"The easiest way to get teenagers to adopt a certain behavior is to make it seem as if everyone is doing it." This quote from Pediatric Annals sums up the effect of media on teenagers perfectly. For teens the media can have both positive and negative influences but unfortunately it is mostly negative.
Teenagers see 2000 beer commercials a year. Also violence and sex are ubiquitous in the media. The media portrays drinking, smoking, and sex as fun and commonplace. It rarely shows the negative consequences of these behaviors.
So, what's a parent to do? Actually the answer is the same as for younger kids.
1. Make sure your teen is watching / playing age appropriate tv / video games. Become familiar with the rating systems. Also there is often information available online or in the newspaper geared to parents as to what is in a movie that might be inappropriate for certain ages.
2. Talk with you teen about media pitfalls before they occur. Some subjects include "sexting", internet bullying, and what is appropriate to post on social media such as Facebook.
3. Consume media with your teens. Watch tv and movies together, listen to their choice of music with them, friend them on Facebook. Not only will you have fun with your teen but by doing these things together you can more easily discuss sensitive topics. Try not to lecture your teen instead ask them questions about what do they think about something. Or what would they do in a particular situation. You often get very entertaining answers!
No comments:
Post a Comment