Impact oI Media and Internet on Modern Youth.

Submitted by,
S.Boomadevi,
EIE,3
rd
yr.
Impact of Media and Internet on Modern Youth.



Nowadays, youth is spending most oI their spare time in networking on the
social media and gaming sites through which they get connected with other users. HalI oI
the teens come online through these social media sites at least Ior once in a day and
around one quarter oI youth sign up to their networking accounts 10 or even more times a
day.
In this modern era, kids are moving with Iast pace with the new
technologies. They like to play more virtual online games, play stations and socialize
with their online Iriends` community rather than going out. Today, the youth doesn`t
even have much time to meet with their Iriends daily, thereIore in this sense, the sites are
good because they allow kids to reconnect with each other daily in a short time.
Television is one oI the most interactive medium oI communication.
Television has become a very important part oI our lives. And the truth is that we cannot
stay without it. Considering the eIIects oI television on children I guess that it is not just
the kids who are to be blamed but parents are equally responsible. The entire interest oI
watching television starts aIter the age oI almost three years. This is because kids have
less concentration power, and thus it is diIIicult Ior them to sit in Iront oI TV Ior a long
time
Television has the potential to generate both positive and negative
eIIects, and many studies have looked at the impact oI television on society, particularly
on children and adolescents. An individual child`s developmental level is a critical Iactor
in determining whether the medium will have positive or negative e eIIects. Not all
television programs are bad, but data showing the negative eIIectsoI exposure to
violence, inappropriate sexuality and oIIensive languages are convincing. Still,
physicians need to advocate continued research into the negative and positive eIIects oI
media on children and adolescents.
Current literature suggests the Iollowing.
O Excessive television watching may have a deleterious eIIect on learning and
academic perIormance.
O Excessive television watching contributes to the increased incidence oI
childhood obesity.
O atching certain programs may encourage irresponsible sexual behaviour.
O Television is an eIIective way oI advertising products to children oI various
ages.
The average Canadian child watches nearly 14 hrs
oI television each week. By his/her school graduation, the average teen will have
spent more time watching television than in the classroom. Studies show how time
spent watching television varies between diIIerent age groups and cultures. This is
especially relevant when studying the eIIects oI excessive television exposure on
disadvantaged populations.
The amount oI time that younger North American children currently
spend watching television has not decreased signiIicantly. A substantial number oI
children begin watching television at an earlier age and in greater amounts than
what experts recommend. Evidence suggests that television`s inIluence on children
and adolescents related to how much time they spend watching television. As a
result, with prolonged viewing, the world shown on television becomes the real
world.
Television has had a major impact on the youth. In terms oI violence,
health and sex related issues. Over the past two decades, hundreds oI studies have
examined how violent programming on TV aIIects children and young people.
hile a direct "cause and eIIect" link is diIIicult to establish, there is a growing
consensus that some people may be vulnerable to violent images and messages.
Also a check needs to be kept on kids who behave aggressively aIter watching a
particular show. Kids today are bombarded with sexual messages and images in all
mediatelevision, magazines, advertisements, music, movies and the Internet.
Parents are oIten concerned about whether these messages are healthy. hile
television can be a powerIul tool Ior educating young people about the
responsibilities and risks oI sexual behaviour, such issues are seldom mentioned or
dealt with in a meaningIul way in programmes containing sexual content.
Media violence is especially damaging to youngsters because they
cannot easily tell the diIIerence between real liIe and Iantasy. Violent images on
television and in movies may seem real to young children. They can be traumatized by
viewing these images.
Media violence aIIects modern youth by:
O Increasing aggressiveness and anti-social behavior.
O Increasing their Iear oI becoming victims.
O Making them less sensitive to violence and to victims oI violence.
O Increasing their appetite Ior more violence in entertainment and in real
liIe.

Television viewing Irequently limits children`s time Ior vital
activities such as playing, reading, learning to talk, spending with peers and Iamily, story
telling, participating in regular exercise and developing other necessary physical, mental
and social skills. In addition to the amount oI time spent in Iront oI the teevision, other
Iactors that inIluence the medium`s eIIect on children include the child`s developmental
level, individual susceptibility and whether children watch television alone or with their
parents.
Some public television programs stimulate visits to the zoo, libraries,
bookstores, museums and other active recreational settings and educational settings can
certainly serve as powerIul prosocial teaching devices. In some disadvantaged settings,
healthy television habits may actually be a beneIicial teaching tool. More recent and well
controlled studies show that even 1h to 2 h oI daily unsupervised television viewing by
school aged- children has a signiIicant deleterious eIIect on academic perIormance,
especially reading. Physicians who see a child with a history oI aggressive behaviour
should enquire about the child`s exposure to violence portrayd on television. Because
television takes time away Irom play and exercise activities, children who watch a lot oI
televIision are less physically Iit and more likely to eat high Iat and high energy snack
Ioods. Television viewing makes a substantial contribution to obesity because prime time
commercials promote unhealthy dietary practices.
one needs to be involved in a very open discussion with the kid so as
to make him understand that what reality is. The parents must go on talking to the child
while watching TV, that is, they must explain the programme contents to the younger
ones. This will help the children to make an important connection between actions and
their consequences. Studies have shown that children whose parents explain events and
clariIy inIormation tend to be more imaginative, less aggressive and less hyperactive and
tend to understand the contents oI the programme better. But at present, the parents do
not spend time with children, nor do they discuss the values oI the programme. Co-
viewing can also help a child to cope with the Iear produced by the programme. The
rapport between the parents and children will also improve.
Thus, it depends on us the kind oI knowledge we want to gain Irom all these shows. And
iI we actually want to make this world a beautiIul place to live in we have to take a step
ahead and decide what is good and what is not.
The problems caused due to Internet addiction are as Iollows:
O Preoccupation with the Internet.
O oss oI control.
O Inexplicable sadness or moodiness when not online.
O istraction (Using the Internet as an anti-depression).
O ishonesty in regard to Internet use.
O oss oI boundaries or inhibitions
O Creation oI virtual intimate relationships with other Internet users
O oss oI a signiIicant relationship due to Internet use.

Today's youth have constant access to many diIIerent Iorms oI media

through television, cell phones, movies, music, video games, and the Internet. Media can
enhance children's education, learning opportunities, curiosity, creativity, and
communication. However, it can also teach negative liIe lessons; consume too much oI
children's time; and distract them Irom exercise, other physical play, and socialization.
Parents can best guide their children's media choices by educating themselves about the
Iorms modern media take (including the newest Internet Iormats Ior obtaining and
consuming media and Ior communicating), by monitoring media youth consume, by
reviewing media beIore releasing it to youth, by careIul use oI media blocking
technologies to make it harder Ior youth to view inappropriate content, and by setting and
enIorcing clear rules and boundaries Ior balanced media use.
Teach children to diIIerentiate clearly between Iiction and real liIe.
Banning is not an answer but controlling advertising which pushes things like violence
and cigarettes into the Iace oI children beIore they have developed the judgement and
ability to look to protecting themselves long term is a legitimate issue. Violence damages
your quality oI liIe and the mental health oI society. So it depends on us to use it in good
or bad way.