The Effects of Media on Juveniles in Today's Society - Research Paper Example

The Effects of Media on Juveniles in Todays Society The Effects of Media on Juveniles in Todays Society The growth and development of juveniles have been known to be influenced by diverse factors ranging from physiological factors to external environmental forces. Depending on how significant these external factors affect their daily activities, as well as current and future plans, juveniles tend to exhibit natural tendencies to try new things and explore various opportunities. Usually, innovative products or services are offered through diverse channels and medium.

Media, specifically, have been continually evolving to address the changing needs and demands of various clienteles, including juveniles. In this regard, the current essay aims to explore the effects of media on juveniles in contemporary society. The term media is explicitly defined as “communication channels through which news, entertainment, education, data, or promotional messages are disseminated. Media includes every broadcasting and narrowcasting medium such as newspapers, magazines, TV, radio, billboards, direct mail, telephone, fax, and internet” (Business Dictionary, 2012).

Due to the expansive channels within which various kinds of information, promotions, public announcements, campaigns and propaganda available, it is inevitable that people from all age groups could be influenced by them. However, due to the nature of juveniles’ development stage where curiosity and the need to explore is predominantly manifested, media provides significant effects both on the positive and negative side on juveniles in today’s society. According to Clay (2003), “no electronic mediums effects are all good or all bad; its the content that makes all the difference” (p. 40). Television, for example, has been widely researched in terms of its negative impact on children’s development.

The Media Awareness Network (2010) has noted that “how much impact TV has on children depends on many factors: how much they watch, their age and personality, whether they watch alone or with adults, and whether their parents talk with them about what they see on TV” (par. 2). The impact of television ranges from exposure to violence that increases preponderance to aggressive behavior; decreased learning performance due to excessive watching; contributory factor to obesity due to lack of time spent for physical activities; and exposure to sexual content (Media Awareness Network, 2010).

On the other hand, the most prolific medium used by juveniles today, the internet through social networking sites provide the following effects: increased tendencies for Internet Addiction Disorder, “the term first proposed by Dr. Ivan Goldberg for pathological, compulsive Internet usage” (Arunyanak, n.d., p. 2); excessive hours playing online games thereby causing low academic performance; exposure to violence through online games; and exposure and easy access to sites with sexual contents.

As emphasized, “media violence has a strong effect on children because they lack the real life experiences to judge whether something they see on screen is realistic” (Reed, 1999). On a more positive note, the internet and other media could provide juveniles and other users greater access to significantly enormous amounts of information that make learning more accessible, convenient and all-encompassing through time and distance. Media also provides a vast array of options for products, services and other forms of entertainment which juveniles can select from, making them more adept at developing analytical and decision-making skills.

Increased access and use of social networking sites likewise provide potentials for interactions with more friends and acquaintances and could be viewed as opportunities for both personal and professional growth. As analyzed, different forms of media provide diverse effects on juveniles depending on the content of information presented. Adults therefore must continue to provide support, guidance and appropriate monitoring to ensure that juveniles are exposed to more positive information that would provide a conducive learning environment, as required.

ReferencesArunyanak, J. (n.d.). Internet Addiction. Retrieved February 8, 2012, from Communication Arts, Huachiew Chalermprakiet University: http://commarts.hcu.ac.th/images/academic_article/jo/internet%20addiction.pdfBusiness Dictionary. (2012). Media. Retrieved February 8, 2012, from Web Finance Inc.: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/media.htmlClay, R. (2003). Unraveling new medias effects on children. Retrieved February 8, 2012, from American Psychological Association: http://www.apa.org/monitor/feb03/unraveling.

aspxMedia Awareness Network. (2010). Televisions Impact on Kids. Retrieved February 8, 2012, from http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/parents/television/tv_impact_kids.cfmReed, M. (1999). Targeting children online: Internet advertising ethics issues. Tennessee: Middle Tennessee State University.