Media Affecting Teens

The impact media has on our society today is intense, especially for teenagers. Being a teenager myself, I know what positive media can do to your brain, but I also know what negative media can do too. Media is impossible to ignore, thus, making it the biggest influence on a teens vulnerable mind.
What is media? Generally defined in a dictionary, media is the means of communication that reach or influence people widely. The most common means of communication in this day and age are newspapers, magazines, radios, television and the internet.
Teens possess knowledge on safe sex, world causes, self-destruction, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, and how to defend yourself through positive media. Positive media, can be defined as media that influences you for the better, rather then the worse. It has opened many eyes to know what’s right and wrong in society, and how to find justice rather then revenge. Media has opened the public discussion for safe sex, by using protection, getting regular doctor check ups and taking the right vaccinations to fight sexually transmitted diseases, and cancer. Information is also a lot more valid, and they are busting the myths about sex and offering options for unwanted pregnancy. The topic of abuse is also far more acceptable to talk about, with suggestions on how to rid yourself of an abusive relationship, defend yourself in physical or sexual abuse and break out of an un-proper psychological relationship. The dark, disturbing topic of suicide and depression used to be private, and forbidden to speak of, but now we have help for those that are suffering. Media is also allowing us to talk more openly about the world establishing equality and leaving discrimination in the history books. All of this information has influenced teens to make better decisions, and stand up for what they believe in. Positive media has made a remarkable influence on society.
Along with positive media, comes negative media. Negative media can be defined as media that influences you for the worse, rather then the better. Negative media shows us the “perfect” body to have for both males, and females. Which can cause eating disorders, psychological problems and the want cosmetic surgery all to have the desired perfection media presents to us. Superficial magazines and movies present this image of beautiful giving our world the desire to get that body, but isn’t beauty really in the eye’s of the beholder? Crude movies such as “Superbad” and “Mean Girls”, are suggesting the idea that a fun night means your gone wild, drinking alcohol, having sex and doing drugs. It influences teens of similar age that this is the night to have, and declining the idea of a fun night, sans drugs, alcohol and sex. These movies also suggest that mean is funny, impacting teens to be cruel, because it’s “funny”. Fighting movies encourage violence to solve your problems, have fun and make money or gain popularity when really, you could do it on your own by being yourself.
My opinion on positive media, is that I think it’s great! Sex used to be such a shameful topic to make public, and now it’s part of daily conversations. We have the options today, that if you’re a young female and your pregnant, you can go through abortion because it’s legal, and you have no fear of being shunned from your social life. Discrimination will always be there, but is less common to run into today in society. I think that’s phenomenal to see how far we’ve come, when it come’s to discrimination. We used to have black slaves, and now the president of the U.S is black! Abuse and depression used to be dark and disturbing to talk about, like it is now, but it used to be unacceptable to speak of. Positive media has welcomed these topics into society, and I think it’s excellent because it was much needed for a long time. Too many tales have gone un-told, that needed to be spoken out, thanks to freedom of speech they have been told. The only unfortunate thing that comes with freedom of speech, is lack of responsibility. Most of our world, does not realize that once something is said, it can not be undone. Words can scar, sometimes worse then any physical force, and are never forgotten.
My opinion on negative media, is that we could do without some of it. The biggest reason I chose this topic to write about, is because of our superficial expectations. Confidence only comes with a great body and face nowadays, which is wrong because there’s more then one beautiful body shape or face. On every cover, of every beauty magazine is tips on “beautiful hair”, “a sexy body” and “pretty makeup”, there isn’t many topics on why you should be comfortable with your body, treat peers kindly or protect yourself for warning signs of abuse. I also think that sex is pressured by media via television, music, internet and even literature, hence many regretted nights for many people. I am aware that the decision to involve yourself in sex, is generally your own decision unless it’s abuse, but the society advertises it as no big deal at all to have sex normally with new partners.
A lot of people say to simply ignore the media, but how can you? Media stalks us, if not rides on our backs. It’s everywhere we go, the boards on the ice-rink, the shelves in a grocery store, advertisements and programs on television, websites on the internet, stories in a newspaper, even on the cereal box in your cupboard. Your everyday thoughts and actions are generally impacted my media, our society depends on media survive.

by dawn8764 (Viewed 376 times)

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