Chapter 12: MediaChapter 12: Media

Sources Sources

Recorded musicRecorded music TelevisionTelevision MoviesMovies MagazinesMagazines Internet materialInternet material Videos Videos BooksBooks NewspapersNewspapers

Theories of Media InfluenceTheories of Media Influence

Cultivation TheoryCultivation Theory Mean World SyndromeMean World Syndrome

Social Learning TheorySocial Learning Theory

Uses and Gratifications ApproachUses and Gratifications Approach

Uses and Gratifications Uses and Gratifications ApproachApproach

Individual differences lead to people’s Individual differences lead to people’s different media consumption choicesdifferent media consumption choices

Individual differences lead to peoples Individual differences lead to peoples different responses to particular media different responses to particular media they have chosen to viewthey have chosen to view

Media Practice ModelMedia Practice Model

Adolescents’ Five Uses of Adolescents’ Five Uses of MediaMedia

EntertainmentEntertainment Identity FormationIdentity Formation High SensationHigh Sensation CopingCoping Youth Culture IdentificationYouth Culture Identification

Media and Adolescent Media and Adolescent SocializationSocialization

What makes media different than other What makes media different than other sources of socialization (e.g., parents, sources of socialization (e.g., parents, schools, mentors, peers, etc.)?schools, mentors, peers, etc.)?

Media and Adolescent Media and Adolescent SocializationSocialization

Because media is marketing-based, Because media is marketing-based, adolescents inform content by exerting a adolescents inform content by exerting a preferencepreference

This socialization is sometimes lost on This socialization is sometimes lost on those other socializing forces (e.g., text those other socializing forces (e.g., text speak)speak)

Problems with enforcing restrictions on Problems with enforcing restrictions on media consumption as adolescents age media consumption as adolescents age

New Media: Social Networking New Media: Social Networking SitesSites

Studies estimate that 73% of adolescents Studies estimate that 73% of adolescents 12-17 years use SNS (2009), up from the 12-17 years use SNS (2009), up from the percentage (58%) from 2007percentage (58%) from 2007

Potential problems and research topics on Potential problems and research topics on this issue involve peer influence, risk this issue involve peer influence, risk behaviors, cyberbullying, sexual behaviors, cyberbullying, sexual victimization, and displaying personal victimization, and displaying personal information in a public domain, among information in a public domain, among others others

Social Networking Sites

Moreno et al. (2009) conducted focus groups where 11- to 18-year-olds interpreted alcohol references on other adolescents’ MySpace profiles

Three themes emerged in participants’ comments:

Alcohol references represent real alcohol use Alcohol references represent efforts to appear cool Alcohol references have risks associated

Moreno et al. (2009)

Younger adolescents tended to believe the references represented real alcohol use, where photographic “evidence” seemed particularly convincing

References were also interpreted as adolescents’ attempts to garner social acceptance or to associate oneself with a group that “parties”

Participants acknowledged awareness of personal and later professional risks of such displays

Social Networking Sites

In a study on sexual predation of minors using SNS, Mitchell et al. (2010) found that “when considered in the context of the entire spectrum of places online where police are arresting people for illegal sexual intentions, SNS’s do not appear to present risk in and of themselves or a greater risk than other online sites where people can meet and interact” (p. 186)

Social Networking Sites

Moreover, research has shown that SNS users are using privacy settings more now than in previous years

This increase in awareness has been facilitated by formal (governmental, non-profit) organizations as well as smaller-level interventions (parents, school)

SNS: Cyberbullying

In a sample of 1665 middle school students, 14% reported cyber victimization in the 30 days prior to the study (Dempsey et al., 2010)

Peer victimization has shown to be associated with depressive and social anxiety symptoms

Dempsey et al. (2010) found cyber victimization to be associated only with social anxiety symptoms, not necessarily depressive

http://www.cyberbullying.us/http://www.cyberbullying.us/research.phpresearch.php

SNS: Cyberbullying

"Some girl in my class emailed me calling me a freak and a loser. It made me feel really depressed because I had other things going on too at that time. I told my dad and he called her up and spoke to her. He told her that I didn't read it yet, that it would crush me and that she should think before she does anything like that again. Well, she never did it again so i guess it worked." (15 year-old girl from New York)

http://www.cyberbullying.us/http://www.cyberbullying.us/research.phpresearch.php

SNS: Cyberbullying

"I signed her up for a bunch of dating services and used my cell phone to take a picture of her in class and posted it on the web." (16 year-old girl from NY)

"I was brought out for being a bisexual and made fun of, being told that I'm against God's will and am going to hell." (17 year-old boy from Canada)

SNS: Cyberbullying

http://www.cyberbullying.us/research.php