Media is everywhere. Even children have a constant connection with the media through TVs, tablets, and smartphones. This double-edged sword is playing a vital role in shaping our child’s overall growth on one hand and leaving negative media influence on the other.
Amidst the lockdown, where there is a massive upsurge in the usage of mobile Internet, and kids stay glued to devices to access various media platforms, it’s high time we parents should keep an eye on kids to assess what type of media impact our children are having!
Can Parents Ignore Media Influence On Teenagers Anymore?
Teenagers are the most vulnerable in the era of media influence. It’s good if it’s positive, but what if it’s negative? The reason behind this is very simple. If your child is in his or her teenage, they will likely spend most of their time relying on the media for entertainment. So having a close eye on your child’s media surroundings is a good choice.
Negative Media Influence On Teenagers
Your child may get influenced by a lot of factors in the media-entertainment world. It may be from social networking sites, YouTube, or even some online or offline reading materials.
For example, it is a sign of Negative Media Influence if your child is watching too much abusive content over media and starts adopting it. The treatment shown for different sexes, races, and political opinions may also create a bad influence on your child’s lifestyle.
That’s why parents are using child monitoring apps like Bit Guardian Parental Control. It enables you to monitor your child’s digital life 24/7 and it limits kids’ screen time also.
- Screen Time Control Features
- Location Tracking And Geo-Fencing
- App Block And App Install Block
- Panic Alert and SOS Button
- Anti-Theft Feature
What Are The Harmful Mediums Of Entertainment?
In the ocean of media entertainment, there are a lot of waves that you need to take care of.
For Example, YouTube can be a great influencer on a teenager’s lifestyle. Your child can develop a fair opinion on race, gender equality, environmental safety under the positive influence.
On the other hand, videos of adult content and extreme violence can be of a negative influence on the teenage mind. Some of the harmful sources of media entertainment are :
- YouTube
- Social Media Networks
- Games (Involving crime and violence)
- Reading Materials
Social Media Influence On Teenagers
Social Media nowadays has become an open tool for comparison and show off. You need to constantly take care of your child’s social media presence and surroundings.
Teenagers are highly influenced by the lifestyle of celebrities on social platforms. There are opinions and content available on such platforms that can cause negative effects of social media on youngsters.
Check-out for these signs in your kids to identify whether they are under any impact from the media or not.
- Suddenly the child starts behaving in a certain way following the lifestyle of a celebrity or an influencer.
- When your child starts having a normal approach towards crimes, violence, and hatred.
- Your Child thinks it’s fine to troll and abuse someone.
Without any doubt, negative social media influence on teenagers can adversely affect them. Keep checking on it for your child’s mental wellbeing and emotional safety.
In-Appropriate Magazines’ Influence On Kids
We have always thought of reading as a positive lifestyle. But it’s not always the case. Sometimes reading an explicit material causes a bad influence on the teenage mind.
If your child is reading a magazine that constantly promotes In-appropriate content and explicit material, stop them!
Teenagers are more likely to develop an opinion firmly based on what they read. You might not want that opinion to be based on a false narrative and distorted facts. Do you?
How To Manage Negative Media Influence On Your Child?
As a parent, you should discuss the Negative influence of the media on kids by first acknowledging the influence. Observe your child’s behavior all the time. Have an idea about their conversations with friends and peers. Here is what you can do to manage the bad influence of the media on a teenage mind.
- Manage the use of different types of media sources they are involved with.
- Talk openly about the harms of such bad influence.
- Know their friends and their behaviors.
- Try and communicate with them about some positive instances of media influence.
- Share some inspiring stories of media influence.
Quick Tips To Control Teenagers’ Media Influence
- Check out on what type of media influences are they having?
- Have a conversation with them about what are harmful media influences.
- Make sure they learn to adopt positive values from media entertainment.
- Tell them openly that certain things are wrong, even if a lot of people are doing it. (Trolling for instance)
- Stay active on their media handles so that you have an insight into what is going on in their lives.
Share blogs about positive media influence with your teens, explain the power of media and how it can control our minds. It Helps.
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