Does the Media Truly Effect Human Behavior?

Destiny Williams

English IV-4a Mrs. Jones 1, April 2014

Williams i Outline Thesis: Studies show that the media effects, such as music, video games, magazines, social media, and television and movies are causing a negative effect on human behavior in the United States. I. Music can cause people to have a negative effect a. Music can trigger peoples memories. b. Rap music make people act out negatively. c. Music can also cause people to act in a positive way. II. Video games can send the wrong message to the players. a. Video games cause people to act out wrongly. b. Two teenagers, who had a daily routine of video games, killed classmates a teacher and their selves. III. Counter arguments in a paragraph a. Media has no effect on human behavior. b. Body image on the internet and magazines shouldnt affect your image on yourself. IV. Magazines that show body image seen by society. a. People are have drastic surgeries to make them look different and thinner. b. The wrong body image makes people dressed and gain more weight.

Williams ii V. Social media can distract people from the real world. a. Teens lose study time because they are always on social networks. b. Social media can negatively harm communication skills VI. Television and movies are becoming too violent and sexual. a. Television can effects you physically and emotionally b. Sexual scenes and reality TV shows are making teens become sexually active.

Williams 1 Does the Media Truly Effect Human Behavior?

Studies show entertainment media with increased levels of violence, sexual behavior, body image distortion, substance abuse, and obesity have massive effects on the behavior of the human mind (Rich 156). A survey of 17 items about children exposure to media, including: television, movies, music, video games, and social networks were taking in the U.S to show if there is any relation to human behavior after being exposed to media. Individuals in a highly emotional state or in a state of physiological arousal were most affected and they were more apt to take part in aggressive behavior in response to seeing violence on TV. Psychiatric Times stated in a recent article You turn on your TV and go to the movies and violence is there. If you live in a fictional world, then the fictional world becomes your reality (1). Studies show that the media effects, such as music, video games, magazines, social media, and television and movies are causing a negative effect on human behavior in the United States. Music Effects Music has been used to affect emotions based on major verses many ways. A tune can trigger emotions ranging from joy

Williams 2 to deep sorrow and can bring listeners into states of patristic fervor. Also music has a strong hold on the human brain. A short piece of a song from the past can bring memories. Reporters think music artists have a big impact on peoples choices and their well began. They state artists have become lax with the message and image they are sent to the public. Gangsta rap is often involved with street gangs, gun play, sex, drug use and violence. Teens and early twenties young men are living the life these rappers are persuading they have. Then when brought to jail, people are blaming their actions on the lyrics of the music they are listing to. Studies also have found that exposure to rap music tends to lead a higher degree of acceptance of the use of violence (study mode). Some rap artists are concerned about their past and how their actions take a part of the violent messages in their music. Although music can cause you to do wrong, some people play music for positive reasons. People might play music before a big game to get them hyped and focus and get the butterflies out. Other play music before a test, or after a big argument with someone, to calm them down. Music can have a huge effect on Americans, but it is all in how people take it. Video Games Effects

Williams 3 Anything that promotes something can be called propaganda. What we call entertainment is really propaganda for violence (Psychiatric Times 1). A case study was produced when two teenage boys killed 12 students, a teacher, and their selves, were assumed to be centered on violent video games. Arline Kaplan states some mentally ill individuals, like the two boys, are vulnerable to violence. They are sick and they may misinterpret (11). Violence in the media has been increasing proportions that are becoming very dangerous. Studies show how violence saturated media leads to the increasing acceptance of violence in society. One prisoner who was interviewed stated he acted out after watching violent movies and playing video games. The effect it had on him made him want to try those things in the real world. You cannot let the video game world control your life. Some research claims that the media has no effect on human behavior, but in fact affects about 78% of the United States. Although some researchers believe that people shouldnt be pursued to do negative things just because a person saw it on television or online, these causes are still happening. While it is true that people shouldnt think they have to change their body to have the certain look society made this doesnt account

Williams 4 for people that still have major surgery or starve their selves to what people believe is beautiful. Magazines Effects Cultural factors are thought to play central role in the maintenance of eating disorders. The central aim of the present study was to experimentally assess the effects of exposure to the thin-ideal for women affects body satisfaction, and stereotypes (Shaw 288). This analysis examined media exposure to womens body dissatisfaction, eating behaviors and effect sizes. Although little to none research has examined the effects of these images on women there is still proof. Women see these skinny tall women in magazines and on television and have a need to look like that because our society has brainwashed people to believe if you dont look like that, then you are not pretty. Those women take surgical measures and major risks to get the beauty image. Men also think they have to look buff and fit to be handsome and the ladies man. Americans hate their selves because people are throwing pictures and images in their faces in magazines and on building boards constantly showing them how they should look. Results indicate that exposure to the thinideal produced depression, stress, guilt, shame, insecurity, and body dissatisfaction. People feel guilty and ashamed because

Williams 5 most are working out and not getting the results they need. Some Americans have a hard time living in the skin they are in. Social Media Effects The role social media plays in how younger age groups of today think and interact with other people and how much their academic performance can change. Studies show that teens on social media grades decline from others who uses no social networks. Social media often takes up a lot of time that could be used to study. 52% of teens spend their afternoons on social networks when should be doing homework and studying. Some say

that face to face conversation will decrease because of the new social network technologies. Researchers think that because most people are communicating through email, text or other networks that when in a face to face environment people will not be able to hold a conversation. Evidence to support the claims that social media is actually harming peoples ability to interact compactly in an offline setting. Social media of all kinds has become such an important part of our society that looking at it in a negative way will only set us back (Human Interaction 54). In relativity, it is setting us back and harming our young people to strive for a future of success. Social media is a

Williams 6 constant changing field and even if we solve the questions, more will come about. Television and Movies Effects Television and movies have a physical effect on humans because always watching the television at a certain distance can cause you to have eyesight problems in the long run. Americans usually eat a small meal or so when watching a movie or TV show; they become overweight and lazy to outside activities. Action movies can become a problem in the mental process. Too many Action movies can become harmful to the mind because you can start to think it has to be a part of your life to pick fights and kill people. People become aggressive when another person tells them something and can cause them to act out with little control of their actions. Television can stop the lack of communication also because when a person is so into a television show or movie; they lose focus on important duties. People can get so wrapped up in the television world and lose what is in sight of them. It is not yet known whether over exposure to sexual content is making young people more thoughtful about their decisions or more reckless. Dr. Drew Pinsky says shows like 16

Williams 7 and Pregnant are beneficial because young men and women see the life of teen pregnancy and parenthood. Other researchers say those shows are promoting parenthood and some teens just want to have a spotlight on a show. Sexually active teens are at immediate risk for pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Each year 900,000 teenage girls are becoming pregnant and are less than 17 years old. From watching movies and television

teens in the United States are involved in sexual activity at earlier ages and with many partners. Teenagers today are more advanced and quick to grow up than a teenager in the 60s or 70s, when teens were forced to get married and started a family early, children today are willingly doing these things. It has been demonstrated that media do have an effect on human behavior. Studies show that media effects, such as music, video games, magazines, social media, and television and movies are causing a negative effect on human behavior in the United States. People spend hours a day doing one of these media activities; they will soon get an effect from them. Some may have a stronger effect from media than the other, but media can change you for better or for the worst.

Williams 8 Work Cited Bar-on, Miriam, and Michael Rich. Child Health in the Information Age: Media Education of Pediatricians. Pediatrics Jan. 2001: 156. GeneralOnefile. Web. 21 Feb. 2014 Effects of Music on Human Behavior. Studymode. Web. 7 Mar. 2014 Eitel, Patricia, et al. Impact of the Media on Adolescent Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors. Pediatrics July 2005: 303. GeneralOnefile. Web. 22 Feb. 2014 Eric Stice and Heather Shaw. (1994) Adverse Affects of the Media Portrayed Thin-Ideal on Women and linkages to Bulimic Symptomatology. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology Vol 13, NO 3, pp. 288-308 Grabe, Shelly, JANET Shibly Hyde, and L. Monique Ward. The Role of the Media in Body Image Concerns Among Women: A Meta Analysis of Experimental and Co relational Studies. Psychological Bulletin 134. 3 (2008): 460. GeneralOnefile. Web. 22 Feb. 2014 Kaplan, Arline. Violence in the Media: What Effects on Behavior? Psychiatric Times Oct. 2012: 1. GeneralOnefile. Web. 20 Feb. 2014 Media, Morality in. Letter-writing Campaign on Obscenity. Civil Rights in America. Woodbriage ct: Primary SOURCE Media, 1999. American Journey. Student Resources in

Williams 9 Context. Web. 10 Mar. 2014 Pearce, Cindi. The Effects of Mass Media on Human Behavior. EHow. Demand Media, 21 May 201. Web. 7 Mar. 2014 Psychiatric Times. Psychiatric Times. Web. 7 Mar. 2014 Walsh, Patrick, et al. Differences in Event Brand Personality Between Social Media Users and Non-users. Sport marketing Quarterly 22, 4(2013): 214 GeneralOnefile. Web. 7 Mar. 2014 Social Medias Affect on Human Interaction. HASTAC. Web. 7 Mar. 2014 The Effect of Music on Peoples Behavior Todd Linder Spcm 2360 Dr Roger Stahl. The Effects of Music on Peoples Behavior. Web. 7 Mar 2014 The Effect of Social Media on Studying. UWIRE Text 26 Jan. 2014: 1. GeneralOnefile. Web. 22 Feb. 2014 The Effect on Social Media on Human Behavior. Studymode. Web. 7 Mar. 2014