Media Violence and Aggression in Children and Adolescents

Technology has grown exponentially within the last decade and is now an integral part of our current society where children and adolescents are especially huge participants. However, researchers have been questioning technology’s impact on children and adolescents from a developmental aspect, and have conjectured that violent media technology has the potential to greatly impact the development of youth aggression. Much attention has been given to the possible harmful side effects of violent media, especially in light of recent tragedies such as the Columbine, Aurora Colorado, Sandy Hook, and Stoneman Douglas shootings. Over the years, however, many professional health and research associations have come to an agreement, that being continuously exposed to violent media has been positively correlated to many of the harmful and aggressive behaviors such as bullying, fighting, and the rise of delinquency often seen within this recent generation.

With the constant emergence of newer technologies readily available on a continual basis, the lessening of restrictive content being presented to viewing audiences, and the lessening of adult supervision of what children are being exposed to, it is important now more than ever to understand the effects viewing violent media content can have on a developing child and adolescent. Furthermore, having this understanding can enable better intervention strategies for children and adolescents struggling with augmented aggression that is outside of normal and healthful development after viewing media violence.

Researchers have found that the media content of today’s society is vastly violent to include aggressive scenarios that often involves purposefully killing or harming others to advance oneself, one’s cause, or without any justifiable reason at all. Along with this violence is a growing fascination with portraying excessive amounts of violence against women. Although the focus is on the negative effect violence in media can have on children and adolescents, there are many programs that still portray good values and have educational benefits that can positively affect the emotional, psychosocial, and cognitive development of youth. However, the negative effects of exposure to violence, inappropriate sexuality, offensive language, and adult themes have been thoroughly documented and proven to cause more psychological harm than good.

The youths of today are gravitating more and more towards technological medias due to its prevalence and accessibility. However, researchers believe that a child’s developmental level is a critical factor in determining whether media content will have positive or negative effects on them. Because children learn by observing, imitating, and or adopting behaviors that are witnessed and or thought of as being reinforced, young children especially can be particularly sensitive to aggressive forms of media technology. Thus, violent media content has the capability to influence child and adolescent learning and behaviors in detrimental ways.

Adolescence are particularly vulnerable in that this is an intense time of considerable physical, cognitive, psychological, and psychosocial development. It is a critical time where they begin to formulate who they are as individuals and where they will fit in to society through identity formation. There are many demands on today’s adolescents where future adult development and the need to figure out how they will contribute to society is the primary function through various modes such as schooling, family, peers, and the community in which they live. Therefore, if adolescents are immerged in constant media violence, they may begin to become desensitized to the aggressive behaviors and integrate it into their identity development.

In closing, it is important to monitor the times spent in front of the television and social media as well as equally important to monitor what children are being exposed too through these devices. It is important to not only set time limits on how long children should be exposed to these devices, but also what content they should be allowed to view. It is important to protect what children and adolescents are exposed to as it could be the difference between healthful development and antisocial tendencies.

#socialchange #aggression