Teens cannot avoid being affected by the television and movies watched and the computer games played. They help shape how one perceives the world and how one responds to family members, friends, parents and others. Without a doubt, they are the single most significant modifiable outside influence in an adolescent’s life. It is not at all uncommon for teens to spend several hours each day watching television, a video or playing computer games. And attending movies with friends is part of the teen socializing process.
Nevertheless, devoting sizeable amounts of time to these media outlets sets the stage for a number of potential problems. First, while engaging in these activities, teens are physically inactive. Only a minimal amount of calories are burned. And, teens may accompany this behavior by snacking on foods that contain higher amounts of fats and calories such as pizza and potato chips. Not surprisingly, these teens have a tendency to gain weight, which only contributes to the rampant obesity that already exists among American teens.
But there is also a problem with what teens are watching and the content of their computer games. These venues are filled with violent and aggressive behavior. Guns are everywhere. Apparently, without much thought or regret, people are machine-gunned or blown into pieces. Over time, teens become desensitized. Eventually, these actions may appear to be normal and acceptable. Many contend that such desensitization spills over into other areas of life. If teens can sit and passively watch such violence, are they more likely to become callous, uncaring adults? Will they be comfortable with acts that hurt others? Are they at greater risk for criminal activity? Large numbers of people believe the answer to these questions is “Yes.” Certainly, a teen could learn much more about maturing into a responsible and compassionate adult by spending these same hours volunteering at a soup kitchen or animal shelter or just reading a good book at home.
In addition to violence, much of the content of TV and movies as well as computer games has overt and covert references to sex. With their hormones already raging, teens are very vulnerable to the sexual messages. And sex on TV is no longer confined to the late night hours. Especially since the sexual scandal of the Clinton Administration, sex may be discussed or shown at almost any time of the day. Sex may be part of the early morning news broadcast or the nightly national news. Soap opera actors routine make love in bed and elsewhere. It is almost impossible to think of a sitcom that does not have some reference to sex. Frequently, actors dress in a provocative manner. Like their movie theater counterparts, TV movies tend to be both violent and sexual. Naturally, there are exceptions. But that is why they are the exception. Not the norm.
Do so many sexual references cause teens to become sexually active? While not the only factor, it surely makes it more likely. It is known that teens are becoming sexually active at younger ages. Almost always that means that they will have more partners and increased opportunities to catch and give sexually infectious diseases. And, since large numbers of teens do not use contraception, they are at risk for an unexpected, and probably unwanted, pregnancy.
These media outlets may also play a role in eating disorders. There is still a great deal of emphasis placed on women’s thinness and men’s muscles. The overweight woman or flabby man is an aberration. Yet, it is almost impossible for most people to achieve and maintain such a physical appearance. In their desperation, teens will starve themselves or vomit the food that they eat. Males may take steroids. In other words, they compromise their short and long-term health for an impossible ideal. The real world is not filled with women who fit into size zero or two pants and men with incredibly muscular bodies.
When considering television, there is also the issue of the commercials. Viewers are constantly being sold something. Teens may well be enticed to purchase the latest clothing or sports equipment—even if their closets already contain more than a sufficient amount of items and family finances are limited. Manufacturers spend a huge amount of money on their commercials. Yes, they want more people to learn about their products. But their primary goal is to sell more. And commercials that appeal to teens appear on the programs that advertisers know teens frequent.
Watching a lot of TV and movies and playing computer games inevitably takes time away from schoolwork and other academic activities. There are only so many hours in a day. Many of them are already pre-scheduled. Adolescents obviously need to attend school and to sleep. They require time for eating and personal hygiene. So there are only a certain number of hours remaining. Unfortunately, many teens rush through their homework so that they will have more time to watch TV, a movie or to play computer games. It should therefore not be surprising to learn that teens who spend more than an hour or two each day on these activities tend to have poorer academic performance.
Although teens tend to watch TV and movies with others and some teens gather together to play computer games, computer games tend to be solo activities. Everyone needs some time alone. However, there could be problems if teens spend too many hours sitting at their computers playing games. Some teens lose track of time, or neglect their friends. Some spend so much time at the computer that they do not cultivate new friends or activities. Some reach a point where the game world seems real. In these instances teens may wish to assess what they are doing and consider putting limits on computer game activities. Some may be referred to the school counselor. Again, time spent at a computer game is time not directed toward a more productive activity.
In the past, parents, especially moms, had more time to monitor what their teens were doing. If a mom felt that her teen was spending too much time watching TV, she could intervene. Today, most moms work outside the home. It then becomes the adolescent’s responsibility to use his or her time wisely. Time management skills are very important not only for college work, but also for a teen’s future career. As an adolescent goes through growth and development and begins the passage into adulthood, it is exceedingly important for him or her to acquire these types of skills.
Related topics:
Academics, body image, clothes, peer pressure, sexuality, violence and aggression
