According to parents in the Media in the Home 2000 study, children spend 6 ½ hours with media every day (Woodard, 2000). The media today is practically raising children, but its messages can be very negative on kids. It shows them that violence is acceptable, that sex has no consequence and that your body isn't good enough. The media is introducing harmful concepts to children and teens and it is harming their development.
Body image has always been a problem, but media is making it worse, especially in young girls. Girls who watch a lot of soap operas, music videos and movies have been reported to have body issues. Its no wonder girls who watch these programs aren't happy with their bodies, their idols from the media all have unattainable body images. So they begin to wonder why they don't look like their idols.
I remember when I was younger I would watch cartoons, like Sailor Moon that showed young girls with impossible bodies and I would always wonder why I didn't look her. It is not only that young girls idolize these characters but that in these programs "ugly" people are always ridiculed or cast out. So children start to think that to be "cool" you must be beautiful. Children are getting the message that their bodies are not good enough and to have friends, you must look good.
Sexual content appears in most television shows, but only a small amount of these programs show a serious consequence like STDs and unwanted pregnancy. Its not only television programs but a lot of ads, movies, music videos and video games aimed towards youth have sexual themes, or depict a sexual situation. For example in most video games the women are shown with little on and are depicted as weaker. Also many music videos show sexual situations and violence towards women. The sexual content in media gives children a negative image on sex when they are quite young.
Most shows on television show excessive violence but these shows fail to portray the consequences or pain involved with excessive violence. Most of the shows with violence do not have blood and gore. A great example of this is Bugs Bunny. The rooster, Foghorn Leghorn would always solve his problem with beating something up, then the person he beat up would always try to "get him back". So what does this teach children? That it is acceptable to use violence when faced with a problem? That two wrongs make a right?
Media is sending negative messages to children and teens. Extreme violence is being shown with no apparent punishment or pain in cartoons. Impossible body images are being pushed in the faces of young teens while sexual images are sending the wrong messages about sex.
