Media Affects Adolescents Today
Have you ever thought of the changes that have taken place from before the 21st century to today have been? What happened to the focus on your own life than being a part of others or even comparing it to others to see the differences? It's fascinating how violence that's portrayed through the television or even video games and how much it reflects on the lives of adolescents to even young adults today. For example, through their behaviors one can analyze that violence has been a part of their lives. Also, even the amount the media affects someone's own thinking depending on the severity of how much they are wrapped up into it. Relating violence to television and video games there can be a reflection because if kids are visually seeing violence through the media they may think it's normal and that it can be their behavior also, which affects their thinking at the same time. Also, this can be addressed because there are movies that are rated due to sex, violence, or vulgar language. It goes to show that the media can be enticing to young kids but yet they want to keep some boundaries so that the adolescents aren't exposed to it all the time. I recall that when I was a child I didn't have the distraction of television or even videos games. So, my source of entertainment was the outdoors in which I focused on and now have the appreciation of the outdoors. Of course the society needs some sort of entertainment, but, what is necessary? What entails entertainment? This is for the society today that directly or indirectly faces adolescents. A common thing that comes to my mind of what did an average kid do before in their adolescent years? Or even the ones that didn't have a television or even the ability to play video games? What did they do to keep entertained? This benefits the society as whole to notice this issue because what can they do differently to change this and it emphasizes the issue that we have today.
Looking into the article labeled as Sex, Violence and the Media Within this article Charles Clark emphasizes of what the media used to be like and he uses specific dates to show the advancements and changes with technology. There isn't anything that we can do with the advancements but we can learn from previous teachings and what the effect on the community and the changes that has taken place. Adolescents see things through the media all the time. It doesn't necessarily mean that that it is portrayed only through the television but can be promoted by all forms of technology. Television or movies entails the provocative dress which enhances the scenes to look good which portrays sex. Or even in movies there are sex scenes to where these young kids see it and will be think it's normal to have these types of relations and doesn't matter if it's a spouse or just someone you met that day. The idea of saving yourself till marriage has been limited and isn't emphasized from the public eye, so kids will think it's the thing to do. Through this there are also violent movies and video games. Parents can control this factor by understanding and knowing what their kids can see or play. Clark states that, 'violence hasn't moved off screen and there is a lot of gore through children movies and the previews, and there should be something that parents can control so that the offensive behavior isn't spilled through the television (Clark par 8)". Although, it comes through their behaviors if this is what they are surrounded by they will believe that it's the way to go about things and violence isn't the answer to everything. Though the media affects adolescents because they will see what they are exposed to that it's the normal and will commonly look down on others who may not be a part of it or even think differently about the aspects. For instance, if a kid doesn't participate in sexual relations or even watch television or play video games that violence are affected in a negative way. Clark wants to point out to parents, school officials, and to whoever may be influencing a child's life. He wants to emphasize and give an awareness of the dangers that may lie ahead and know what these kids are being exposed to. Kids pick up things fast and you will begin to wonder what happened and where they figured it out from. It's interesting to see of what Clark states because it seems to be to the truth of where the youth are headed to and it will only get worse.
An article also found through CQ Researcher is Impact on the Internet on Thinking. In this article is shows the amount that is spent on the Internet or on other media devices of how it affects someone and their thinking. Alan Greenblatt states of how people are too connected to the world either through blogs, social networking, email, and the Internet as a basis. Some people become addicts to these and can't function correctly without these in their lives. Greenblatt states that, "people are connected more than ever before by checking all different sites on the web (Greenblatt par 7)". They don't even realize that they are so far gone. For example, he had used a guy who worked in an office and needed to respond to his email readily and to make sure the gets it. So, that entailed him to be in his email when he went to work, going to any outings, and even when going home. This means that he would have a smart phone that he could access his email and be able to respond to it as soon as he can. He tried to take a family vacation and during this time he had spent it on his phone so he didn't even get a breather from work. Here it goes to show that even in smaller ways that the media wants a readily response and that he needed to figure something out to make a change. Some people aren't too tied into the world although many even teenagers today can't go without a phone. I feel that kids need to be taught responsibility before these things are handed into their hands. They aren't going to get any better as the times go on. I feel that kids need to spend time in the outdoors and need to see what the basic world and how much fun you can have without the technology today. Greenblatt wants to create and awareness to all of society so that they can have their kids not so wrapped up into the technology and media world. The concern that I have is what are the kids going to be like in 10 years from now? To see the changes that have happened from when I was growing up to the current times it progresses fast and it causes a fear inside of me to only feel that it will get worse. Yet, what can we do to avoid that because technology will be continuing in advancing.
I have conducted a research to continue to figure out the changes and the effects on adolescents from media. How did I go about this? First, I got my grounding and I observed all sorts of kids to see which ones were attached to the media and which ones are able to do their own thing without the assistance of the media. I also reflected how the adolescents' attitudes towards life in general were. It was interesting to me how many kids are attached to the media and how much these young ones were so focused on their temporal happiness. I also observed that parents give their kids these devices so it keeps them busy and the parents can go about their own business and do what they need to get done. In the adolescent years technology has overcame these kids, they don't have fun playing with cars, legos, being in the outdoors, and all the things in which the adults had when they were a child. I have also noticed that if the child has always had the technology they have a hard time functioning or even always being bored without it. There is so much that one can do with these devices so the entertainment to the small things such as legos and what not. Their interest is drawn away from it. It intrigued me to find out what happened to the adolescents today because their attention span is so short and cannot focus on the small things in life. I want to put an awareness out there that the media isn't always the answer and to be aware of what is happening to these kids.
I want to present my research to the society and show the differences in the adolescent's lives that can be done if this wasn't their only focus on their kids. Even if it is a temporary distraction to them it will eventually become part of their everyday life and will notice the changes with not having the media. The advancements begin from there; they will want some bigger and better because they have become bored of the previous distraction. I have been able to figure out why the media affects kids' behavior. During my research I have discovered that upon all the negative impacts that the technological advancements have brought there are also positive impacts. For instance, the society can turn to the media for helpful resources and find out new information to help strengthen the society. People are able to attain degrees, shop from home, keep in touch with long distance family, get help for homework, and yet many more. Therefore, I feel that it will vary from person to person on how much time would be ok for them being exposed to the media. Yet, what changes will affect the kids long term? I feel that if kids spend a lot of time with media it will affect their brain long term and won't be able to function without technology. Also something I find puzzling is what if we took away some of the media that the kids are highly exposed to. Would it make a difference in their lives, and could they adapt to the changes quickly? Any kids you are fully engaged with the media it will take time for them to slowly be taken away from it since it was a part of their everyday life and they were so focused on the information previously.
To conclude, I know that the society faces with a problem of the media and becoming as a part of our lives and there is no possible way to get rid of the media but we can control the amount of what is exposed to all the innocent kids today. I want to focus on the effects of the media and how it changes the lives of so many people and my goal is to find out how it can be controlled and limited depending on the amount spent with the use of television, Internet, and all media devices. This is something that I feel needs to be stressed because many adolescents don't know what it could be like without these things being the focus of their lives. When I was a child things were different and I wasn't handed devices I had to work for them and I had a certain amount of time that was enabled to me while I was on the computer whether I was using the internet or not. There needs to be a change and a limitation so hopefully the later generations of kids will be a positive attribute.
Works Cited
Clark, Charles S. "Sex, Violence and the Media." CQ Researcher 17 Nov. 1995: 1017-40. Web. . 03 Nov. 2012.
Greenblatt, Alan. "Impact of the Internet on Thinking." CQ Researcher 24 Sept. 2010: 773-96. Web. 03 Nov. 2012.
Three ways in which I feel that my essay can be stronger:
1. Flow and transition
2. Describing scenarios
3. Fluency throughout my paragraphs
Hi :) I agree with the things you say at the bottom, definitely work on those things. It is a very broad topic (there re so many types of media- google the word media) that you have to write on, so be sure to stick to the points you are making, and don't get "off topic" I think you have your paragraphs organized well, and you have good follow through in most paragraphs. your writing style is a bit wordy,and there are some grammatical errors. Don't start your paper with questions, instead create a solid intro where your say exactly what is the purpose of your paper. Imagine that you are writing an article for a newspaper, and put yourself in the position of the reader. There are a few things that you say that either don't quite make sense, or do not truly support the argument they refer to:
here are a few of those things, you may want to change them or omit these:
Relating violence to television and video games there can be a reflection because if kids are visually seeing violence through the media they may think it's normal and that it can be their behavior also, which affects their thinking at the same time.
This is for the society today that directly or indirectly faces adolescents.
Or even in movies there are sex scenes to where these young kids see it and will be think it's normal to have these types of relations and doesn't matter if it's a spouse or just someone you met that day.
