How the Media Affects Teens and Young Adults

Whether it’s using a computer, watching TV, browsing social media or talking on the phone, media use is everywhere, all the time.

Through the media, you can find out about important news, listen to the latest music or watch your favorite show. But media can also influence people in negative ways that may be especially harmful to teens and young adults like you. Here are some areas to think about.

School

A growing amount of research shows that kids who have a lot of screen time do worse on developmental tests and with language development. A recent meta-analysis of 58 studies indicated that as time spent watching TV and playing video games increased, academic performance suffered – even more so for teens than for younger children.

Obesity

Did you know that if you spend more than three hours of screen time each day, you have a higher chance of being obese and developing Type 2 diabetes? If you’re sitting in front of the TV or computer, you’re probably not exercising. Getting enough exercise is key to staying healthy and preventing obesity.

Advertising

Advertisements are everywhere — commercials, pop-ups, magazine ads and billboards — and they have a huge impact on what people buy. Many companies aim their advertising directly at kids because if a product ad is successful, kids will ask their parents to buy the product. According to research, nine out of ten parents say that their children influence what they buy.

Stereotypes and Diversity

Unfortunately, a lot of media platforms don’t show people in a realistic way. Characters on shows often have unrealistic, “perfect” bodies. Many female stars are thin and many male stars look muscular and strong. Photos in magazines, on billboards or in social media may be edited to erase flaws and imperfections. Even if you know that what you see on TV and in videos isn’t normal or real, it can still impact your own body image.

Although racial and gender diversity didn’t used to be the norm on shows, media is slowly catching up. More shows now feature African American, Asian American, LGBTQ and other diverse people. However, according to recent research, mainstream shows still underrepresent women.

Violence

You may wonder whether seeing violent behavior on TV or other media can make you act more violently. Research isn’t completely clear. A small 2017 study found no long-term negative effects on empathy even in “excessive” users of violent video games. However, the American Psychological Association finds a “consistent correlation” between playing violent video games and aggression.

In 2018, four large countries, including the United States, analyzed 24 studies involving 17,000 children and concluded that children who played violent video games tended to act out with violent behavior, such as fighting or hitting. It’s worth considering whether watching or playing violent content makes you less sensitive to violence as a legitimate response in real life.

Sexuality

From graphic sex scenes to endless jokes about everything from making out to intercourse, sex is portrayed in both word and deed in TV shows, movies and music. But the content usually doesn’t include much discussion of the emotional impact, responsibilities or risks of sexual activity, such as pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections and birth control.

Researchers found that teens who saw a lot of sexual content have more casual attitudes about sex and were more likely to start having sex sooner than teens who didn’t see a lot of sex in the media. In addition, these teens engaged in riskier sexual behavior, with a higher correlation to later pregnancy. Conversely, when teens watch media that encouraged safe sex and healthy attitudes, this positively affected teens’ beliefs and behaviors.

How to Use Media Safely

Here are some tips to use media well:

• Separate media from meals. Don’t eat in front of the TV or computer. Turn off your phone and focus on the people around you.
• Set aside a specific part of your day to enjoy non-educational media, such as TV and videos. Keep the rest of your day and activities separate. Don’t go over your limit. Common Sense Media suggests no more than one or two hours in front of a screen each day.
• Once your media limit is up, find an activity that exercises your brain or body. Spend one minute doing something mentally or physically active for each minute you spend on media.
• Keep TVs and computers in common spaces, such as the family room or den.
• Make sure visitors and caregivers are aware of your family’s media rules.
• When you see an advertisement, think about who it’s targeting, whether it’s realistic and what makes it appealing. What’s the message it’s really saying?
• Use your judgment to separate fiction from reality in the media.

Last Reviewed: October 2018