Media Consumption

Today, we communicate through various types of media, including the Internet, TV, magazines and newspapers. Through media, you can find out important news, listen to your favorite music and relax with your favorite show.

However, there are also negative sides of media that can be especially harmful to kids. Below are some of the ways that media can negatively affect your life, plus ideas for using media responsibly.

School

Studies show that if kids consume too much media, their schoolwork suffers, but some media is good, like educational TV. As you get older, you are probably not watching educational shows. According to Common Sense Media, kids who use lots of media have smaller vocabularies, worse reading ability and lower scores in school than kids who consume less media.

Obesity

Did you know that if you watch more than two hours of TV each day, you have a higher chance of being obese when you grow up? If you are sitting in front of the TV or computer, you are probably not moving around or exercising. Getting enough exercise is key to staying healthy and preventing obesity.

People also tend to eat more when watching TV because they are paying attention to what is on the screen rather than what is in their stomachs.

Advertising and Commercials

Commercials are everywhere – TV, pop-up ads on the computer, magazines and billboards – and they affect what people buy. Adults are usually the ones spending money, but many commercials are aimed at kids.

If the advertising is successful, kids will ask their parents to buy the product. Advertisers and marketers are clearly successful; kids ages 12 and under either spend or convince others to spend more than $500 billion a year.

Stereotypes

Unfortunately, most of the media you are exposed to does not show what people are like in the real world. Characters on TV are often shown with unrealistic bodies. Women are shown too thin and men are shown with larger-than-life muscles. Photographs in magazines or billboards are also edited to erase "flaws" and “imperfections.”

Also, most media does not show the true diversity of the world. According to Common Sense Media, 74 percent of the characters on TV are Caucasian, and 64 percent of video game characters are males. These statistics prove that what is shown through media is much different than what is actually going on in the world.

Violence

Through the media, many kids are taught that violence can be a good thing. In video games, for example, the way to beat an opponent is to punch or kick them to knock them out – or even kill them.

In many movies, the good guy wins when he violently kills or defeats his evil enemy. Things like these teach you that violence is an acceptable way to win, but you probably know that this is not true.

A study shows that a 4-year-old has a greater chance of being a bully when he or she is older if he or she watches a lot of TV. Seeing violent behavior on TV or through other media can make kids act more violently in their own lives.

Tips to Better Use Media

After hearing all this, the media can sound like a scary thing. You shouldn't be afraid of the media, but you should be educated on how to safely and healthily experience it. Listed below are some tips to help you do this.

• Don't use the media during dinner or other meal times. Focus on the people around you.
• Don't watch, use or listen to media while you are doing homework.
• Set aside a part of your day for media, and keep the rest of your day separate. Do not go over your limit. Common Sense Media suggests no more than one or two hours in front of a screen – that means TV, computer, movies, etc. – each day.
• Do not put media in your room. Keep it in the kitchen, family room or living room – but not your bedroom.
• Even if your parents are not home, obey the media rules in your house.
• Once your media limit is up, find something to do that is active or uses your brain. Ride your bike, go outside and play, finish your homework or take up a hobby.
• When you see a commercial or advertisement, think about who it is targeting, if it is successful, what makes it appealing or not and if it is realistic.

You have been around the media your entire life, even more than your parents were when they were growing up. Hopefully after reading this article, you are educated about how the media can affect your life and will use this knowledge to help you stay safe and healthy.

Youth reviewer: Mira Bhatt

Reviewed by: Martha Simmons, MD, Ph.D.

Last reviewed: November 2018