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Media As An Influence In Youth Culture
The media executives are quick to defend their role in youth violence and bullying while selling millions of dollars in add space focused on youth. Lets take a closer look at the reality of this issue. TV producers, network executives, motion picture companies and others in the media world downplay and deny any impact of their programs on the attitudes and actions of youth. Meanwhile they continue to spend millions on special effects and marketing geared to increase appeal to youth markets. While corporations spend millions on market research and advertising to create products and campaigns targeted at a youth demographic, they still deny their ability to influence youth attitudes and culture.
If this were true to fact, would Nike continue spending millions every year on product development, marketing and advertising? Would McDonalds still be using cartoon like characters to sell hamburgers? Would music labels be increasing the level of violence and sexual content in the music geared towards the youth audience? Would liquor companies be using youth oriented activities in their advertising? Of course it works on influencing youth attitudes and ideals advertising would not be a multi-billion dollar a year business. If it had no influence, M-TV would not have consultant on staff spending huge amounts of money to ensure they keeping up with youth culture. Clothing companies are spending millions to get young good-looking individuals to make plain and boring clothes look appealing to youth. Youth respond to visual advertising more than other forms. This is due to the fact that youth want to visualize them selves using the product or service. An example of this would be simply as follows. Even adults are manipulated by these practices. For example, Roots comes out with a new hat. You hear an ad for this hat on the radio. You may be curious but you cannot visualize the actual style or yourself wearing this item. Next you see the ad in a newspaper. Now you can visualize the product but it is only a photo. Now you see a television commercial. The persons in the commercial are snowboarding and having fun. A song is playing in the ad that catches your ear. Now you subconsciously associate the product with fun, excitement and style. Now you want to go and purchase that hat.
This is a plain and straight example of how the media in it’s simplest for influences youth culture. Now if you consider how often youth are subjected to the idea that you need to look perfect, be thin, use violence and smoke cannabis etc. it is a powerful and effective influence or it would not be such big business. If they took more responsibility in the attitudes they are creating they are scared that they would not make the revenues that they currently enjoy.
This has an effect on society on a whole because of the younger kids looking up to the older youth for guidance. They want to mimic the older youth as they see as “cool”. Adults have a desire to look and feel younger and therefore they tend to follow youth trends in order to facilitate this
behavior. Thus the media has a large influence on society as a whole. They effectively manipulate and create false perception to further their own financial objectives.
CONTACT END YOUTH VIOLENCE AT 604.592.6830
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