Influence of Videos on Kids & Teens
Nowadays, kids and teens alike are immersed in media, including videos--TV content, movies, and streaming video on the Internet--as never before. Aside from "regular" video content seen on the TV, the Internet revolution has enabled teens and kids to access an ever-wider range of content using an increasingly wide range of devices--and practically anywhere as well. This media immersion has had profound implications regarding the influence of video content on teens and kids.
Other People Are Reading
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Media Statistics
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Studies have found that kids and teens today are far more exposed to media than before. A study released by the Kaiser Family Foundation has found that those aged eight to 18 years spend an average of seven hours and 38 minutes--more than 53 hours a week--engaged in "media multitasking", being exposed to more than one medium at a time, including videos. This activity has enabled them to stuff a total of 10 hours and 45 minutes worth of media content into those seven hours and 38 minutes.
Video Violence
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A study published in the Journal of the American Psychological Society has determined that violence in media sources such as videos, movies and TV has a modest stimulatory effect on serious forms of violent behavior, such as hitting or threatening others, throwing objects at others, and participating in gang fights. These negative effects of frequent exposure have also been found to extend into adulthood--even if exposure to violent media has ceased. Lastly, even individuals who are not highly aggressive can be negatively affected by such exposure.
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Scholastic Implications
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The Kaiser Foundation study has not established a cause-and-effect relationship between grades and media use. However, 47 percent of the heavy media users surveyed--those who indulge in more than 16 hours of exposure daily--say that their grades are usually fair or poor, mostly Cs or lower. Only about 23 percent of light media users, who consume fewer than three hours of media daily, have said the same.
Health Effects
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The Kaiser Foundation study and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) say that kids and teens who consistently spend four hours daily or more watching videos are more likely to be overweight. Too much screen time has been found to take time away from important physical activities such as playing and sports, especially if combined with the consumption of junk food and sweets.
Social Consequences
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These studies have determined that despite the increasing opportunities for online interaction today's kids and teens are gifted with, becoming heavy consumers of video and other such media can still serve to isolate them in several ways. They may have less time to spend with family members as a result of their video immersion, and in healthy interactions with their peers outside of formal scholastic settings and social networking sites.
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