children affected by media
Answers
Media has been a significant part of our daily life, a vehicle for communicating to the public as well as a source of entertainment. Magazines, TV programs, radio, billboards, news, internet, cell phones are the forms of mass media which are considered to be part of our everyday routine. Traditionally, parents serve as primary social models for children; whereas other models may include siblings, teachers, relatives and other persons who are significant in children’s lives. Over time, however, parents’ influence as models to their children is on the decline as a direct or indirect result of technological advancement and alterations in household economics. Aside from their busy schedules (which is common in dual-career and single-parent households), families of today seem to gather around rarely because each member has easy access to his or her own television, telephone, computer, music player, etc.. This set-up would imply that children are more inclined to interact less with their parents and spend more time on their own. Thus, children could turn their attention from their parents to more accessible diversions, such as television watching. Without their parents’ direct guidance or control, such exposure can become excessive and unguarded. It would not be much of a surprise, if what these children watch did influence their thinking and behavior. Studies conducted by Weiten & Lloyd reported that children in the U.S. spend 2-4 hours on TV watching alone and this habit appears to increase as they get older (Kirsh). Children and the youth are media’s darling. Media as perceived by children is full of excitement and wonder, because it brings them to a world of reality as well as make believe. A child development expert T. Berry Brazelton, MD., warns parents that, media is really “the biggest competitor for our children’s heart and mind” (Steyer). Furthermore, James P. Steyer an advocate for media organization for children, in his book regards media as “the other parent” since at present time children spend much of their time with these different forms of media. In view of the fact that our society is media saturated, parents should be aware of the positive and negative effects of media to children.