MEDIA EFFECTS

Media Effects Research

Media Effects Research

1. Executive Summary of Sex on TV4 Finding Four

The website (http://www.kff.org/entmedia/7250.cfm) includes a report regarding the issue of Sex on TV. The fourth key finding of Sex on TV4 executive summary explains that some shows are incorporating more risk and responsibility messages than others.

In the executive summary, references to safer sex issues or for the risks and responsibilities of sexual activity are obviously not appropriate in every scene or every show with sexual content. According to study, the shows having sexual content or scene are not including risk and responsibility messages. Therefore, this may cause harmful effects on the minds of children and teens. Exposure to sexual and violent content on television is a significant contributor to many aspects of young people's sexual knowledge, beliefs, expectations, attitudes, and behaviors.

The fact that teen sex is a major public health problem and the physical, emotional, and social consequences of teen sexual activity include increased rates of teen pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases including AIDS, explains the significance of this finding. A survey shows that an average child or teen in United States watches at least 3 hours of TV each day. The sexual dialogue on television has almost the same impact on teens and children as the representation of sex. These sexual talks and scenes lead to unplanned sex which results in early pregnancy or in worst case STD (sexually transmitted diseases).

It is clear that nobody is free from the influence of media in modern society as it is vital to be well informed and thus be exposed to or be manipulated in a more or less indirect. The primary objective of media is to shape public opinion so as to generate support for corporate issues.

2. Theory of Excitation Transfer and Media

Excitation transfer theory relates very well to views of sex in mass media. Anxious mothers complain about the large amount of sex, drugs, violence, and alcohol present in popular music, TV shows, movies, etc., feeling that it is setting a bad example for their children.

Advertisers are aware of the effect sexual images can have on a potential consumer, and they take advantage of that.

If a parent wants to make sure that their child is not viewing sexually explicit or violent material, the parent should do his or her part. Almost 80% of all video game purchases made are by parents who buy them for the child. If the parents do not want the child viewing the violence contained in a game, maybe the parent should have read the label that has a rating system on it. Should society be required to ban a movie or game because of parents not watching their children? Absolutely not, rather, parents should take the preventive measures provided. If they do not want their children to view sexually explicit material on TV, all televisions built after 1990 have a v-chip in them, which means that parents can block such material.

The media should not be blamed for the problems ...