INFLUENCE OF MEDIA TO CHILDREN

"Children are impacted by the media; they learn by seeing, copying, and making
actions their own," asserts the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Parents,
teachers, and those who work in health care are paying more attention than ever before
to the impact that media has on children. When one considers the many different types
of people that live in the United States and have the same worry, the importance of this
matter becomes readily apparent. This group of concerned people includes individuals,
most notably politicians, who generally take positions that are diametrically opposed to
one another on a variety of problems, but who have come to an accord with one another
on this one matter.

The effect of the media on children has continuously expanded over time as new
forms of media that are both more advanced and accessible to the general population in
the United States have been established. It is now easier for families in the United
States to offer their children with access to various forms of media since these forms
are more readily available. Beneficial benefits include early preparation for learning,
educational enrichment, opportunity to see or engage in conversations about social
concerns, exposure to the arts through music and performance, and enjoyment. Other
opportunities include: The denationalization of violent behavior, exposure to sexual
material (whether implicit or explicit), promotion of unrealistic body images, presenting
of unhealthy behaviors as desirable activities, and exposure to persuasive advertising
aimed at youngsters can all have negative consequences. (Influence on Children
Media, 2020)

The possible influence that electronic media, particularly television, can have on
children is an issue that has been debated for a long time. The extent to which early
exposure to media effects a person's cognitive development and academic ability is a
source of worry. Studies on infants and toddlers suggest that these young children may
better understand and learn from real-life experiences than they do from video. Even
though research demonstrates unequivocally that well-designed, age-appropriate,
educational television can be beneficial to children of preschool age, studies on older
children suggest that educational television can be beneficial to children of all ages. In
addition, several studies have found a correlation between time spent in front of the
television during the first few years of life and lower levels of cognitive development in
later life. Early exposure to age-appropriate programs designed around an educational
curriculum is associated with cognitive and academic enhancement, whereas early
exposure to pure entertainment, and particularly violent content, is associated with
poorer cognitive development and lower academic achievement. Research on children's
television viewing may provide guidelines for creators of children's media to increase
learning, and they recommend that this study be conducted. To get the most out of
educational media and ensure that their children get the most out of it, parents should
choose programs that are well-designed and appropriate for their children's ages and
then watch those programs with their children. (Kirkorian, Wartella, & Anderson, 2008)

References

Influence on Children Media. (2020). Retrieved from education.stateuniversity.com:

https://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/2212/Media-Influence-on-
Children.html
Kirkorian, H. L., Wartella, E. A., & Anderson, D. R. (2008). Media and young children's
learning. Retrieved from Future Child:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21338005/