THe MeDia: WHat'S tHe MeSSaGe?
By: Kowalski, Kathiann M., Current Health 1
Apr/May2004, Vol. 27, Issue 8
Every day, the media bombard you with a mix of messages.
THe
MeDia: WHat'S tHe MeSSaGe?
By: Kowalski, Kathiann M., Current Health 1
Apr/May2004, Vol. 27, Issue 8
Every day, the media bombard you with a mix of messages.
Find out how these messages may affect your behavior and your health.
Sprawling on the sofa, Ryan grabbed the TV remote. With cable, he has nearly 100 viewing choices. There are sitcoms, sports, reality shows, music videos, police dramas, movies, the news, talk shows, and more.
Ryan might not know it, but over time his viewing choices might affect his health. TV is only one form of media. The radio, the Internet, books, magazines, and newspapers are others. So are movies and video games.
Some media messages are obvious. A sitcom's goofy joke aims for a laugh. The news conveys information. Other media messages are not so obvious. But they still can have an impact on the viewer.
Think about a funny TV ad you've seen lately. Did the ad make you laugh or smile? If so, then the ad affected your behavior!
The media often have a profit motive too. TV commercials, for example, encourage you to buy what they're selling. The way products and services are presented can often affect viewers' attitudes.
"A lot of [advertising] is focused on an emotional level," says Douglas Gentile of Iowa State University. "The emotional part of the brain is different from the thinking part of the brain." Gentile is director of research for the National Institute on Media and the Family.
Branding links a product name to certain qualities. The Pillsbury Dough Boy's giggle almost makes you smell freshly baked cookies or rolls. Say the word Lego, and you think about kids having creative fun building things with brightly colored plastic bricks. An effective brand works like a shortcut to our emotions.
Role models are another media tool. Think about ads with athletes Tiger Woods, LeBron James, or Michael Jordan. Companies pay these celebrities top dollar to endorse their products. Many people want to be like them.
Do you really like a star's style of clothing or hair ? You may wear similar clothes or wear your hair in a similar style. Imitation is another way people identify with role models. Most times this isn't a problem--as long as you don't lose your own sense of self.
Other times, the media give the audience ideas about what's acceptable or cool. American Idol thrives on the host's insults to contestants. Fear Factor gets people to do stupid stunts. Survivor celebrates scheming against other people.
These actions often get laughs on TV shows. But in real life, the characters would not likely win many friends. Most people want their friends to be kind and considerate.
The media promote lean, toned bodies. But they often fail to encourage healthy eating habits. Experts think that adds to rising rates of obesity among young people.
Many TV characters seem to eat and drink anything they want--without ever gaining weight. Shows air ads for fast food, snacks, sodas, and candy too. Of course, the best deal--cost wise--is to supersize everything!
In one study, the more TV kids watched, the fewer fruits and vegetables they ate. Kids may be eating snacks they see on TV and snacking while they watch. "Just because it's on TV, or just because they say it's healthy, doesn't mean it necessarily is," says 12-year-old Shayna. "You might want to ask your parents about it."
Fashion magazines show lots of tall, thin models. TV shows and movies often star tall, thin actresses too. But real girls come in many sizes and shapes. Compared to fashion models, few girls feel they can measure up. Some feel so bad they develop eating disorders. Or they get very depressed.
Eric Stice at the University of Texas at Austin studied how fashion magazines affect teen girls. Almost no one felt better after looking through the magazines. Many girls felt worse about their bodies. "Most of us cannot achieve the beauty ideal that's personified in the media," says Stice.
In fact, only 2 percent of American women match the media ideal, says the National Eating Disorders Association. No wonder many girls think they're fat--even when they're not!
Girls aren't the only ones with body-image problems. Boys face them too. TV and movie actors are often lean and muscular. Boys will gain muscle during puberty. But if they believe they don't measure up yet, they can feel bad about their bodies too.
Shooting, brawls, and explosions--TV's got them all. A Kaiser Family Foundation report found that two out of three shows had some violence. Many movies are violent too. Boys spend more time playing video games than girls. But games directed at both boys and girls can contain violence. In some games, the player has to act like the killer.
Children who see more media violence are more likely to be aggressive in real life. (See "Grabbing the Bully by the Horns" on page 29 of this issue for ways to deal with aggression.) Also, Gentile says, "The more you watch, the more you want to watch." It can become addictive.
There's also a "victim effect." Children become more likely to see the world as a scary place. Another result is the "bystander effect." People become less sensitive and less likely to care when others get hurt--even in real life.
No one show or game will make someone violent. It happens over time. "You may never recognize [the change in behavior] because it is such a slow, gradual process," says Gentile. He compares it to eating candy. One candy bar won't make you fat. But if you eat 10 a day for a long time, you will gain weight.
When you watch a sports show, how many commercials for beer do you see? "You can laugh at beer commercials, but just know that they're not true," says 14-year-old Eric. "If you drink a lot, you'll be in trouble." Of course, ads never show the consequences of underage drinking. Showing the negative side won't sell the product.
TV and movies can also make smoking look cool. That may fool young people into thinking it is cool.
In real life, smokers are addicted to nicotine. And smoking is linked to a number of serious health problems.
Watching violence doesn't necessarily make the viewer violent. Laughing at beer ads doesn't mean the person will drink. Ads for fast food, snacks, and sodas don't automatically make people fat. But the more people see these things in the media, the more normal they seem.
Fortunately, you're not at the mercy of the media. You can become media savvy. You're already learning about ways the media can affect behavior. That's the first step.
Take a hard look at the media you see. Yes, the media appeal to us on an emotional level. But we still have the power to analyze what we see. Do the people in the media act the way you want to act? Do they model healthy behaviors?
When you see something in the media that doesn't seem right to you, talk to someone about it. Did someone do or say something you don't agree with? Was there a character or situation that bothered or upset you? "You can talk to your parents about it," says Shayna. "Let them know that you don't think it's a good idea."
Gentile says talking with parents is a "protective factor." It can counteract a lot of the possible bad influences of the media.
If you really object to something you see or read in the media, spread the word among your friends. You can write to newspapers or companies too. (Remember the profit motive? Companies care about kids' views because kids have buying power.)
Each time you watch, read, play, or listen to something, you're making a choice. You have a right to be picky about the media you choose. After all, you're the target audience. Your choices count.
American Academy of Pediatrics www.aap.org/family/mediaimpact.htm Kaiser Family Foundation www.kff.org/entmedia/index.cfm Kids First www.cqcm.org/kidsfirst National Institute on Media and the Family www.mediafamily.org Monitoring the Future Survey www.monitoringthefuture.org
Girl's perceptions of body weight and the role of the media: Dissatisfied with their own body shape 59% Appearance of models in magazine influences their image of a perfect female body 69% Want to lose weight because of the way models look in magazines 47%
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By Kathiann M. Kowalski