Does the media distort childrens perceptions of reality or validate them - Research Paper Example

Some adverts have been successful in meeting this objective while others do not please the audience well enough to influence their decisions. However, a group of audience that may not be targeted by these adverts, but is actively involved in viewing them is underage children. Most online and TV digital advertisements are aired at convenient times when the children are watching, leading to serious implications in influencing innocent minds of the children. Therefore, the growing digital media advertising in TV and online commercials is responsible for distorting childrens minds due to the glamour and perceived reality of the virtual content portrayed in these commercials.

  Paige (1) explains that currently, the violent and aggressive scenes, in addition to scenes portraying disrespect towards others have been the order of the day particularly in TV adverts. Introducing children to violent materials influences their perception regarding application of aggressiveness and violence; the kid perceives this as the best way to achieve a certain end as observed in these adverts. This is because; children cannot decode the messages to conceive the actual meaning being contemplated, but will take the portrayal of aggressiveness as the norm to achieve a certain need.

For example, the Ford VW advert resulted in increased criticism from parents as the advert was aired too early and portrayed the chief engineer of Volkswagen embroiled in a combat with a few replicas of himself. The portrayed car parts being used as weapons passed a violent message to children; the advert was not supposed to be aired at normal times when children were watching TVs. As Haugan (23) explains, exposure of violent content to children leads to violent behaviors making such adverts to have bad influence on children.

Super bowl snapshots when used in advertisements have been criticized for portraying the message of aggressiveness and violence to