Media, and its effects on the young.

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        Little Andy sat transfixed in front of the television, watching ‘Tom and Jerry’.  Only five years old, the flashing images of Tom slipping on a banana that Jerry left for him makes him chuckle, then he lets out giggle as he sees Jerry pounding Tom on the head with a hammer.  Meanwhile, his eleven-year-old brother, Billy, has his earphones on, listening to a song with lyrics that are unfathomably slurred amidst the clamor of a discord of electric guitars and drums.  Christine, the oldest of the three, was in the bathroom, sticking her fingers down her throat, so that she could vomit what she ate, in order to be thin.

It looks like the above scenario is a typical household; a bulimic teenager, an insensitive, isolated boy and a child who will grow up to be violent and anti-social… Or is it?  

The situation above is due to the influence they get from various media forms.  The violence in TV shows will affect little Andy for life.  What Billy doesn’t know is that many of his metal music contain ‘hidden’ lyrics that cannot be indecipherable.  These are lyrics are actually aggressive, vulgar and uncouth.  Christine feels pressured to be slim, just like all the models and stars she sees in magazines and movies.  It is due to what today’s generation see, hear and read, that makes them want to be anything but themselves.

It can be said that two thirds of media influence has a negative impact, and contributes to social problems like violence, divorce, teen pregnancy and decline of family values.  (“TV’s” n.p.) Thus, today’s domineering media consists of a melee of violence, implications and discrimination, which inflict erroneous impressions and misrepresentations upon society.

        Media literacy instruction can aid efforts to promote tolerance and combat violence.  Instead, many media messages provide a means of advocating aggressive behavior and cause many to be traumatized.  Not only is violence in abundance, but it is also “depicted without much attention to the pain and suffering for victims and their families”, thus many do not know the consequences of violence.  (Wartella n.p.) Multiple acts of violence will cause a judgment that shooting to kill or striking someone, is another of life’s mundane aspects.  If this is the case, many will perceive deadly force as the primary, if not only, way to solve problems and resolve personal conflicts.  (“Violence” n.p.) People exposed to violence tend to be aggressive, anti-social and inconsiderate.  (“Some” n.p.) Not only will they be influenced to be violent themselves, they will be emotionally desensitized towards victims of violence.  The violent images in all aspects of media can be seen, heard and read.  A popular artiste, Eminem, raps catchy tunes with much background accompaniment.  Without an attentive ear, one would not be able to notice lyrics such as “… and started whooping her ass worse than before. The first were divorce, throwin’ her over the furniture…” Although slightly comical, this satire presents a basic image of a man abusing his ex-wife.  It is songs like these which sway teenagers to grow up abusive, as media provides “roles models to influence young, impressionable minds.”  (“Trained” n.p.)  Violence on television also portrays heroes getting rewarded for acting violently, and many violent characters go unpunished.  There are 376 violent scenes a day (unintended/accidental violence and all violence by animals or in sports excluded), making it one violent act every three minutes.  (Hickey n.p.) Violence is a complex, multi-variable problem, fashioned from other problems such as racism, drug abuse, alcoholism, sexual abuse, illiteracy, guns, gangs and the like, making it a prime factor in entertainment, the largest export of America.  (Wartella n.p.) Disturbing, yet it sells.  Although it is the responsibility of the media is to inform and entertain, violence is glorified, and media has no rights to do so. (“Trained” n.p.)  Despite the fact that everyone knows this, nothing has been done about it.  “92% of Americans think TV contributes to violence in the country, and 78% of Hollywood Officials agree with that view.”  (TV’s n.p.) Also, the proliferation of realistic-looking mayhem, assault and death of today’s media cannot compare to media violence earlier this century.  (“Violence” n.p.) Thus, violence remains a pervasive, major feature of contemporary television programming and it’s coming from more sources and in greater volume than before.

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        The media perpetuates unrealistic and stereotypical perceptions on men and women, reflecting and sustaining socially endorsed views of gender and sex. “Television causes a twisted sense of personal identity, when people start comparing their own lives with the program content.”  (Dutton 52) When an individual compares himself or herself to people on the screen, not only is it ridiculous, but it is also impossible to do so.  “Exposure to stereotypical views on television make people prejudiced” (“Media” n.p.), and people who have poor self-image are more vulnerable to developing prejudices.  “Today, women are abused in media.  Our environment has been ...

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