Introduction

Imagine you're in the seat of a five, six or even a ten year old watching all the shooting, violence and negative images the television has to offer from simply skimming through the channels or even the radio. In today's fast paced world we have allowed the media to become the leading touch of persuasion. The media is technonlogy's most powerful tool. Unfortunately it does not always teach positive lessons to our youth. It has provided the opportunity for youth to distort reality into fallacies using such sources as television, music, video games and a number of new aged gadgets that we consider indispensible. For over thousands of today's children the media has gained the power to, in fact, become the other parent.

The Quest

What are the negative effects the media have on children?

The Process and Resources

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Phase 1 - Background: Something for Everyone

Unraveling new media's effects on children:
1. Why do you think media has far outstripped reading storybooks?
2. How would you rate the way all media use affects a childs cognitive, social and emotional development?
3. What is your opinion on the ' whole new media world'?

• Unraveling new media's effects on children - This site talks about how electronic developments influence a childs development.

Phase 2 - Looking Deeper from Different Perspectives

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Parent

Parenting in the television age:
1. Why do you think T.V. has changed so much over the years?
2. What is the relationship between children and T.V.?
3. What way would you design T.V. to suit children?

Introducing the Markey Moran Burton Spratt amendment on parental blocking of TV shows that harm children:
1. What would happen if parents could block what there children hear or see from media?
2. Can you invent an alternative for blocking negative media from your child?
3. What way would you design an alternative?

How do parents increase their influence over the negative effects of mass media, the internet and the rest of the outside world:

1. Can you elaborate on a reason why parental influence plays a big part on children?
2. How would you rate the media infulence on children?
3. What would happen if there were no ratings on televsion?

• Parenting in the Television Age - This website provides information for parents that want to keep children away from the violent images television has to offer.
• INTRODUCING THE MARKEY-MORAN-BURTON-SPRATT AMENDMENT ON PARENTAL BLOCKING OF TV SHOWS THAT HARM CHILDREN - This site was an amendment passed to give parents the ability to control what their children are viewing on television and the priveledge to block what they may think is obscene for their child's viewing.
• How do parents increase their influence over the negative effects of mass media, the internet and the rest of the outside world? - This site talks about how increasingly competitive economy is creating an environment where parents are forced to spend longer hours at work and fewer hours with their children. As a result, outside influences have greater access and influence over our children then ever before.

Society

The effects of media's violence on the behavior of children:
1. How would you improve media ?
2. Can you predict the outcome if media had less violence?
3. Based on what you know how would you explain the effect of media on children?

The effects of negative media in the United States:
1. How would you test the way media effects our children?
2.Suppose you could stop violence in media what would you do?
3.Can you think of an original way for the producers of today to make movies just as interesting but without the violence?

Children and Television:
1. How would you prove violent media allows childen to act out with agreesion?
2.What would you select for a five year old to watch on the television?
3.What facts can you compile about the good that the media has for children?

• THE EFFECTS OF MEDIA'S VIOLENCE ON THE BEHAVIOR OF CHILDREN - This site discusses the way that media violence gives children a reason to act out.
• The Effects of Negative Media in the United States: Negative Media Creates an Apathetic Nation - This site discusses how the effects of media have been studied many times over the last few decades. Many researchers have conducted studies examining the effects of media on groups and individuals in society (Orange and George 2000). They are all trying to answer questions, which pertain to the correlation between media and its effects.
• Children and Television - This site talks about how children today spend most of their time watching television. It is sad to say that most children spend anywhere from three to ten hours daily watching t.v.

Psychologists/Researchers

The psychological effects of media violence:
1. Can you propose an alternative for viewing television?
2. Can you predict the outcome if children never watched T.V.?
3.How would you adapt if there were no violence in media?

The effects of media violence on children:
1.What can be done to minimize the violence in the media?
2.What can be done to maximize the positve effects from media?
3.How could you determine if children act out based on what they see?

The psychological effects of violent media on children:
1. How would you justify the good in media?
2. Why do you think movies,and video games have a psychlogical effect on todays youth?
3.What eveidence can you find that it does have an effect?

• The Psychological Effects of Media Violence - This site talks about how Research on media violence is often misunderstood by the general public. One reason has to do with research methodology. We can't randomly assign children early in their lives to watch different doses of violence on television and then 15 years later see which children committed violent crimes.
• The Effects of Media Violence on Children - This site talks about the violence in the media and how it effects children and when viewing certain t.v. shows can model both negative and positive behavior.
• The Psychological Effects of Violent Media on Children - This site states that recent research has shown that connections between children playing violent video games can cause later aggressive behavioral problems. In retrospect studies have also shown a twelve percent increase in aggressive behavior after watching violent television as well.

Educator

The effects on media violence on chiildren:
1. How would you rate the effects of media violence on children?
2. Can you asses the value or importance of blocking violent media from our youth?
3. How could you determine whether media has a positve or negative effect on children?

Taming the media monster:
1. How would you rate the violene in today's cartoons?
2. How could you determine whether cartoons impact children in a negative way?
3. Can you predict the outcome of the future if media violence continues to grow?

Children, media violence and sex; research and recommendations:
1.What facts can you compile about the good media has to offer?
2. How would estimate the results for negative actions in children?
3. Can you invent a solution to put a stop to media violence?

• The Effects of Media Violence on Children - This is the story of a educator who now works in controlling the effects of media on children.
• Taming the media monster - This site talks about how educators deal with talking to parents about their child and how media may have a negative effect on them.
• CHILDREN, MEDIA VIOLENCE AND SEX: RESEARCH AND RECOMMENDATIONS - This site talks about the many factors that shape the socialisation process by which children develop their beliefs and attitudes, and ultimately their patterns of behavior. The role of parents and peers, among others, is certainly critical. But influence from the media environment is also a consistent factor. This site also offers advice for educators.

Phase 3 - Debating, Discussing, and Reaching Consensus

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Phase 4 - Real World Feedback

For my first real world feed back I took a survey of 25 students, teachers, and parents.Out of twenty five surveys twenty three thought media had an effect on children, two thought it did not.One person thought it had a positive effect, nine thought it had a negative effect, four thought N/A and eleven thought the effect was both positive and negative.

For my second real world feed back I interviewed the supervisor,Chris Jackson from Silver Shores Community Services child care center.

Your Contact is: Chris Jackson

Conclusion

In conclusion, my opinion on the topic at hand is that the media has both a negative and positive effect on our youth. I feel the effect is more negative than positive because of what I have seen, heard,and researched.There are so many negative examples in the news of children acting out due to media involvement.It is very hard for children to distinguish between reality and fantasy. This causes our children of today to act out based on what they see. I strongly believe that seeing, hearing and interacting, for example, with video games full of violence obstructs a child's vision of a healthy start in life. Another hot issue is the promotion of sex in media. It is said that 'sex sells'. It helps tell the story and shows emotional gratification. The truth of the matter is whether this is true or false, the media should not be the first to introduce intimacy to our children. There are only some positve actions that children portray from what they see or hear from media. From my research on this project statistics say that the negative effects are much greater.