The Canadian Paediatric Society illuminates the issue of the effect of the media on the psychosocial development of children in its 1999 article titled "Children and the Media." It stresses the significance of physicians to discuss with parents about the effects of the media on their children's development of social skills and competence (CPSS, 1999). Moreover, it stresses the need for both parties to guide the children regarding the use of the internet, radio, music, and video games. Therefore, the report aims to address the harmful effects as well as the benefits of media consumption on the children's wellbeing, mental, and psychological effects (CPSS, 1999). It seeks to examine ways in which physicians can counsel families and provide useful guidance on the proper use of elements of media.
Article Critique
The article raises an essential issue regarding the use of media and the effects it has on the social development of children. Many parents are always concerned about the way technology affects the development of their children. Child growth and adolescence are two essential periods in the child's life, and many of the child's mannerisms are shaped during this crucial stage. According to Ansari & Crosnoe (2016) compile a study that finds that the hyperactive nature of 4-year-old children can be connected to extended exposure to the television.
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Young children are continuously mastering and keeping awake glued to their television sets for long hours before going to bed. Increased exposure to the television set is forming part of their primary source of information and socialization. The Canadian Paediatric Society notes the abundance in the report regarding television viewing among children and cites the fact it can have both positive and negative effects on the child depending on the use. Every child has an individual level of development that usually determines whether increased viewing of television is beneficial. Though previous research has primarily focused on whether watching the video or consuming too much media content makes the viewer's hostile, this research highlights a different view about watching television. This study highlights the fact that watching tv could be beneficial to the human mind when used in the right way.
The Canadian Paediatric Society finds that by the time a teenager graduates from high school in the United States, they would have spent more time watching television as opposed to spending time in the classroom. They posit that extended viewing of television limits the child's time to develop other vital skills, for instance, to play, to speak, and spending time with peers. The thesis statement posed by this research enhances the dualistic ways in which the media is treated by scholars throughout the history of media studies. On the one hand, media consumption can be treated as beneficial to the children.
Some of the benefits include changing unhealthy behavior, assisting in language conception, and stimulating creativity and imagination. Moreover, it encourages tolerance and inclusion by exposing the child to the broader diverse world culture that knows no race, geographical boundaries, religious or political affiliation. On the other hand, the media is associated with the ability to numb the senses and act as an obstacle towards free play and imagination. Moreover, research has found that the consumption of violent media messages and visuals makes the minds grow numb towards the pain of other people, and this leads to the deterioration of the human feeling of empathy.
As new and more sophisticated technological tools are availed to the mass populations, the influence of the media has steadily skyrocketed among children because more of the content that was traditionally transmitted through the television is now available through smartphones and tablets. Affordability and availability of the new media content in streaming devices like smartphones have made it possible for children to access the content online, further posing some risks to their learning and development of social skills.
The research by the Canadian Paediatric Society is further supported by other findings previously concluded in various media and society studies. As Wood et al., (2019) posits that the average American child experiences more than 200,000 cases of violence through the television. The consumption of such content has been known to lead to violent aggression among children, among other social complications that can be avoided with proper training. The infiltration of the various other forms of media means that children have more access to violent content and parents have little control over what they view.
The Canadian Paediatric Society stresses on some of the benefits of watching television among children. Some of these include enrichment of the child's education, early readiness for learning, and excellent opportunities for the child to take part in social discussions concerning arising matters. Children who are exposed to television and news are more likely to contribute towards social talks that touch on the society in which they live compared to those that have little to no exposure to television. Canadian Paediatric Society posits that the media an essential tool for sensitization and enlightenment of the masses.
Harmful effects of television mainly accrue from the sensationalism associated with violent behavior. This makes children especially insensitive to the plight of others. Moreover, they may be exposed to sexually explicit content, and this may make them want to explore their sexuality at a younger age. Additionally, children exposed to unrealistic body images are prone to thinking of these particular media presentations of beauty as the ideal truth. The media promotes unhealthy eating habits which include intake of fast foods, and this behavior is likely to rub on to the character of the child.
The Canadian Paediatric Society further posits that modern-day television has become the mirror via which children mirror their sexuality. Sexuality in children begins to develop just before puberty at about ten years old and is enhanced through various social stratifications. Consumption of material on sexuality is likely to influence the child to mimic such behavior and hence erases the innate feeling of independence in the child's self-determination. The Canadian Paediatric Society reports the same thing concerning violent media. While creators of Hollywood use sex and violence to sell their media content, they pay little attention to the overall effect such content has on the consumers. Media technologies evolve faster than researchers can research their impact on users, and this is a dangerous trajectory for the future of media consumers.
Overall, the media plays an essential role in the socialization and the learning process of every child. Canadian Paediatric Society finds that children exposed to media and television viewing early in life is likely to develop either positive or negative depending on their specific use. Some of the natural adverse effects of the press include addiction, dependence on the press for gratification, and lack of touch with the environment around. The Canadian Paediatric Society finds that children wrongfully exposed to media content from a young age lose track of the social world around them even as the same channels of media assist them in learning language and communication skills. This research is essential because it contributes to an ever-evolving discourse that struggles to keep up with the rapid changes in technology and that tries
References
Ansari, A., & Crosnoe, R. (2016). Children's hyperactivity, television viewing, and the potential for child effects. Children and Youth Services Review, 61 (1), 135-140doi. 10.1016/j.childyouth.2015.12.018
CPSS. (1999). Children and the Media. Ontario: Canadian Society Paediatric Statement.
Wood, C., Cockrell, A., Brown, J., Brown, C., Howard, J., Steiner, M., et al. (2019). Concordance of Child and Parent Reports of Children's Screen Media Use. Academic Pediatrics, 19 (5), 529-533. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2019.04.002.
