Blog Post #6

I chose to do the effects of overexposure to media. This topic caught my eye because in my daily life I am constantly exposed to great amounts of media. Whether it be watching TV, reading one of the many People magazines I get or listening to the radio, media is always around me. There isn't a day where I don't learn something new because of media. This is what I first thought of when i read the topic. When you think more deeply into the topic, there is people who have so much media in their lives, it starts to form who they are as a person. They are so affected my what other people, especially famous people, are doing that it suddenly doesn't become their lives anymore, it becomes them trying to be someone else.

When I researched over exposure to media I found many different view points on the topic. Some said media helps us learn about life, which is something not taught in school, while others said that we are having way too much media in our lives and it is affecting us negatively. One study that i found interesting way saying that too much media can hurt a child's health. "Children and teens spend about as much time with media as they do sleeping, and the overexposure could take a toll on their health." The average 8-18 year old spends over seven hours of their day engaged in some type of media. Dr. Victor Strasburger of the University of New Mexico has been studying the overexposure to media in children and has came to some interesting conclusions. He found that the exposure can make kids prone to violence, early and unprotected sexual activity, alcohol and tobacco consumption and obesity. (http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2010/03/01/media-children-teens-health.html).

A survey given to teens got the opposite results. Teens in the study have said that media, especially social media, has helped them make and maintain friendships. It has also made kids feel more confident. Media is so informative in people lives. It teaches about what is going on in the world with news and magazines.

People in our society, especially teens and kids, are so consumed with media and technology that it is shaping who they are. Some media is a good thing for people but when they are exposed to too much media, it can harm them, physically, mentally and socially.