Negative Effects Of Media On Society

Jim Morrison once stated, “Whoever controls the media, controls the mind.” For instance, whenever a political skit airs on Saturday Night Live or The Tonight Show, whoever the cast is in favor for rises in the polls. The media can be utilized as a tool for political candidates, but it can also aid in the selling of products. Everyone has seen commercials for brand new exercise equipment and wanted to buy it the next day. Now, these examples of how the media affects society aren’t necessarily evil. However, certain media sections negatively impact the nation, especially adolescents.

American youth dwell in an environment drenched in media. ("What Effect Does Media Have on Youth?") Currently, eighty percent of Americans watch an average of three

About seven out of twenty students handle their phones for five hours per day. Additionally, seventy-five percent of teenagers use their cell phones to login to their social media accounts, and twenty-two percent enter into these accounts ten times a day. ("The Impact of Social Media on Children, Adolescents, and Families") Nearly ninety-seven percent of adolescents own one electronic item – such as a television, computer, phone ,or music device – in their bedroom. On average, 6th-graders retain more than two of these items in their bedroom, while 12th-graders occupy about four. ("Aspen Education Programs") Most of these items are used before bedtime like: seventy-six percent watch television, forty-four percent surfed the internet/instant-messaged, and forty percent talked on the phone. ("Aspen Education Programs") This causes stimulation in the brain, which leads to sleep deprivation. A poll determined that only twenty percent of young adults receive the recommended nine hours of sleep on school nights, and forty-five percent sleep less than eight hours on a regular basis. ("Aspen Education Programs") On a school night, lack of sleep can disturb a child’s grades and learning