Jana

Question: What effects do different reality tv shows have on the behavior and personality of teenagers?
Websites: [|Television's Impact on Kids]

[|The 15 Worst Reality TV Shows Ever Made]

[|The Real World Of Sweet 16s]

[|My Super Sweet 16 Reviews]

Important Quotes: I see evidence that reality shows are fueling a cultural shift, especially among girls and are causing ripples of social change by encouraging young women to feel the thrill of being mean.'' -Cheryl Dellasega

'The media creates the ideal image of beautiful men and women, you can see it in movies and tv. Its a subliminal way to tell you that if you are not like them you are not cool yet so its time to buy the stuff they buy and look like they look.'' -Ray Uson

Important information:

Kids and teens 8 to 18 years spend nearly 4 hours a day in front of a TV screen and almost 2 additional hours on the computer (outside of schoolwork) and playing video games. As kids get older, too much screen time can interfere with activities such as being physically active, reading, doing homework, playing with friends, and spending time with family. But despite its advantages, too much television can be detrimental:
 * Children who consistently spend more than 4 hours per day watching TV are more likely to be overweight.
 * Kids who view violent acts are more likely to show aggressive behavior but also fear that the world is scary and that something bad will happen to them.
 * TV characters often depict risky behaviors, such as smoking and drinking, and also reinforce gender-role and racial stereotypes. []#

Research on violent television and films, video games, and music reveals unequivocal evidence that media violence increases the likelihood of aggressive and violent behavior in both immediate and long-term contexts.
 * The Influence of Media Violence on Youth:**
 * []**

Unfortunately, most of the media you are exposed to do not show people in a realistic way. Characters on TV are often shown with unrealistic "perfect" bodies. Women are shown as too thin and men are shown with larger-than-life muscles. Photographs in magazines or billboards are edited on the computer to erase flaws and imperfections. Even if you know that what you see is not normal or not real, it can still impact you. Many teens want to be like the characters they see on TV. Also, some forms of media do not show the real diversity of the world. According to Common Sense Media, 74 percent of the characters on TV are Caucasian, and 64 percent of video game characters are males. []
 * Stereotypes**