Prof. Oommen George

The movies, radio and TV are actually classrooms without walls. As compared to the previous view that the audience is passive, who simply accepted what was put in front of them – the present view approaches the audience as active. They are consumers of a media product; they shop around, consider alternatives and make choices. Media influences our moods, opinions and choices on everything from cosmetics to candidates for the public office.

We learn skills, values and behaviors from the media both directly and indirectly.

The influence of media on youth behavior is significant because so much of their time is spend in it and hence can positively or negatively affect their behavior. In today’s consumerist society the overall effect is certainly negative by far since the plan is to sell anything no matter what is shown or heard. The fellow who sells drugs is least bothered about the destruction of the one using it. The same is the case with the media —the negative impact of what is shown is not the matter but rather keeping the young addicted to the screen showing them no matter what.

Media is very much linked to personality development especially in the childhood (age 1 to 18) Media has great impact –what we view /hear /read is added to and fantasized to create long term memories that destroy and terminate the good character of the Young. All the good morals taught in religion or by parents are completely eclipsed by what is seen —because what is SEEN has much greater impact than what is heard or read.

Disadvantages of TV & Internet
1. Less time for family conversation and to learn skills from members
2. Less time to visit friends and family
3. Less physical activity leads to Obesity and disease.
4. Less time for reflection or thought since the images change on the average every 9 seconds.
5. Sustained thought not required of TV characters nor Viewers.
6. TV brings fear of perils and dangers - he crime thrillers and horror stories create fear that cannot be described!
7. Displaces the time to achieve knowledge from learning the school lessons so that the future of Youth is affected.
8. Children watching more TV spend much less time in reading.
9. Entertainment TV viewers lose interest in studies.
10. Most of the programs are not live and anything that is not live is deceptive. The possibilities are infinite and viewers are taken for a ride with great romance, adventures,
great courage and special effects - makng idiots of them.
11. Emotion drives attention and attention drives learning and behavior - thus strong emotional elements are added -thousands of violent scenes -heavy doses of sex- so much so that by 18 years of age the child has watched over 200,000 acts of violence and sex on TV.
12. media violence increases aggressive behavior - increase fear of being victims - and creates more appetite for violence.
13. TV commercials are short and superficial creating wrong images - smoking as adult image - violence as greater measure of masculinity etc.
14. The internet has opened infinite possibilities for misadventure - Cybersex which is prostitution at the click of a mouse is on the increase.
15. Marriages are being devastated.
16. It is worse than drug addiction because it provides easy Accessibility, Anonymity and Affordability.
17. Online gambling sites are ever on the increase.
18. Atheist sites that preach the non existence of God caters to the schemes of the Devil.
In short media encourages a life style of sexual immorality, violence, disobedience and consumerism.