The evolution of the media is happening rapidly and adolescents are in the middle of it. Compared to a century ago where the main sources of role models and socialization were found within the family and the immediate community, today the media has taken over this role (Giles & Maltby, 2004). Most families even in the developing world have access to televisions, radio, mobile phones and the internet. Due to the availability of information and interconnectedness of the world via the media and the internet, an adolescent could be drawing influence from anyone in the world (Crone & Konijn, 2018). This exposure translates to an immense range of influences for the adolescents and this can be both overwhelming and detrimental. Assessing the impact of media on adolescent development is significant to this organization as it helps to determine the positive and negative impacts and what caregivers can do to maximize the benefits of media exposure as they cannot avoid it.
Many theories of adolescence emphasize the concept of identity formation during adolescence. Erik Erikson says that during this period, children feel the need to detach themselves from parents and form secondary attachments to other people whose values they are attracted to (Giles & Maltby, 2004). These secondary attachments also play a social and emotional role in the development of romantic relationships. Due to the extensive exposure to media characters in today’s world, adolescents are forming their secondary attachments to celebrities who they admire. While this may feel safe as they get to somewhat practice their romantic relationship from a safe distance with a person they consider perfect, it is also harmful to their social and emotional health (Giles & Maltby, 2004). Although these celebrities do not know them, the emotions that adolescents feel toward them are real and these holds them back from exploring real social relationships. In his ‘Field Theory’, Kurt Lewin says that how adolescents think they are viewed affects the formation of a positive self-concept. The media often portrays unrealistic standards of beauty and normalcy and this can affect adolescents’ self-perception ("Impact of media use on children and youth," 2003). The adolescent need to fit in can cause fanaticism, eating disorders, aggression or drug use when such images are presented in the media.
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The media often advertises to adolescents and this can be detrimental to their physical health. For instance, food advertised to children is not always healthy and can cause obesity ("Impact of media use on children and youth," 2003; Collins, n.d.). Television shows, music, and content in the media often depict sexual activities. Adolescents have a heightened libido, so exposure to this can lead to reckless sexual behavior and unwanted pregnancies which affect their normal development (Crone & Konijn, 2018). However, the media may not be all bad as it offers cognitive stimulation for the growing person due to the access it provides to information (Collins, n.d.). Adolescents acquire formal thinking skills which allow them to tackle more complex problems and they need stimulation to advance cognitively. Parents are not always available to provide guidance and the media can be used as a tool for this.
A review of the literature on this topic can help to determine the specific impacts of current media exposure on adolescent development. There are unique biological changes in the brain during adolescence as the child is growing rapidly and is quite unstable (Crone & Konijn, 2018). Reviewing how these processes are affected by exposure to different types of content in the media can also provide useful insight into how the media influences acceptance, peer pressure, social and emotional interactions, and rejection; all of which are important for a healthy identity formation. Recommendations made can be used by the organization to formulate ways to help adolescents and their caregivers navigate media influence even when current technological advancement makes this difficult.
References
Collins, R. L. (n.d.). Exploring the relationship between media and adolescent health: Rand Health Care. Retrieved from https://www.rand.org/health/feature/media_influences.html
Crone, E. A., & Konijn, E. A. (2018). Media use and brain development during adolescence. Nature Communications , 9 (1). doi:10.1038/s41467-018-03126-x
Giles, D. C., & Maltby, J. (2004). The role of media figures in adolescent development: relations between autonomy, attachment, and interest in celebrities. Personality and Individual Differences , 36 (4), 813-822. doi:10.1016/s0191-8869(03)00154-5
Impact of media use on children and youth. (2003). Paediatrics & Child Health , 8 (5), 301-306. doi:10.1093/pch/8.5.301
