Mass Media and Child Development

Effects on attitude and individual perspective among children as a result of mass media are considerably impactful. It has had enormous impacts that are both negative and positive in behavior and mindset of children more so in the current generation. What children read in magazines or watch on the internet leaves them in a state of not being able to distinguish between what is right and what is wrong. Children should get restrictions from doing what is wrong and taught how to embrace only the positive. The media has potential through the internet in providing children with education. The content that gets on television has the power to control the masses. Children are in the masses that view television and they are the most affected since they are in mind development face.

Whatever the mass media chose to show to the children is what the children who watch it will become. Technology is often referred to as a good thing and as well the devil. Current trends in technology can be very harmful to children if used unwisely. However, some forms of entertainment expose the minor viewing the content to more immoral behaviors. Many internets cite lack of age restrictions and this, therefore, provides a throughway for children to access these sites. On the contrary, ethical behavioral videos and articles on the internet can discourage such behaviors as substance and drug abuse (Gupta et al. There exist many articles on how to use the internet for education on substance abuse refrain. Children can read about the harms that are associated with bad behavior on the internet and watch educative videos.

The press has the upper hand in the mental development of children. The information obtained on the media of the dangers of abuse and violence can change the mindset of the minors and their views on related violent acts. Mass media has many adverse effects on children than positive. Children take more of their leisure time watching television and on the internet. The level of their concentration is much higher and therefore when exposed to content that is abusive may cause a change in behavior and individual perception. Media mostly contribute to the negativity that exists among our children which includes lower self-esteem, street violence, addiction, and immorality. The behaviors that children develop as they grow up eventually becomes a culture.

Gary Mankins quote says that the mass media is the main faction of our culture. The influence of mass media on the culture starts from exposure of the young generation to other behaviors that are not pleasing to the society. Tom Stoppard believes that the media is the most powerful weapon to changing the world. And therefore, the negativity that exists among the children is majorly an influence of the mass media. In conclusion, the mass media has had many effects on the growth and way of thinking of children in the past and most commonly in the modern world. Modern technology has been an accelerating factor of behavioral change that results from the mass media. New games in the devices are a perfect way to get children’s attention, and when these games are of harmful content to the children, they seriously get into their minds.