Other Issues in Media and Society

Media is a wide filed which contains many topics within. Not only children are affected by the media, but also the whole population. I would like to draw your attention to those issues by recommending other blogs of my classmates, to make you , my readers, more aware of the many effects media has on our society.

• REAL vs. MEDIA BEAUTY - by Kucerova Veronica, is a blog which focuses on the image of women in reality and the one in media. This topic is widely discussed and questions the use of programs such as photoshop, etc. It s very important to be knowledgeable about this topic in today's society as photoshop, etc are widely used to improve any images. The negative effect of this is that people start to seek perfection, which even the model who is in the picture doesn't have. She doesn't look like herself.

• An objectification of a woman in advertisements and it`s negative effects - by Ryu Je Ji, is a blog which discusses the stereotype created by advertsements on women. Women are seen as objects which promote products as a sexual image of women is formed by these commercials. this is very important to learn about as the media can create negative social image of a gender group or any other social group. We have to recognise the dangers media brings and how we can prevent these social norms from forming.
• Journalistic Objectivity - by Amir Salykbayev, is a blog which focuses on the topic of journalistic objectvity, which is when journalists tent to input their own thoughts in the article of journals, newspapers, etc. They voice their own opinions out, which may not be or is true. They do not look at the issue in a neutral side but take a position of their own. It is very important to be knowledgeable of this factor as many readers do not understand and will think that the journalists words are the words of the entire magazine company. It might also results in conflicts, etc/ if not educated about.

• Sports and Media. Yachting. - by Anastasia Sukhodlskaya, is a blot which focuses on the topic of sports in media. More specifically yachting. Sports have become more active with the intervention of media. There are now sponsors, advertisements, cheerleaders, etc. which are all part of the huge sports industry. All thanks to the intervention of media. It is a useful topic because sport is everywhere around us and it is interesting to learn about it's effects on people both psychologically and physically.

• Do Social Media make us Unhappy? - by Meruyert Murat, is a blog which debates wether social media affects users positively or negatively. It varies depending on the user, however, does media affect us positively on a larger scale? or does it affect us negatively? It is useful to be knowledgeable about this topic as media is all around us and everyone has a social media account, be it Facebook, Youtube, etc. To find a person who does not have one is very rare or non existent.

These are all of the blogs I recommend. The topics are very interesting and should provide more insight on the wide topic of media.

How I See It

Media has evolved greatly from the past and has become an enormous giant that is everywhere. Everyone is exposed to the media. When we think of media, we have to consider how it affects us and our behaviour, cognitive thinking and physically. Media may seem harmless but it has caused suicides, deaths and many more misfortunes all around the world. Not only does media affect adults but also children who don’t know anything about it. They do not know the concept of the corporations trying to sell their goods by creating commercials, nor do they know that video games are not real. Parents have to take extra precaution to protect their children from harmful media content. The form of media which are harmful to children include: cartoons, advertisements and video games.

Advertisements may seem harmful to children, however, they are, especially those products directed at children. Companies use, toys, games and special presents to attract the attention of the child, making their parents buy them the advertised product. For example, a children’s cereal may contain a small present included in the box to make the children buy more. Also, websites are created by the companies to advertise the cereals even more. They make online video games based on the cereal or it’s representing mascot to influence the child. If their favourite cartoon character eats those cereals, then so will the children. Toys as well are advertised in a very mischievous way. They advertise their products with a very fast dialogue and misinterpret the information presented. “Each sold separately” is usually heard at the end of the toys commercial which the children do not understand or don’t hear because it is too fast. Advertisements attract the child’s attention with cartoons and happy music but the reality is that they persuade the children to buy their products by using mischievous methods which the children are too young to understand.

Cartoons are the most violent form of media. There are more violent acts in cartoons than in adult TV shows, movies or any other media form. It is surprising since cartoons are aimed at children and should mostly contain non-violent content. Even DIsney and Looney Toones, two of America’s biggest animation industries produce violent cartoons. For example. while it may not be easy to recognise, there is violence in “Snow White” and other Disney movies. Bugs Bunny as well displays violence when he constantly gets shot with a pistol or any other dangerous item the characters may be carrying. The attention span of a child is short and violence is the solution to the companies problems. Violence keeps the children interested to watch but continuous display to violence may lead to violent behaviour in the future. Many children have imitated cartoon characters which resulted in their deaths or the deaths of others.

Video games are another violent form of media which the children consume. Especially boys, who play violent video games more frequently than girls. Shooter games are the type of games boys like to play the most as it offers online interaction with the players friends and more options. However, it is precisely these games that get the most criticism from news corporations who blame these games for mass shootings and violent acts done by children. In some cases it is true that children entered their schools with guns and began shooting at their classmates, imitating the actions of the game. The rating of the games should be followed, however, in most cases they are not as children aged 12 can play games aimed at adults, such as shooting games.

Cartoons, advertisements and video games are the most dangerous forms of media which are aimed at children. Cartoons which are specifically aimed at children, is the most violent form of media, more violent than some adult content media. Children who are not able to recognise the intentions behind set media, are not able to distinguish between reality and fantasy. They do not know that the companies are trying to promote their products with toys, games, etc. Children who are oblivious towards the intentions of the sellers are targeted due to that nature of not knowing, making their parents buy them the products to which the parents mostly comply. Media is everywhere and if children intake violent media content repeatedly, they will more likely show signs of agression and violence later in life.

For Further Research

If you would like to research the many negative effects media has on children, then here are some of the resources I would recommend. They expand on the theme in more detail and analyse the topic with theories, statistics and case studies.

• Paediatr Child Health Article
• While researching the topic, I found this article to be quite useful for my research. It focuses on different forms of media and their impact on children. It is well supported and extends the possibility to learn the outline of the issue to it's readers.
• Link.
• Understanding the Impact of Media on Children and Teens
• This PDF article is well organised and structures so it's easy to follow. The article provides detailed understanding on the negative effects of media on children. I recommend it because of it's simplicity and easy understanding.
• Link.
• Television's Impact on Kids
• This website is an academic webpage offering more information on the topics it contains. As well as reading about media and children, the reader can also browse other issues relating to media to see the full effects of the topic. It is a trusted source which extends verified information.
• Link.

These are the three websites I would recommend for learning more about the negative consequences of media on younger children. Of course there are many more sources which may contain more detailed information, however, I found these two quite useful in their description on the matter.

What the Experts Say II

In their book “The Handbook of Children, Media and Development” by Calvert, et al., the scholars discuss the relationship between children and the media. They admit that it is difficult for researchers to track the media effects in the twenty-first century as it is hard to distinguish what exactly the consequences and the effects may be. However, they do agree that media certainly does have an effect on children and their upbringing, noting as well that children born in the twenty-first century are brought up with computer screens in front of them. Childhood has been re-defined as childhood today means being disposed to media while in the past it was viewed as time spent by playing with friends and family. “Children and adolescents have unprecedented access to a diverse range of media activities” (Calvert, et al, 2009)

Today the children are exposed to the media more then ever in the entire history of human kind. The effects can already seen with imitation, display of aggression, behaviour and actions the children take.

Further Book recommendations on the Topic

Ill Effects: The Media Violence Debate

The Handbook of Children, Media and Development

Bibliography

Calvert, S. (2008). The handbook of children, media, and development (p. 640). Chichester, U.K.: Wiley-Blackwell.

What the Experts Say I

In his academic journal, Dr. Craig A. Anderson writes about the ways parents can protect their children from harmful media content. He notes that parents should engage themselves in the content their children are exposed to, as official age ratings by companies, may still contain violence, depending on the age of the child consuming the media. “Although playing a violent video game on an occasional basis is unlikely to produce any long-term harmful consequences, repeated exposure to violent entertainment media of any type is an important risk factor for later aggressiveness” (Anderson, 2006). Taking into consideration Anderson’s claim, parents and the society should worry as children are constantly being exposed to media. On the streets where they see advertisements, at home where they watch the TV or surf the internet, a person is always exposed to one form of media or another, consciously or unconsciously.

When asked the question of how to recognise violence in media, Anderson advises the parents to “play the game, or have someone else demonstrate it for you” (p. 2) This way the parents would be conscious of what their children are watching and they will be aware of every aspect of the video game. The best way to protect the children is to test out the media yourself because companies usually mislead the buyers by the words and keywords. Anderson spots two keywords to look out for in the games description which are: “action and comic mischief” (Anderson, 2006). Those two, even though they may seem harmless do contain violence.

It is very important for parents to engage in their children’s interests and protect them from harmful media content. There are ways to recognise violent media, however, even if the parents try to protect their child with obvious knowledge by gun or swords images on the cover of the game, they may miss the hidden forms of violence contained in seemingly harmless non-violent games.

Bibliography

Anderson, C. (2006). Violent Video Game Effects on Children and Adolescents. Video Game Suggestions from Dr. Craig A. Anderson, 200-200. Retrieved January 11, 2015, from http://herbogeminis.com/IMG/pdf/violent_video_games.pdf

Current Events II

We've already seen one case of children imitating media content but there are far more cases just like that of Slenderman. A 10 year old boy from Seattle has died because he and his friends imitated the actions of a cartoon character who had sand powers. The boys buried the boy named "Codey" into a sandbox where the boy died. After the incident, the victim's friends who buried him, have revealed to their parents, the neighbourhood and the news that they have copied the actions of a character from the Naruto cartoon. The cartoon is fairly popular with young children even though there is evident violence contained in the media. The story of Naruto centres around a young boy named Naruto who is a ninja. Of course, because the cartoon is about ninjas, violence is bound to happen as the ninjas fight for the title of the strongest.

The boy has passed away peacefully with his family by his side, however, the case of Codey brings forth more questions on what content should children be watching. Even Disney and Looney Toones, two of the biggest American cartoon corporations, produce violent themed animations. For example, it may not seem like it but there is display of violence in the “Snow White” movie as well as shown by Bugs Bunny who runs from gun shots or other dangers he faces.

Children are affected by these displays of violence, subconsciously and consciously. Even if a cartoon is rated E - for everyone, there is still hidden violence one cannot recognise right away. Such as the violent act of the witch killing Snow While with the red apple, or the vicious fight between a dragon and the prince who rescues the Sleeping Beauty.

Cartoons are a form of media which contains most violence. Believe it or not, there is more violence in innocent cartoons than in adult action movies. The case of Codey is one of the examples of the effects of cartoons and how they affect children. Even if children don’t mimic such dangerous stunts, they do mimic their favourite characters subconsciously and in little things such as having the same favourite colour or animal they like.

Como News article on the case.

Bibliography

Boy imitating cartoon critically injured in sandbox. (2008, March 9). Retrieved January 11, 2015, from http://www.komonews.com/news/local/16431271.html?tab=video&c=y

Current Events I

Children are always up to date with the newest games and sensations which would make them “cool” among their peers. Slenderman, a game of hide and seek in which a monster is chasing the player, has become one of the most popular games on the internet. Many online memes, videos and products were created by the online response of the game. Despite being a horror game, meant to frighten the players, children play the game despite it’s violent nature. Slenderman himself does not attack the players but the graphics of the game do promote negativity and murder (the player gets murdured if he is caught by Slenderman).

In one of the latest news, two young girls, both aged 12, have killed another 12 year old young girl by stabbing her with a knife repeatedly. The news corporations such as CNN and BBC, blame their acts on the Slenderman game, which the girls have imitated by taking their victim into the woods and then killing her. The two girls themselves admitted they have imitated Slenderman.

When we read about this case, we ask ourselves; to what extent can we control the media content which our children consume? In today’s modern society, there is almost no censorship. It exists but it is weak or not properly rated. A child as young as 12 can gain access to any adult content games, TV shows, videos, images, etc. This incident with Slenderman, has opened the eyes of many parents who should pay more attention on what their children are watching. One of the possible solutions is for the parent to immense himself/herself into their child’s hobbies. For example, research what children these days watch and do online.

Video games and especially cartoons, which are one of the most violent forms of media, contribute and affect our children’s behaviour. There may be positive effects as well but the negative ones bring dire consequences with them, such as the death of your child or your child committing murder on one of their friends due to the influence of the media.

Read more about this case on CNN's official webpage.

Ars technica's article on the case.

Bibliography

Steyer, J. (2014, June 8). Parents, take heed: 'Slenderman' and more lurk online - CNN.com. Retrieved January 11, 2015, from http://edition.cnn.com/2014/06/04/opinion/steyer-slenderman-kids-media/index.html

Johnston, C. (2014, June 3). Two girls say they stabbed a third in the name of Slenderman. Retrieved January 11, 2015, from http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/06/two-girls-say-they-stabbed-a-third-in-the-name-of-slenderman/

Negative Effects of Media on Children

Media has a vast influence on children wether we are aware of it or not. In almost all cases we are not and begin to wonder why our children behave in the way they do. The answer is media. Media is everywhere around us and our children. It affects them both negatively and positively, however, on this blog I would like to warn the society, namely the parents and the children themselves, of the dangers media poses to our younger generations. 

I find this topic interesting because children are our future and if they are not educated in a proper manner, then our future would look bleak. I find it intriguing to find out how some families raise their children and how every family is different. However, most importantly, I’m interested in the methods media uses to attract and gain the attention of children for the purpose of sales. The media would do anything to sell their products by any means, disregarding the children who will be affected by their methods.

In this blog, I strive to educate my readers and give them more insight on the effects media has on children, namely the negative ones.