Should the media be blamed for influencing youths today? Give 3 reasons why you think so.
No, i feel that the media should not be blamed for influencing youths today. This is because there are also other reasons why youths are influenced. Firstly, i feel that youths need to have the self-discipline to restrict themselves from watching or even imitating porn. As as study from the University of Alberta has shown, as many as 90 percent of boys and 70 percent of girls aged 13 to 14 have accessed sexually explicit content at least once. This shows that the number of youths accessing explicit content online is increasing on a daily basis. However, as long as youths have the self-discipline, they would be able to resist the temptation of going online to watch explicit content.
Secondly, parents also play a important role in educating their children about these kind of content. They are responsible for what their children do. They have to start educating their children from young about moral values and also to teach them take responsibility for their own decisions. If parents do not keep a watchful eye over what their children are doing on the internet, they would not know what their children are doing on the computer. As such, they should also take the blame for allowing explicit content to influence their children.
Thirdly, i feel that the peers of youths also play an important role in this matter. If the youths are exposed to bad influence, they would most like succumb to peer pressure and follow what their peers do as they do not want to be outcasted. As a result, this exposes them to diferent kinds of explicit content, or even drug abuse and smoking. However if the youth has good friends around him/her, he/she would be able to resist the temptation of such explicit content with the help from his/her friends. His/her friends are also able to help the youth in times of difficulty or need.
Thus with all these, i conclude that the media should not be completely blamed for influencing the youths today as there are other forms of influence surrounding the youths nowadays.
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This shows that the number of youths accessing explicit content online is increasing on a daily basis. However, as long as youths have the self-discipline, they would be able to resist the temptation of going online to watch explicit content.
ReplyDeleteThe missing link in your argument above is the media's role in influencing youths. If there is an increasing exposure to undesirable content, how does that influence youths? You mention 'imitation': elaborate on that. How do they imitate? The way they dress? How they interact with their peers (esp. of opposite gender)? The activities they engage in?
They have to start educating their children from young about moral values and also to teach them take responsibility for their own decisions. If parents do not keep a watchful eye over what their children are doing on the internet, they would not know what their children are doing on the computer.
Where is your evidence? Examples of how effective/ineffective parental controls are over media/technology? What are the tools and knowledge required so that parents can also positively influence the child?
The argument should also include how to positively influence the child rather than protecting the child from negative influences. Also, it should not turn into a 'blame' game.
Germaine: I like the progression of your response. Should this be an essay, perhaps you could make it more balanced by including OVs such as:
Yes the media does provide a certain degree of influence (through depictions of sex, violence, criminal behaviour etc) BUT this is under the assumption that youths are unable to think for themselves or lack guidance from other sources ( 2 of which you have listed)
Great job!
Zeng Woon says
ReplyDeleteI do agree with your point. To help with your argument,like mentioned in class, media is a TOOL which people manipulate for their own uses.
I personally find the first paragraph having room for development though it has majority of the structure in place. You did not explain further; so what if they are able to resist the temptation of going online to watch explicit content? What implications will it mean for the youths who do or do not view the explicit content?
Then I feel that the third paragraph can be developed better even if it's a valid point. Because I feel right the way the point is put across makes it sound quite casual. A casual tone CANNOT be adopted in an essay. Yeah. :D
Of course there are many other reasons why media should not be completely blamed, but at least here, the points are sufficient, though not balanced enough for an essay. :)
Good Job! :)