Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Alcohol
Drugs
This program discusses the relationship of Teens and the Law. It informs
teens of the role of school resource officers on campus and how the
police can be of help. Using interviews with officers and teens, students
will gain a broad understanding of laws, why they exist and how they are
enforced. Learn the common laws teens violate, ways to interact with
police, what to do and what not to do and the role of juvenile courts and
the justice system. 24 minutes.
Subjects covered include
students rights on and off campus
the school resource officer
how to avoid trouble with the law
local and federal laws
common punishments for braking the law
juvenile hall
the role of the police
probation
Lessons of Love
Teens live in a complex world, balancing social and school life. This
program helps teens cope with the experiences and complex lessons of
early dating and opens up the definition of teen dating to match the
reality teen's face today. It gives practical advice for getting through the
first date and encourages teens to be open-minded on who they choose
to date. With emphasizes on personal values and how a student can use
these to make wise choices, this program identifies some of the common
lessons of teen dating and how to make smart, healthy and positive
choices. 21 minutes
Teen Depression
Teen Anger
Anger is often the most powerful emotion for teens, but it can reveal a
deep assortment of underlying emotions. At school campuses
everywhere, anger is a growing problem for students. This program
covers teen anger and why anger can be the tip of an emotional iceberg.
Students discover methods for recognizing anger in all its forms and how
to cope with it. Teens learn what leads up to anger and how to diffuse
angry or violent situations. They'll also learn about anger and home life,
why covering up anger is dangerous, how to maintain positive attitudes
and how to deal with this negative emotion in a positive way. 20 minutes
Stress
Many teens are under stress: school, dating, home life, social stress, it
can be overwhelming! Too much stress can get in the way of enjoying
life, being productive and making good choices. It's well known that
stress can lead to health problems and psychological harm. This
important episode of Real Life Teens is designed to help teens through
the big issue of stress. The program covers common areas of stress in a
teen's life: academic stress, social stress and stress from home life. Real
teens give real solutions to this important subject. 20 minutes
Eating Disorders
Teens often have trouble making mature decisions about money. They
need to learn how to be responsible with money and the complex world
of consumer finance they are about to enter. 21 minutes.
Subjects covered include
how does money affect a young person
what is the difference between money and credit
the negative aspects of credit
the importance of financial responsibility
getting advice about money
jobs and teens
Self Destruction
Deep depression can affect teens where they believe that suicide is the
only solution. If a teen commits suicide, everyone is affected. Sometimes
even those who barely knew the teen develop feelings of guilt, confusion,
and the sense they could have done something themselves to prevent
suicide. 18 minutes.
Subjects covered include
what is deep depression
how deep depression is recognized
attempted suicide
substance abuse
warning signs
coping with teen problems
where to turn to if you or a friend needs help
Sexual Responsibility
The Glamorization of Hollywood has a negative toll on both celebrities and the
ordinary citizens of America. From shooting a movie to winning the covenant
Oscar there are many stresses in a celebrities life (except getting papered at
every whim). One might agree that after reading the latest issue of 'Peoples
Magazine' that the stars of Hollywood are over expressed in the appalling
collage of what America looks up to. For every 'well-behaved, fun loving,
violence abstaining' star there are at least three counter-parts. Lindsey Lohan
at twenty has been in rehabilitation twice; Jamie Lynn Spears has already
given birth at sixteen, and at twenty- six Paris Hilton is behind bars. What kind
of message does this send to the younger generation of America or needless to
say, the whole world. It is what some might refer to as 'the good life'. Why
must a 'good life' be full of booze, going to jail and making a substandard
statement?
As America turns on the television to the news channels, there are many
journalists that are always talking about Hollywood. Every action a celebrity
makes is broadcasted to the wide world, good or bad. If an ordinary citizen
that goes to work, cooks their own meals, and even rubs their own feet, were
to kiss someone not a single soul would know about most likely. But if a
panjandrum where to kiss another person it would make headline news. What
kind of influence does this have on a six year old? Quite frankly, it influences
them to start negative habits from a younger age. This lucid media informs the
younger generation that it IS okay to go and get pregnant at the age of
sixteen, and go illegally drink under the age of twenty-one. As the younger
generation grows into their teen years all of this news will agglomerate into
their minds, molding a series of teens that will indeed be a negative influence.
This is an alarming subject that needs to be altered, fast.
According to Audrey Tautou, 'In France, we have a law which doesn't allow the
press to publish a photo that you didn't approve. It lets the paparazzi take the
picture, but if they publish this picture, you have the choice to sue the
newspaper. So me, I always sued them.' This law would be a superlative way
to reduce the influence of Hollywood. Unfortunately, it would contradict our
first amendment right of the 'Freedom of Press'. It is that very concept that
allows America to be influenced by actions of others but yet is a way to teach
people about others.
There are many things that influence people: The news, parents, and other
things that people look up to. Why not take a stride to make America a less
influential country? It would be worth the while and it is our younger
generation that will be controlling our 'Land of the Free' when we grow older.
So turn off the television and the other sources of negative influence and try to
sculpt a more perfect society.
People all over the world use the media everyday. Whether it's using a
computer, watching TV, reading a newspaper, talking on the phone or listening
to the radio, media is a way to communicate. Through the media, you can find
out about important news, listen to your favorite music or watch your favorite
TV show. But there are also negative sides of the media that can be
especially harmful to teens like you.Listed below are some of the ways that
certain types of media can negatively affect your life.
School
According to Common Sense Media, kids who watch a lot of TV have smaller
vocabularies and lower test scores in school. Also, these kids do not read as
well as kids who watch less TV. Another study shows that the people with the
highest degrees watched less TV as kids and teenagers. A third study shows
that different forms of media affect schoolwork differently:
Third-graders who had TVs in their bedrooms did worse on their schoolwork
than their peers who did not have TVs in their bedroom.
Third graders with computers in their bedrooms did better than their
peers without computers in their bedrooms.
Back to top
Obesity
Did you know that if you watch more than two hours of TV each day, you
have a higher chance of being obese when you grow up? If you are
sitting in front of the TV or computer, you are probably not exercising. Getting
enough exercise is key to staying healthy and preventing obesity. In general,
people also tend to eat more when watching TV than sitting at the dinner table
because the TV distracts them. People may be full but not realize it, or they
might unconsciously eat more when they see a commercial for something that
looks appetizing.Back to top
Stereotypes
Unfortunately, most of the media you are exposed to do not show people in a
realistic way. Characters on TV are often shown with unrealistic
"perfect" bodies. Women are shown as too thin and men are shown with
larger-than-life muscles. Photographs in magazines or billboards are edited on
the computer to erase flaws and imperfections. Even if you know that what you
see is not normal or not real, it can still impact you. Many teens want to be like
the characters they see on TV. Also, some forms of media do not show the real
diversity of the world. According to Common Sense Media, 74 percent of the
characters on TV are Caucasian, and 64 percent of video game characters are
males.
Violence
The media teaches kids that violence is acceptable. In video games, the way to
beat an opponent is to punch, kick or knock him out. In some video games, you
might even kill your opponent. In movies, the good guy wins when he violently
defeats his enemy. A study showed that 4-year olds have a greater chance
of being bullies when they are older if they watch a lot of violent TV.
Seeing violent behavior on TV or through other forms of media can also make
teens act more violently.
Sex
A study done by the RAND Corporation shows that teens are twice as likely
to have sex or engage in sexual acts if they see similar sexual
behavior in the media. Many objects in the media that involve sex target
teens. Reality TV shows and teen dramas often portray the "cool kids" as the
ones who are having sex.
Separate media from meals. Do not eat in front of the TV. Turn the TV off and
focus on the people around you.
Set aside a part of your day for noneducational media, such as TV, and keep
the rest of your day separate. Do not go over your limit. Common Sense
Media suggests that you do not spend more than one or two hours in
front of a screen — TV, computer and movies — each day.
Limit media in your room. Keep TVs and computers in common spaces, such as
the family room or den.
Make sure visitors are aware of your family's media rules. For example, the
babysitter should know when you and your siblings can use media.
Once your media limit is up, find an activity that excercises your brain or body.
Spend one minute doing something mentally or physically active
for each minute you are exposed to the media.
Be able to separate fiction from reality in the media and use your judgment.
You have been around the media your entire life. You’ve had more media
exposure than your parents had when they were growing up. Hopefully, after
reading this article, you are more educated about how the media can affect
your life. Use this knowledge to stay safe and healthy. Remember: Just because
you are growing up in a world run by media does not mean you have to be one
of the media’s statistics!
Media is an inseparable part of life for most of the teenagers. There are
different types of mass media that are inherently a part of the routine life
of teenagers – for example television, computer, mobile phone or a
music player. Considering the current influence of media, we need to
agree on the fact that media plays an important role in shaping up
opinions of teenagers. Media is a double-edged sword and hence there
are positive effects of media as well as negative influences of media.
One of the most positive effects of media today is the ease with which
teenagers have learned to embrace technology – be it the computers,
Internet or the ipods. The teenagers have no phobia for technology.
Media has also contributed to increase the overall awareness of
teenagers about their surroundings. In addition to this, media has also
resulted in enhanced overall knowledge and understanding of curriculum
subjects owing to the vast information resources that the media has to
offer. If managed properly, media can be effectively used to generate
awareness amongst teenagers about issues like sex, sexually transmitted
diseases, pregnancy, drugs, alcohol and smoking.
Statistics:
http://www.ced.appstate.edu/departments/ci/programs/edmedia/medialit/ml_adolescents3.html
Body Image
No one in high school can deny that how you look has much to do with your
popularity status. While parents often reject that looks matter, their teen
children know the score. No one wants to be known as the teen that has a
great personality, as those are often the keywords to describe someone who is
unattractive.
How did the media gain such control over our lives? Perhaps it began during
Hollywood’s glamour years when the public yearned to look as beautiful as the
pin up girls and as handsome as the leading men on the silver screen. Today,
the magazines that line the shelves of our book and retail stores speak to our
infatuation of looking like Hollywood actors and actresses. Maxim, Interview,
Elle and Cosmopolitan all feature young and beautiful people from the big
screen. It is no wonder that teens who consume these magazines try to strive
for this type of fleeting beauty. They believe that the key to success is looking
beautiful on the outside.
Bulemia and Anorexia
Bulemia and anorexia are two diseases that have plagued young people for
decades. Each year thousands of impressionable teens, both girls and boys, fall
victim to these eating disorders, and many die from them. In some people, the
desire to have the perfect body is so strong that they are willing to trade their
health in exchange for fitting into size zero jeans. Many teens are unaware of
the long-term health issues caused by these diseases. Tooth and hair loss,
cancer of the stomach and esophagus, heart problems and even death can
result.
The Effects Media has on Teenagers Body Image
Today, the effect media has on teenagers' body image is mostly negative. The
constant parade of beautiful people on television and in print has fostered
negative body images for teens. Unless we look like those actors and actresses
we admire, we just aren’t living up to society's standards. What can teens do?
If you are a teen and are struggling with your own body image, take heart. The
modeling industry has even begun to wake up to the fact that waif thin models
are usually ill=> lead to modelling body time in tv and magazine. This past
year, runway models had to meet certain weight standards in order to be
allowed to model in European fashion shows. More actresses are looking like
real people do (fact: the average woman in the United States is a size 16), such
as America Ferrera and Drew Barrymore.