Aakeem Williams

The exposure to media and its effect of aggressive behavior among the youth has been an ongoing focus. Violence among teens and children has increased dramatically over the years. Moreover, children are starting to engage in sexual intercourse at a very early age. Television programs are effecting the attitude, emotions, behavior of youth; we wake up to it, dance to it, and sometimes cry to it. "Effects of the media have found to be far reaching and potentially harmful in influencing the health-related behavior of children and adolescents" (Dudley pg.7). The effects of the media has been far more harmful on the youth than we can ever imagine. Media can be defined as internet sites, blogs, YouTube, social networking, and t.v shows. Media violence researchers have concluded that there are several ways media violence influences a young persons' behavior. Passive media violence affects a young person through exposure to television violence in programs, movies or news that is only observed by the child or teen. Young children are also influenced negatively by interactive media violence, where they participate, like in video games or activities on the internet. "Even short term-exposure to violent television programs and film media, both can cause aggressive emotions and behavior serious enough to harm others," according to Department of Psychological Science. There are certain factors that will influence the degree that media violence has on the youth. The presence of these factors will moderate the negative behavioral actions of the affected child. For instance, depending upon the age of the viewer, previous displays of aggressiveness as well as the intelligence level can determine how violent media will have an influence. "In addition, the influence of parents, the child social environment or how the children perceives the media as realistic and begins to identify with aggressive conduct can determine the impact of violent media,"says the Surgeon General. Exposure to violent media can have an impact on violent upon a child brain if he or she watches violent television show or even plays video games. According to Dr. Vincent Mathew, "this is also true for those children who may not have a previous history of aggressive behavior." Dr. Vincent Mathews, is researcher with the Indiana University School of Medicine, found that children who have disruptive behavior disorder had similar disruptive behavior as non-aggressive children exposed to the media. Both had "similar patterns of activity in an area of the brain linked to self-control and attention," according to Dr. Vincent Matthews. The lack of adult supervision brings negative media impact on children. At an early age books, movies, television, and the internet influences how the youth think and act in a variety ways. As children grows the media influence become even more powerful. The media influences on children is not always a good influence and parents need to counteract this influence by discussing and monitoring what their children are exposed to. Every year children are convincing their parents by spending money on things that the media ad portrayed as "cool." The children are beginning to watch shows like, "Professional Wrestling." As professional wrestling explodes in popularity, cultural analysts are struggling to catch up to its significance for society. We see the process of normalization clearly in professional wrestling, where intimidation, humiliation, control, and verbal aggression (toward men as well as women) are the way that "real men" prevail. The parents seem to enjoy talk shows dealing with sex, drama, and other scandal topics. The broadcasting operations know their audiences. For example, adults watch television programs during the eventing and late at night, these programs includes "Sex in the City," "Friends," and "Housewives." The children are targeted before and after school, these programs of concerns includes "Family Guy," "the Simpsons," and "The Boon Docks." The children tend to replicate the characteristics of the actors, which leads to children receiving mislead messages from the television programs. Children are receiving a fare dose of sexual content, ranging from touching and kissing to inferring the act is being done or had finished. Sex is often presented as an activity without the risk or consequences. Actors demonstrate certain language that causes children to become sexually aggressive. The image television programs portray is "sexy." Children look at television programs as "sexy show." Children feel that sexy is the way to be. The actors in television programs and movies are the children role models and they want to be just like them. Many children have posters of actors dressed in "scandalous" clothing. Singers performing on television are also considered "sex" role models for children. Tight, short clothes worn by the performing artists are seen as "got to have wardrobe" by children. Many variables associated with what actors or singers portray are greatly affecting how children behave. Anyone for sex and violence being shown on television is not taking into consideration how it affects the children. Most parents do not pay enough attention to what their children is watching; therefore, the oversight has caused a negative child behavior. The average child watches over six hours of television per day. Nearly seven in ten homes with children, how have a personal computer (68.2%) and (41%) of homes with children have access to the internet. Many children are on the computer or even watching television, and not doing anything healthy. In the last few years, there has been an increasingly sensationalized discourse about the "epidemic" of childhood obesity in the United States. Recent headlines point to the seriousness of the problem ranging from "Parents might outline Obese Children" to "Fat Kids 'May Be Eating away to Early Death.'" Together, these concerns have fueled the emergence of moral panic about childhood obesity and have pointed to the media (television in particular) as the primary culprits corrupting children bodies. Those who blame television for the childhood obesity epidemic clearly adhere to the idea of children as innocent victims, and have proposed increased regulations of content and advertising as the solution to the problem. Childhood obesity is the most recent in a long history of moral panics in the United States about the role of media use in the health and well-being of children. Such studies have promoted parents, educators, and media advocates to demand the Federal Communications Commission's (FFC) attention to the issue. Although the FFC has not yet imposed new regulations, cable and broadcast networks have moved quickly to control this recent panic in ways that prove to be profitable. The response of the children media industry to the childhood obesity "crisis" thus far has comprised an interesting conflation of the commercial marketing practice of branding and social marketing. American children are being allowed to grow up faster than necessary. Children are being "spoon fed" television programs that give sexual content and violent scenes. The children are taking the negative and running with it. What the children see is what the children want. The television media is only one variable that is affecting the behaviors and choices the kids are making. Parental supervision is very important. Parent and child information concerning these topics are very important to discuss. It takes a village to make sure out children have a childhood and do not grow up too fast.