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The death of Michael Jackson, a famous pop star who invited young boys to sleep with him (though apparently no sexual action took place), has ravaged the regular programming in each news channel, from CNN to MNSBC, including the staid and ultraconservative FOX news. A person just arriving from Mars would in all likelihood think that one of our most indispensable philosophers, writers, scientists or politicians had just been assassinated. Great would be their surprise to learn that the cause of so much excitement is a simple entertainer who fed the world’s tabloids with a succession of scandalous behaviors. They would, justly so, wonder at the kind of culture that places so much importance on the perfectly equivocal role model exhibited by Mr. Jackson.
I protest (not much) the urge to blame the media for their obsessive behavior: All they do is feed the sensationalist hunger of the American public in order to boost their ratings and as a consequence their bottom line. But I will have to ask why so galore of us follow with what amounts almost to desperation the lives of athletes, movie stars and entertainers? Why do we care more when it comes to their dark side – for example Mel Gibson’s drunk driving, Miley Cyrus’ racy pictures, A-Rod accused of taking steroids, Paula Abdul alleged affair with a contestant – rather of focusing on their talents? Is there a dark side within us that compels us to gloat when others get in trouble, therefore reducing the divergence among us and them?
Another primary question addresses the American culture itself, if there is such a thing as a national culture: Is this appetite for celebrities’ latest scandal distinctive to America or do other countries share our affliction? After all, we may readily see that galore American customs are already imitated by humans in other nations, peculiarly within the younger sector. They get enjoyment from fast food, they wear architect jeans, they listen to our pop music and they introduce words like “cool” into their own language. But nowhere is the frenzy for gossip and idolatry (celebrity) as intense as in this country.
We are surely a distinguishable phenomenon in the modern world, more so when Obama became our 44th President. We are also the mightiest military power the world has ever seen, altho galore social scientists have been predicting the fall of the American “Empire” and the end of our planet-wide predominance. They quote our materialistic way of life, a trend that may modify with the present economic recession. They likewise mention our lagging instructional system, our ever increasing obese population and our fascination with the trivial distinct features of our celebrities. Have we lost the spiritual and intellectual depth that made this nation a world-wide symbol of freedom and democracy?
Daniel Patrick Moynihan once said that “It is culture, not politics, that determines the success of society.” (Cultures Count, Huntington, Samuel and Harrison, Lawrence E). If he is right, ought to we worry regarding the next generation raised underneath untrue material values? As a teacher in high school, I desperation with my colleagues when we fail to instill the love of reading in our teens. Most are more concerned with buying the latest electronic gadget than with acquiring a solid usual culture that will help them be successful. Are American families still capable to commune and model exemplary values in their children if their main role models are staged on television? Some recent polls indicate that the immense majority of American persons believe that we as a country are on the defective track, which reflects a growing malaise that our cultural values are altering for the worse. Their concern may also be due to the recent emergence of new world powers, such as China, India and Russia. We fear what we don’t know and what the phenomenon means for world peace.
Our obsession with personalities such as Michael Jackson’s reflects a unfathomed flaw in our cultural values; I will also blame the media after all for not showing more leadership in their selections of role models. Their social influence is enormous amidst our young. How some American children admired and imitated Michael Jackson, one of the most visible androgynous role models in pop culture? Do we show the same passion for George Gershwin, one of the most illustrious American composers of classical music? Of course not, and that’s what worries me.
Media American Child George Comstock
This new work surmise the exploration on all forms of media on children, looking at how much time they spend with media everyday, television programming and it is affect on children, how advertising has changed to appeal directly to children and the effects on children and the buyer conduct of parents, the kinship amongst media use and scholastic achievement, the influence of violence in media on anti-social behavior, and the role of media in influencing complex mental states on body image, sex and work roles, fashion, & lifestyle.
The intermediate American child, aged 2-17, watches 25 hours of TV per week, plays 1 hr per day of video or computer games, and spends an further and added 36 min per day on the internet. 19% of children watch more than 35 hrs per week of TV. This in the face of exploration that shows TV observing beyond 10 hours per week decreases scholastic performance.
In 1991, George Comstock published Television and the American Child, which without delay became THE general reference for the exploration community of the effects of television on children. Since then, interest in the topic has mushroomed, as the availability and access of media to children has become more widespread and occurs earlier in their lifetimes. No longer restricted to television, media impacts children through the internet, computer and video games, as well as television and the movies. There are videos designed for infants, claiming to improve cognitive development, television programs aimed for younger and younger children-even pre-literates, computer programs purposed for toddlers, and growingly graphic, interactional violent computer games.
*Presents the most recent exploration on the media use of young people
*Investigates the content of children’s media and addresses areas of great concern including violence, sexual behavior, and commercialization
*Discusses policy making in the area of children and the media
*Focuses on experiences distinctive to children and adolescents
From the Back CoverChildren today spend ever increasing amounts of time exposed to media, be it the internet, television, videogames, movies, radio, and print. Media and the American Child sums up recent exploration on the use and access to media and the affect that media has on their opinions, values, and behavior. Coverage includes media access, content, and influence. Discussion includes both positive and negative influences of media on learning and development, how children evaluate and respond to advertising, and the extent to which media influences opinion and buying behavior. Written in an engaging style, this book is intended for those fascinated in media and youth, child development, communication, and syndication and mercantile culture.
Find answers to the following questions inside this book:
*How much time do children spend accessing media?
*What are the bestloved media forms and how is this changing?
*What is the bestloved content in media?
*How are gender, race, violence, and sex depicted in youth-popular media?
*How do such depictions influence socialization and learning?
*How does time expended with media influence school performance?
*How do children respond to media advertising?
*Does TV and videogame violence bestow to youth aggression?
*Does instructional TV give hope or courage to cognitive and social development?
*Is media to blame for the childhood obesity epidemic?
About the authors: George Comstock and Erica Scharrer have written two former books together: Television: What’s On, Who’s Watching, and What it Means and The Psychology of Media and Politics. George Comstock is S.I. Newhouse Professor at Syracuse University’s School of Public Communications. Erica Scharrer is Associate Professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
About the AuthorGeorge Comstock earned his Ph.D. at Stanford University. He presently is the S.I. Newhouse Professor at the School of Public Communication, Syracuse University in the Television-Radio-Film Department. He is the author of Television and the American Child and was the senior author of the basi Television and Human Behavior.Professor Comstock is a social psychologist and expert on the social effects of mass media. He is former science consultant and senior exploration coordinator of U.S. Surgeon General’s Scientific Advisory Committee on Television and Social Behavior. Professor Comstock teaches classes insocial effects of television and communication exploration methods.
Erica Scharrer is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication at University of Massachusetts and studies media content, views when it comes to media, and media influence.
Media American Child George Comstock Image
Media American Child George Comstock Image
Media American Child George Comstock Picture
Media American Child George Comstock Photo
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