Influence of Media in Children

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Television, magazines, websites and advertisements - these are some of the most influential components of today’s society, and we all encounter them in some way or another. Whether it is riding the bus to school, driving to work, or just picking up that magazine while waiting for a dentist appointment – it is pretty clear that television and the media have the potential to generate both negative and positive effects, particularly and most importantly on children and adolescents. Many studies have looked at the impact of television and media on society, particularly on these individuals. What are children learning from television? How do the images in magazines affect the way in which they view themselves? Can children gain more knowledge from the media or from literature? In modern society, media has an immense influence on children and adolescents – partially positive, but primarily negative and harmful.
Media is playing an extensive role in our daily lives, right from the moment we wake up until the moment we go to bed. Our daily activities depend heavily on the information that is provided and communicated to us, albeit for entertainment, news, relationships, travelling, or healthcare. As adults we can be influenced by mass media on everything from the best coffee to drink in the morning to the best medication to take to fix any problem we may have. This information can be very positive in helping us with choosing the healthiest alternatives of what to consume or even how to exercise - but as adults we are mature enough to make conscious decisions as to what is best for us, but mass media can be a negative influence on young children if parents don’t step in and limit what they are watching and how long they are watching it. Ac...

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...r racial background or when people from different racial backgrounds don’t get included in TV shows, all of these messages can be an influence on youths. Another negative fact affecting youths of today is the role of violence in the media and the behaviours exhibited by children witnessing these programs. Video games lead to increased likelihood of violent acts in youth because children often imitate what they play and see during these games. Parents can develop children's healthy habits using TV as a motivator. Bad effects depend on certain personality traits; games can offer learning opportunities for others. Playing violent video games can make some adolescents that are easily susceptible behave violently themselves. On the other hand, it may be a benefit to other adolescents by offering them opportunities to develop and improve their social networking skills.

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