My view

             After reading more about current events and listening to experts, I have been exposed to different sides of media effects on children and their impacts amongst the youth. I believe that media, in general, can have many beneficial effects on children, but the risks are more dangerous than we, as a society, take into account, and it is difficult to say whether media has more positive or negative effects.

               According to a report, done by Common Sense Media, most teens spend an average of seven hours and 22 minutes on their phone, not including schoolwork. When we look at media from the negative point of view, it is quite influential not only for children but for every consumer. Since children are not fully mentally developed, it is easier for them to believe many misconceptions about life. We can see that media presents many unhealthy values, e.g., being materialistic, unachievable beauty standards, or winner mentality. This creates a mental and social pressure to fit in, to not be an outcast. Nevertheless, children are addicted from an early age, which can affect their emotional and social development. Not only that, but also risks that can affect their physical health, like developing an eating disorder, being groomed, or sexually abused, or being cyberbullied. Any of these can cause long-term mental issues, including unhealthy self-image, depression, anxiety, or negative perception of the world and society.

               On the other hand, media can be quite beneficial for educational purposes, improving social skills, and being exposed to different cultures and values in life. Spending time online is important to pick up necessary technical skills, which they will need in the future. It allows them to familiarize themselves with technologies, that are important in order to be competent in the digital age. As for educational purpose, media and the Internet allows them to have quick access to important information, and it can be also used at school, to make classes more interactive and therefore more interesting and useful for students. Besides education, children can explore different cultures, learn about different points of view of other people, and be a part of a community. Nowadays, media is important to stay connected and allows children to become a part of a group with people who share similar interests like gaming, fashion, or art. Children can also have an influence in their community, and contribute to positive changes, like founding a fundraising campaign and also being a part of a discussion considering real-world problems.

               At the beginning of my research, I believed that the effects of media on children are rather negative than positive, but after reading more about both sides, I was pleasantly surprised, how many benefits can a reasonable amount of media exposure have on children. Without any doubt, we, as a society, should talk more about being safe on Internet, not only by putting a few commercials on the Internet but talking to children and explaining to them the consequences that might follow and leading by example. 

                Ref.: 

                        Mrunal. (2019, June 19). Impact of social media on children. FirstCry Parenting. https://parenting.firstcry.com/articles/impact-of-social-media-on-children/#Negative_Effect_of_Social_Media_on_Kids

                         Rideout, V., and Robb, M. B. (2019). The Common Sense census: Media use by tweens and teens, 2019. Common Sense Media. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/uploads/research/2019-census-8-to-18-full-report-updated.pdf

                       Tayler, J. (2012, November 8). Media teaches bad values to your children. Psychology Today.  https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-power-prime/201211/media-teaches-bad-values-your-children