How Does The Media Influence And Manipulate Today’s Society?
... program that is overweight, or doesn’t fit the medias idea of “beautiful”. Another way that the media influences young people is by advertising unrealistic figures like Barbie dolls. Almost every little girl wants a Barbie doll at one point in her life. Young girls think they are so beautiful and want to look like them, not realizing how unrealistic she is. In an essay entitled "How does the media influence young people in today’s society”, the author points this out in saying ” Barbie was unleashed to the world in a revealing swimming costume, wearing make up and fully accessorized. With her ruby red lips, plucked eyebrows and pretty ponytail, she became the icon to many young girls. It is a proven fact that her proportions could never be humanly possible to achieve. If she were the actually life size, she would stand an incredible seven feet tall, with body measurements of a 37inch bust, 20inch waist, and 25inch hips. If she could stand, despite her huge, heavy bust, Barbie could not play sport or even walk. She is supposed to be a young teenage girl but does her exaggerated measurements and perfect features portray the right image to impressionable seven-year-old girls? “ The media also affects and influences young peoples attitudes and behavior sexually, and attitudes towards drugs and violence. According to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the effects of media consumption on young people's attitudes and behavior regarding sex should be taken into consideration and if possible changed and corrected. The sexual content of things viewed in the media is becoming a great concern to many because there are high levels of sexual content and low levels of portrayal of responsible sexual conduct, which is according to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development “a causal influence on young people's subsequent sexual behavior, including the responsible use of protection from pregnancy and disease.” The NIH feels that the mass media could be used to promote responsible sexual behavior among youth instead of what they are currently promoting. The media seems to have the greatest influence among young children and adolescents because they watch so much television, accept everything they see, and they repeat it. At a young age they are not mature enough to know that everything they see and hear isn’t right. This is where drugs and violence in the media can negatively affect children. Children see violent thuggish behavior on television or hear it on the radio in songs and commercials and they repeat it. This is one of many reasons that some things in the media should be changed or edited. Not only does the media influence young people, but it also has a great influence on adults. A very influential commercial is a Trimspa commercial with Anna Nicole S...