted realities
- Fears
- Desensitization to the pain of others
- Promiscuity as a norm
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- A twisted sense of body image
- Poor self estee
- Rampant consumerism
- Poor eating habits
- Risk as a thrill devoid of consequences
- Good people use profanity
- Heroes have one night stand
- Sex and violence go together…with
humor at times
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Consequences of overindulgent viewing
- Addiction to “big bangs” /
substance abuse
- Aggressive behavior pattern
- ADH
- Learning disabilities
- Loss of curiosity
- Loss of imagination
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- Loss of vocabulary
- Loss of critical thinking skills (separation
of action from consequences
- Obesity and related illnesses
- Eating disorder
- Loss of socialization
- Mistrust
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