Axxxxx1
Dxxxx Axxxxx
MEDC 1010Introduction to Mass Communications
Instructor Exxxxx Sxxxxx
July 27, 2xxx
Media and Children – The Bond They Share
Times are changing and so is the abilities of little children whose world is no more restricted to playing out in the mud or laughing over a board of games. Children these days literally live their lives within the confines of mass media, and follow a lifestyle influenced by the content available over the internet and television. The amount of time a child devotes to the media has been on the rise and so is the amount of negative impacts. However it also cannot be ignored that it is these mediums that also provide children with useful knowledge. Its ease of access, simple language, and the abundance of information availability, makes it inevitable to stay away from media. Be it the television with its infotainment channels like discovery, Nat Geo, channels for infants with their dose of nursery rhymes and games that enhance knowledge, or more specifically the internet, over which practically anything and everything is available, it is hard to keep away from media. There is very thin line separating effectiveness and exploitation when it comes to media usage, especially in relation to children. The trick is to maintain the right balance; teaching children to absorb in the goodness of media and squeeze out the negatives would be a good idea for starters.
Media Usage and Children
Visual media, over the television and he internet affect children the most, and it also impacts adolescent who spend over an average of 7 hours and 38 minutesper day over the infotainment mediums and since they have the ability to multitask, that is access more than one medium or website simultaneously, they actually consume much more than possible in those seven and half hours("Daily Media Use Among Children And Teens Up Dramatically From Five YearsAgo").
When children start viewingtelevision more, watch movies, spend too much time on computers, they tend to imbibe in what they watch(Anderson). There is no control on the content they get to access, and since most of the children watch these media alone, so what they watch can range from anything to things that are restricted; often movies that R-rated, are watched by children, although they are banned from viewing that. There is no curb on the content accessed over the internet and most of the things are both abusive and bold in content, thus they are things that children shouldn’t be watching. However as there is no one to control, and parents are not always watching, abuse through these mediums is not unnatural.
Cellphones, social media sites like Facebook, Snapchat, dating sites like Tinder, and many other mediums of the “new age media”(Anderson), are been used by children and teens with so much vigor that these is often impacting their behavior. Many children are often victims of abuse, crimes and bullying because of the new age mediums.
Social Media and the Young Generation
The young generation starting from tweens to teens is spending time on the social media platforms like Facebook and MySpace which provide them the opportunity to remain connected with friends. They spend a considerable amount of time daily in these activities, and as research suggest that more than 20 percent of teenagers “log on to their favorite social media site more than 10 times a day”(Strasburger 791-799). Most of the need to remain associated with these activities comes from the peer pressure and the trends that are followed by other teenagers in school. There is no curb on the sexual content and often these children become victims of sexual abuse, and ever since social media has become a part of daily life, such painful stories spread like wildfire. Many a time parents become aware but since technology has advanced so much, there is very little that even parents do to control their children to remain spared from these crimes.
Children and Media Abuse
Advertising has become a crucial part of both mass media and social media, and the constant availability of advertising, both containing a social message, and negative habits, get associated with children, who tend to imbibe on those habits as they regularly keep watching these advertisements. The children follow their idols on television and the social media and what they do in their life seems like a necessary thing to be done in order show their love, and thus teens end up following habits like smoking, taking drugs, sending a lavish lifestyle, getting engaged in activities that are not acceptable for children or teenagers for that matter. Rash driving, consuming of alcohol, sexual activities, murder, suicide, kidnapping, abusing other all seems natural for these children as it is extensively shown in movie and on advertisements(Strasburger 791-799). Children and media can be detrimental for each other if not regulated correctly.
Often children spend so much time over the media that they miss pot in their daily activities that affect their lives more than the media enabled activities. They become less focused towards education, deprive themselves from a solid sleep, spending less times with the family, seldom get involved in outdoor activities as most of the time is taken by playing games over the internet.
Sex over the internet, sexting, cyber-crimes related to sexual abuse, watching explicit content movies or videos, gong on dates with unknown people, often much older than the child, teen pregnancy have all become part of the abuse that is encountered due to excessive media misuse (Strasburger 791-799).
Media and its Benefits
All is not in vain in the world of media for children. In spite of many negative influences, there are also some crucial befits that if properly accessed, can do wonders for the children. Blogs, games, and podcasts available over the internet can make children creative and give them opportunities to explore their creative sides. Often there are online sites that allow individual to engage in charity related activities, which can provide a good platform for the children as they will be exposed to being a socially responsible person. Often their games, quizzes and activities available over the television and the internet which enables children to sharpen their technical knowledge and be in connection with important resources and skill based learning. There are often interviews, talks, and seminars that are telecasted on the television, which can provide valuable insights for the children something, about what is going on. If the children make it a habit to watch news, not only will they be updated on the current affairs, as it is sure shot success to excel one’s vocabulary.
There are excellent websites and articles available on health, general awareness, educational materials, worldly affairs, subject based materials, which can provide great learning platforms for children accessing them. Phones make it easier to access information based apps, and the internet for resourceful materials that can be a great source of knowledge especially for children if they are taught to take in the positive more than the easily attracting negative habits (O'Keeffe and Clarke-Pearson 800-804).
What Parents Can Do
Children especially during this phase of life tend to be rebellious and the common tendency is to do the opposite of what is being told. So it is necessary that the parents take special care while talking it out with their children regarding their excessive use or misuse of media. Anger, frustration, screaming, and punishment won’t be a long term solution. They should be cautiously keeping track along with taking every step to ensure that the transition is a smooth one. The talk between parents and their children should be friendlier one as pediatricians suggest, rather than an authoritative one (O'Keeffe and Clarke-Pearson 800-804). Getting involved with their children and keeping a track of their activities without being too nosy, exercising too much control, or even interfering with their space won’t help.
Limiting media usage and monitoring activities of children are suggested by some pediatricians, as well as keeping a track on the websites, channels and content they access, should be given a little more stress initially in order to save their children form misusing media or becoming victims. Some also suggest that schools can also provide beneficial contribution to keep children from media abuse. Schools authority boards and faculty should make themselves aware about the possible misuse and resultant implications of overuse or misuse of media, and then organize workshops, activities, and other educational talks that will help children understand their limits and its implications when over boarded (O'Keeffe and Clarke-Pearson 800-804). They must also collaborate with parents and work out plans and strategies to educate the children about proper usage of media.
Conclusion
The way the world is shaping up, and the way the children are outdoing adults, it seems that the connection between media and children is her to stay. It is now up to us whether or not we want to educate our younger generation about both the positive and negative use of media, and teach them how to use it judiciously, and learn to keep away from the wrong and tread on the right path. Vulnerability to crime and abuse and picking up bad habits is something that will always remain. The trick is to know what is to be done when, and how bad things can be prevented, and good things can be imbibed in. The thin line separating effectiveness and exploitation in relation to media usage, especially when it comes to children is something that cannot be ignored. It is something, which if followed well, can help build an effective relation between media and children.
Works cited
Anderson, Jane. "The Media, Children, And Adolescents".American College of Pediatricians. N.p., 2014. Web. 27 July 2016.
"Daily Media Use Among Children And Teens Up Dramatically From Five YearsAgo".Kaiser Family Foundation. N.p., 2010. Web. 27 July 2016.
O'Keeffe, G. S. and K. Clarke-Pearson. "The Impact Of Social Media On Children, Adolescents, And Families".PEDIATRICS127.4 (2011): 800-804. Web. 27 July 2016.
Strasburger, V. C. "Children, Adolescents, Substance Abuse, And The Media".PEDIATRICS126.4 (2010): 791-799. Web. 27 July 2016.