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Essay / Effects of Media on Youth
Nowadays, children are introduced to technology and media from a very young age. Research among Norwegian teenagers showed that they spend an average of 3.5 hours online (TEDx, 2015). Children also watch television and movies, read magazines or play video games and are therefore constantly exposed to the media stream. As a result, the media has a huge impact on young people and the way they perceive the world. For example, in advertisements or other types of media, women are presented as less independent than men, much thinner and prettier than the average woman actually is. They are highly sexualized and stereotyped by the color of their hair (TEDx, 2015). This has a big effect on young girls. They have not yet developed such a strong and adult character and their perception of reality can be lost because of this pressure. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay They constantly see a stereotypical image of a perfect female body, which lowers their self-confidence. Young girls are starting to care more about their appearance than their health and education. Some of them starve and even fall ill with anorexia while trying to be as thin as the models in advertisements. The media is actively used to advertise different products and services, not only directly through advertisements, but also through hidden product placements in popular Internet blogs. As a result, children and adolescents begin to beg their parents to buy expensive items, which they persuade through the media that they actually need. It could be high-end designer clothing, expensive toys, or technology. Social media seems like a fun type of entertainment, but we don't often think about it in more depth, to see the bigger picture and understand how something so harmless can cause mental illness and even end mental illness. someone's life. Teenagers and the younger generation often become addicted to their phones and constantly check/post on their social media pages. This could actually have many hidden effects that most people don't think about. It has been proven that likes on social networks like Instagram can have a huge impact on self-esteem. It can either drop due to lack of attention from their peers, or conversely become too high. Often, teenagers become addicted to taking selfies and constantly posting something. In the desire to get more positive comments or more likes, some people start Photoshopping or lying about their lives in their blogs. Overall, the internet and especially social media have created an alternate reality that might be more appealing to the younger generation than real life. Teenagers often prefer social media discussions to real-life communications, which can create problems in their “offline” lives. »..