When I look at what's on TV today, it really freaks me out what things my siblings are learning from eachother. I see it in my younger cousins and my younger brother and sister when I see how they act thanks to the Tween TV shows that they've been watching.
Shows like Hannah Montana, iCarly, Wizards of Waverly Place are showing kids causing trouble or getting into trouble, lying to their friends and parents, sneaking out to parties, 12 year olds are acting more like 16 year olds. if these kids ever do get in trouble with their parents the worst thing I've seen a parent say to their kid is "I'm very disappointed in you." the kid gets upset, and then next episode it happens all over again.
It's so frustrating seeing how kids are influenced to act like brats and think that is the way to get through life. When I was a kid, shows like Lizzie McGuire showed and awkward girl trying to get through life and trying to understand what it means to grow up. It was realistic, it was honest and I could relate to it in my tween years, nowadays the star is a snarky teenager who is pretty well liked and if something doesn't go their way they go through some insane elaborate scam in order to get things to go their way again.
I'm seeing the behavior of my siblings being influenced by these shows and my cousins that I used to babysit. My cousin is about 14, a freshman in High School, my brother is 13 just started junior high, and my youngest sister is 11 and is in 6th grade. They use insults on me whenever I visit them or have them over to my dorm, they disrespect my mother and I'm really concerned with what types of behaviors that could develop as they get older.
According to some statistics I found on parentstv.org
66% of children (ages 10 to 16) surveyed say that their peers are influenced by TV shows
62% say that sex on TV shows and movies influences kids to have sex when they are too young
77% say there is too much sex before marriage on television
65% say that shows encourage kids to disrespect parents.
Television alone is responsible for 10% of youth violence. - Leonard Eron, Senior Research Scientist at the University of Michigan
About half (52%) of all parents say most TV shows are rated accurately, while about four in ten (39%) say most are not. - Kaiser Family Foundation, 9/23/04.
Portrayals that included sexual risks (stds or becoming pregnant), abstinence or need for sexual safety was depicted in 15% of the shows with sexual content. Hence, sexual content on TV is more likely to promote sexual activity among US adolescents that it is to discourage it.
It's not just the Disney shows that are a problem, kids watch things on MTV (like 16 and pregnant) and shows like Family Guy, The Simpsons, and Jersey Shore.
44% of kids say they watch something different when they're alone than with their parents
Media doesn't just affect a child's academic education, it also affects a child's behavioral education. It tells them how to grow up and how to act.
I feel as if parents should pay more attention to what their kids are watching, and try to show kids their values of what they want their kids to learn about how to live.
Is it time to stop letting the media teach our kids how to live and learn in life?
I think so.
Riah
From Brooks: "It’s almost like the comment, “monkey see, monkey do.” That’s just how children are nowadays, and that is exactly what the television industry wants. They want every young girl to dress up like Hannah Montana for Halloween or buy the tickets to her concert when she comes to town. Money is what drives the industry and until a better way for the industry to make money comes about, the shows are just going to get worse and worse because that is what kids want."
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