Media and the Child

Magazines, radio, movie, billboards, internet and television, these are all part of a little thing called media. Media can be found in every little aspect of life. Although media allows us to connect to anyone in the world, it can cause problems for our children. According to the New York Times, “Media has a variety of negative health impacts on children and teens.” Children and young adult spend thousands upon thousands of hours each year just watching television, movies, even looking threw magazines. But sadly this is unhealthy for them to do. Small children and young adults can suffer both long term and short term problems because of to much exposure to mass media, and in the end it is up to the parent to stop this from occurrence.

Saturday morning cartoons, these are cartoons generated just for children to give them something to do on a long Saturday morning. However spending too much time in front of the television is negative for a child. According to the Neuro Psychiatry Reviews, “Researchers have found that television exposure in children ages 1 to 3 is associated with attention problems at age 7” (Strong). Attention problems can range from Attention Deficit disorder (ADD), Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), to just having a hard time paying attention to what is going on in the classroom. Although excessive amount of television watching is not a direct cause of these attention problems, there is a strong correlation between the two. This correlation is not only found in young children, but in order children as well. “Furthermore, the investigators concluded that each hour of television watched per day increases these children’s risk of attention problems, such as attention- deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), by almost 10% at age 7” (Strong). Children that spend their majority at home time in front of the television are prone to having attention problems later on in life. The attention problems can lead to problems learning in school, and in turn can cause them to fall behind in class, if not treated. The best thing to do for the child is to turn off the television and spend some personal time with them. This can cause a stronger relationship between the parent and child, as well as helping them develop key skills they needs for adulthood.


The negative effects of television continue long into adolescences. Media gives adolescences a false sense of what they should look like. “The implication of childhood exposure to the mass media, which portrays these particular images of body size and shape, are concerning as there is an increase probability of the child becoming discontent with his or her body if his or her appearance differs from the so-called norm” (Lawrie). Media glamorizes beauty, and this beauty is unreachable for adolescence. Adolescences in turn ends up having a negative image of their body, and feel that in order to be happy or beautiful they must reach these unnecessary standards. Because of this there are a high number of adolescence having eating disorders. “Boys and girls aged 9 to 14 years showed that children who were trying to imitate the appearance of same sex media personalities were more likely to develop weight concerns and become constant dieters” (Lawrie). These individuals are dieting at the age of 9 to 14 in order to fulfill a body image that is unreachable. These dieting practices can lead to health problems later in life, as well as the individual having a negative body image long into adulthood.

The best thing for children, no matter the age, is for them is to turn off the television, and participate in other fulfilling activities. More interaction between the adult and the child is always greatly appreciated by the child. Along with this appreciation, a strong bond is created, and this will always be beneficial in life. As the child gets older and into their adolescence years, the parent one must talk to their child about the realistic body image. But engaging with the child about the topic, the adolescence can build confidence and acceptance about themselves. All in all, the best thing for children and adolescence is spending time with the parent, either discussing issue regarding media or partaking in other fulfilling activities. This time will be long lasting and rewarding for both of the involved.

Resources

Lawrie,Z. Sullivan, E. A.Davies,P.S. W. Hill R.J. “Media Influence on the Body Image of Children and Adolescents.” Eating Disorders, 14:355-364. 2006. Taylor and Francis Group.

Stelter,Brian. “Report Ties Children’s Use of Media to Their Health.” Dec 2 2008. New York Times. www.nytimes.com

Strong, Colby. “Is Excessive Television Viewing in Children Linked to ADHD?” Neuro Psychiatry Reviews. www.neuropsychiatryreviews.com/may04/npr_may04_excessiveTV.html