Sex and violence in media should be restricted for Children - Research Paper Example

? Sex and violence in media should be restricted for Children Does viewing sex and violence in the media really have an effect on children? The answer would definitely be a unanimous “yes” as there are enough evidences that support this fact. Violence and sex is wide spread in various forms of media such as television, cinema, internet, games and even in local dailies. When children are constantly exposed to violence and sexual content, it does leave a lasting memory which they may carry forward in their lives. On exploring why children are the most affected through such media depictions which are also viewed by people of all ages, scientific research points out to the immature cognitive development in children which does not allow them to rationalize and discern the content viewed. In addition, children are exposed to these media influences at a time when they are still developing their moral values and beliefs and are hence unable to avoid these unwarranted influences (Earles et al, 2002). Watching sexually explicit material often result in young children engaging in sexual acts and can have a lasting impact on their sexual behaviors and attitudes (Grant, 2003). Exposure to increased violence results in children displaying more aggressive behavior both verbally and physically. The later type of violence can lead children to commit acts of murder and other forms of serious injuries which can have terrible consequences on the future of the child (Anderson et al, 2003). The content viewed by young children on television can be considered as a precursor to what kind of materials they would view in future as it is, in most cases, the first form of media to which a child is exposed. And in today’s world there is increased sex and violence shown in television and though programs carry a disclaimer about the content to be viewed and restrictions on the age allowing children to view a particular content rests with the parents and others who view it with the children. In addition, children are spending a lot of time in front of the television and it could be worse if they had one in their bedrooms. Long periods of television viewing with frequent browsing of channels would cause them to view prohibited content (Grant, 2003). Both sex and violence can have damaging effects on the thoughts and attitudes of young children. There are different forms in which sexual explicit and violent material are showcased in television and other forms of media. Watching sexually explicit content can result in teenage pregnancy and also in the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases among youth. Apart from television, internet is also becoming frequently used which has lesser regulations on content viewing and in the absence of parental guidance would only result in children getting addicted to watching sexual content. Such content viewing can result in poor academic performance as children tend to get preoccupied with unnecessary thoughts bombarding them even while at school as young minds are unable to understand the implications of viewing such content. Once they are deviated, their future is at stake; hence restrictions need to be introduced at a young age on what can be viewed by children. Restrictions need to be imposed at home which is now facilitated through the use of filtering devices both for television and internet viewing that would prevent children from watching or downloading sexually explicit content (Grant, 2003). When children are exposed to violence from a very young age there is a good possibility that they would consider it be like any other form of normal occurrence like a verbal conversation or any other type of physical activity. More so when heroic violence is celebrated and rewarded they would only take them as role models and would want to imitate their acts. Media violence has also shown to promote aggressive thinking and emotions which could also lead to aggression in physical actions. When such a habit is forged early on in life, it is more likely that children would grow up to be more aggressive even if they forget such memories from childhood. Apart from television, newer forms of media such as video games and cartoons also contain increased violence. Playing war games or those that involve using weapons can be more dangerous. Mere observation can leave lasting impacts on the minds of young ones, and when children actually get to perform such violent acts, even virtually, can only involve increased risks. Another new form of media violence is the recent music videos that are increasingly containing violence at the interpersonal level. With increasing new forms of media violence children only tend to act violently both with people in the household and outside, which in most cases could be unintentional and merely only out of habit (Beresin, n.d). Exposure to repeated media violence would result in accumulating violent behavior in children. The quicker ability to grasp and learn and develop a habit at a young age is a major factor that retains aggressive behavior even after the child grows. Thus media violence is leaving a huge negative impact on the young minds that constitute the future generations and when young children consider heroes performing violent stunts and actions as their role models it is only going to affect their way of life. Thus it is the society that is finally affected as a large number of people are exposed to media violence at any given time (Anderson et al, 2003). It is of utmost importance to reduce the exposure of children to violent and sexual content as according to the social learning theory young children learn more effectively by watching, imitating and assimilating what they see (Earles et al, 2002). However, children also learn some positive messages through the media and hence proper restrictions on the content viewed by the children would help them learn better from the media. While imposing restrictions it should be seen whether the media is interfering with the other activities of the child such as academic and sporting activities and the time spent with family and friends. If this is the case then there is a possibility that the child is getting increasingly addicted to the type of media that he or she is viewing. Parents should then closely monitor the programs viewed by the child and determine whether it is age appropriate and the extent of sexual or violent content it contains. Based on the content the child should be suitably counseled for or against viewing the program (Grant, 2003). Playing war-like video games and other similar content on the internet need to be curtailed In addition, schools can also play a major role in educating children from a young age about the positive and negative influences of media and its consequences. Guidance from pediatricians is also being provided to parents on how to help children view the right content. Media literacy among parents is also widely propagated as it is necessary for them to understand the risks involved when children are exposed to objectionable content in the media. In addition they should also be able to teach children how to interpret violence or other inappropriate material in case they view it. When children are taught to interpret what they see from a young age they would be more careful in choosing the right form of entertainment in future (Beresin, n.d). Children should also be engaged in academic and extra-curricular activities that would help in restricting their television and internet viewing. This would have a positive impact on their overall growth and development and also increase the time spent with family and friends. Spending long hours in front of the television or internet would also have adverse effects on the body. A sedentary lifestyle among young children only increases the risks of developing obesity and heart diseases either in the near future or later in life. When children are trained to keeping their mind and body fit from a young age, they would carry on the habit even as adults. Thus considering the fact that viewing violent and sexual content as more negatives than positives when it involves children, it is best to restrict them from viewing the same. References Anderson, C. A et al. (2003). The Influence of Media Violence on Youth. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 4(3): 81-110. Retrieved Dec. 1, 2012, from http://www.psychologicalscience.org/pdf/pspi/pspi43.pdf Beresin, E. V. (n.d). The Impact of Media Violence on Children and Adolescents: Opportunities for Clinical Interventions. American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Retrieved Dec. 1, 2012, from http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/developmentor/the_impact_of_media_violence_on_children_and_adolescents_opportunities_for_clinical_interventions Earles, K. A. et al. (2002). Media Influences on Children and Adolescents: Violence and Sex. Journal of the National Medical Association, 94(9): 797-801. Retrieved Dec. 1, 2012, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2594155/pdf/jnma00326-0071.pdf Grant, C. (2003). Teens sex and the media: Is there a connection? Pediatric Child Health, 8(5): 285-286. Retrieved Dec. 1, 2012, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2792686/ Read More