Blog 4/14/2010

The first article I've chosen describes the effect of sexually explicit images in the media on young children, especially young women. The authors, Sara Bragg and David Buckingham, question the severity of the impact of sex in the media in even the title, asking if these images are now "the facts of life (Buckingham and Bragg 2004). Several anecdotal examples are given throughout the passage which illustrate the widespread invasion of such imagery. This article states "Young people seem to be maturing physically- and showing an interest in sex- at an ever-earlier age," sexualization, the social process of teaching youth about their sexuality, is happening earlier (Buckingham and Bragg, 2004). The article calls this early desexualization ‘stealing the childhoods’ of young people in Britain and the United States. Buckingham and Bragg suggest cutting down on children’s exposure to magazines with sexual themes, television which portrays women in a sexual way and sexually explicit music. The problem with this theory is that sexual images are everywhere, even in advertising, there is no escaping these influences without complete isolation.

The second article explains the tricky situation of describing and measuring the extent and effects of violence displayed in the media. Three flaws can be described. George Gerbner of Temple University using the definition of violence as "the act or threat of injuring or killing another person," from the viewpoint there could be either much less or much more acts of violence in media that don't fall under this category (CITE). The diversity of definitions of acts of violence makes it difficult to compare and contrast studies of media violence, which has a dramatic effect on measuring the severity of it all. Second, the definite outcome of the study cannot be determined either. Some argue a direct correlation and some cite a causal connection between the two. Finally, the exposure children experience can vary by opinion and the individual. Scientists argue a psychological connection to violence can be created and children can respond violently to neutral situations. Several studies have been cited which demonstrate the subtle yet measurable outcomes of media violence. One such example included 24 children watching TV, half viewed a violent cartoon and half of the children viewed a nonviolent cartoon. The observers noted those children who watched the violent cartoon were more prone to break toys and act aggressively toward other children.

These two articles are somewhat useful in highlighting issues related with media violence and sexual imagery.

Works Cited:

Buckingham, David and Bragg, Sara (2004). Young People, Sex and the Media: the facts of life? Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.

Freedman, Jonathan L. (1994). Media Violence and It's Effect on Aggression. http://www.media- awareness.ca/english/issues/violence/effects_media_violence.cfm.