Script+-+Emma

The Media. A click of a mouse can connect you to the world, for all the good and bad that does. 1/3 of the world population uses the internet. Your friends use it. Your parents use it. Your teachers, co-workers, classmates, they use it. "[T.V and Film] can dictate what's cool and what it means to be accepted"(PBS). Children and Teens who are unsure about who they are, are easily swayed by these displays, which could have negative effects on their life. However, a connection to media can be good for children. From an early age children can use Television shows or the Internet for educational purposes. It can also introduce younger kids to people who are different then themselves so that they are used to diversity. How is the media influential? **__Part 2__** 20 years ago we didn't have such an ease of access to information all over the world. Now, with the click of a button we can access news, websites and blogs from the other side of the world. With over 1,000 channels on T.V something is always being broadcasted. Even if you were to not own a t.v or a computer, you'll probably catch a quick glance of the tabloids they have on display, boasting about this celebrity and that celebrity. Who's in rehab, who's coming out rehab. Which celebrities look bad in a bathing suit, which celebrities are unhealthily skinny and are the poster-child of beautiful. The influence has become harmful to the emotional and physical health of children, teens and young adults. Ads claiming the definition of beauty, a t.v shows displaying a “career” out of immoral behavior. This has rubbed off on children as young as 7. Children in a first grade classroom were seen cussing and flirting with each other. **__Part 3__** -- INTERVIEW— (w/ 6th Grader; age 12) Have you seen examples of influence from t.v shows and movies at school? Do kids in your grade ever cuss? At teachers? At students? Do you know of anyone who watches shows like Jersey Shore and Teen Mom? Do you ever hear your age singing inappropriate lyrics? Do you know anyone who is anorexic? Does drugs? Drinks Alcohol? What do you think when you see a tabloid that talks about celebrities? What do you think about the fact that the celebrities in magazines are mostly photo shopped? Who do you consider your role model? Who do you think other people consider as their role model?
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**__Part 4__** This sort of media influence started with MTV, when the musicians people adored began to find a style. Young people began to pick up the styles of popular musicians, most notably Madonna and Michael Jackson. Parents didn’t accept this new influence. Today, the situation is the same, in terms of fashion, but the difference lies in the lyrics. With Madonna and Michael Jackson, the lyrics promoted racial and gender equality. Now the lyrics and the music videos that sometimes go with these songs promote sex and drugs. And with thin, tall and young being the look of most singers, it is also becoming the image of women and kids. So much that, "control measures are now being taken by girls as young as 5 and 6"s promote sex and drugs.

**__Part 5__** Media can negatively influence the lives of those exposed to it, unless the influence is changed to a positive one. Media should start to display all kinds of people in a fair and non-discriminating way. For everyday people to also become influences (ex. Dove Campaign). For media to stop displaying popular celebrities drinking and doing drugs in any light. For popular celebrities to support movements dedicated to helping the image of women return to a healthy one. For popular celebrities to stop writing songs about sexual themes and drinking. For celebrities to not portray characters who drinking or do drugs excessively. This sounds like a lot, and maybe a little restricting to magazines, but is a little freedom to much to give to protect the health of children, teenagers and young adults? **__Part 6__** The image of women would return to a healthy one. Shows like Teen Mom and Jersey Shore would no longer teach the world that it’s okay to be bad. Celebrities would no longer be the influence of drugs, alcohol and crash-diets. **__Part 7__** Journalists argue that it would be Censorship. That we have the freedom of press. Some parents argue that if you don’t like it, turn it off. Some parents argue that if they aren’t around all the time, a celebrity influence is better than nothing. Researchers argue that people who have a fake relationship with celebrities have very low risk of rejection, offer low self-esteem people an opportunity to reduce their self-discrepancies and feel closer to their ideal selves.

**__Part 8__** Think of the effect this has on minors who are insecure about themselves and don't know right from wrong yet. Minors are exposed to "proliferating entertainment news shows, Web sites and magazines [that] have created levels of familiarity and intimacy previously only shared with those in our immediate social environment on top of the fact that they have a high risk of trying to emulate what they see, leading to drugs alcoholism and unhealthy crash diets. By censoring, People magazine and OK! Magazine we might be denying some freedom of press but we would be saving minors from an obscure view of the world. Some parents get enough time off work to spend hours interacting with their children. Others, however, might not always be there. The relationship between parents is also important. "Children of divorced parents are seven times more likely to suffer from depression in adult life" which is pretty likely in the United States since 1 in 4 [children] live with only one parent. Children would still have an influence from celebrities if needed, but it wouldn't effect celebrities daily life. We would still see the community service or the new movie a celebrity is involved in but, if they are getting a divorce, we won't know about it.

**__Part 9__** In a world where you can be connected to the world from everywhere, it's easy to get caught up in all of it. As we write this paper we are using the internet to write the paper, articles found on the internet for research and we are to make a documentary, all forms of media. Sometimes it's hard to go a day without hearing the latest "get skinny quick" scam on the cover of People. Showing celebrities that are a healthy skinny become a twig supposedly using this. Everywhere you look there are obscure definitions of beauty and success. Paris Hilton on the cover of People shows everyone that you can party, do drugs and abuse alcohol and that you can get rich from this. Jersey Shore and Teen Mom are also part of the example of do-bad-things-and-get-rich-and-famous. With children and teenagers becoming familiar with these things being right, we have a problem on our hands. Some may say that censoring the media is a violation of freedom of speech but, how else are we going to fix this? Some would suggest parents but, not every child is born to a stable home. Be it because of teenage pregnancy, divorce, substance abuse, not every child in the United States has parents who are effective role models. So, instead of depending on unfit parents and the cast of Jersey Shore to be role models, why not censor the media. Why not make it unavailable for everyone, it's not important. Gossip on your favorite celebrity couple will never have a life or death consequence for you. Don't you think its worth giving up unrealistic influences for the sake of America's youth. Media is a big part of our lives and we are bound to be influenced by it, so why not make the influence a positive one.