Effects of Media on the Adolescents

This research paper outlines the positive and negative impacts that the media has on these adolescents and reviews the measures taken by various stakeholders on the issue. It also recommends the multiple steps that should be made to help the situation further. Table of Contents Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………………2 Table of Contents……………………………………………………………………………. ……3 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………. …4 Background………………………………………………………………………. In the stages of growth of a human being, one moves from being a child to becoming an adolescent than to adulthood. One of the most critical stages is the adolescence stage. At this stage, one is in a period of growing up. The activities done at this stage defines one's life. They shape the character of a person. Recent polls have shown that a majority of adolescents frequently log in to their favorite social media sites daily (O'Keeffe & Clarke-Pearson, 2011).

The advancement of filmmaking through production companies such as Hollywood and distributing firms like Netflix that are determined to increase their market has also made the media influence much stronger. With the wide usage of smartphones, tablets and other electronic gadgets, information from the media has become readily available among the teenagers. This effect of the media has brought up both positive and negative effects. The media has been proven to enhance learning and open up adolescents to more learning opportunities. With just one tap or one text, they can connect with the desired mates to socialize. Socializing is an important aspect in the growth of youth. Thus the media has helped bridge this gap. It has helped in enhancing an individual's identity and fostering social skills that are unique and beneficial to the life of the adolescent (Boyd 2008).

Through other media like television and magazines, the adolescents gain knowledge on how to socialize and the importance of socializing. The information passed through by the media can be advantageous to the adolescents in so many ways. For example, there is a considerable number of health resources throughout various types of media. With his information, adolescents who suffer from chronic diseases or who have friends who do can develop connections with people who suffer from the same and help each other on solving the predicament (Lenhart, Purcell, Smith, & Zickuhr, 2010). Through the information they acquire, the youths can better their lives and also gain help in various matters. They are also acquitted with necessary advice that can help them in making better decisions.

This can lead to depressions and other disorders. One unfortunate case of cyberbullying is the case of a thirteen-year-old Megan Meier who committed suicide after suffering depression and attention deficit disorder. Megan had befriended Josh Evans on MySpace, and they used to communicate regularly. However, it came to a point where Josh started being cruel on Megan, to the point of telling her that the world would be a better place without her. The situation escalated when her friends and classmates joined in sending her cruel messages. At the adolescent age, people tend to follow trends that seem cool to them. When the adolescents view these videos, they are tempted to follow the activities of the people in the videos. Through this, they are introduced into alcoholism and drug abuse.

Negative use of the media has also led to immorality among the adolescents. Adolescents tend to be sexually active; they are thus easily susceptible to immoral acts like sexting. According to Strasburger and Donnerstein, the impact the media is causing on the adolescents should be of concern to the relevant stakeholders including parents, physicians and the government(Strasburger, & Donnerstein, 1999). A study has also shown that a majority of parents are concerned about the amount of explicit content and violence that is shown on the television (Stanger & Natalia 1999). These and many more concerns have been raised in a bid to make the media more user-friendly and advantageous to adolescents in particular. The positive effects of the media can be enhanced and further explored to enable advantageous effects to the adolescents.

Many institutions have encouraged the use of digital platforms and social media sites to encourage learning of students. All stakeholders need to join hands to end the endemic. Critique The primary stakeholders that need to take caution are the adults tasked with the due care of the adolescents. They need to put up more measures to ensure that they bring up the adolescents in a manner that they are not affected by the negative effects of the media but rather by using the positive effects to their advantage. The parents and teachers of the adolescents have failed in ensuring this. At the adolescent age, children need to be guided in making their decisions as they are most vulnerable to wrong influence.