Adolescence is a time period when youth between the ages of twelve and eighteen are experiencing rapid emotional, psychological, and biological changes. During the early stages of adolescence, youth are concerned with how they are viewed by others. Therefore, these youth try to behave, dress, and talk according to how they think others view them. Adolescents also want to seek autonomy from and socialization outside of their family. One source of socialization is the media. (Chapin, 2000; Dittmar et al, 2000; Kelly et al, 1999; Newton, 1995) The media plays a huge role in youth’s life because adolescents are unaware of the media’s purpose in society and that is to reinforce prior knowledge (Chapin, 2000). Furthermore, the media provide adolescents with information about sex, gender roles, relationships, etc. and it helps them to connect with a youth subculture. (Chapin, 2000; Newton, 1995) Adolescents believe that the media reflects how life is in the real world.

By looking at various aspects of the media that influence adolescents' lifestyle, we hope to open the eyes of parents to the affects that the media can have on the values of adolescents. We will provide parents with information on:

• definition of media ,
• image shaping ,
• sexual curiosity,
• music influence,
• moral development, and
• parent's responsiblity.

The media is defined as listening to music, watching and purchasing videos, watching movies, reading magazines, purchasing CDS and books and searching the internet. Adolescents searching on the internet will come across chat rooms, web sites, and yes, even pornography.  The media provides adolecents with information about gender roles, sex, emotions, and so on; however, the media does not reflect everyone in society, meaning that it only focuses on one type of person or group of people. Therefore, information presented by the media cannot be applied to everyone’s life. (Dittmar et al, 2000; Kelly et al, 1999; Stice et al, 2001)

During adolescence young people are concerned with their appearance and being accepted.  They use images from television and magazines as guidelines for behaving and dressing appropriately.  For instance, many young girls try to emulate Britney's Spears, the singer, dressing style, behavior, and attitude, but she dresses and behaves provoactive, according to some viewers. Not only are adolescents imitating singers, actors, and actresses, but retailers are working hard to influence teens to purchase their new products or new line of clothing. Retailers know that it is easier to influence people who are not aware of how the media works than those who do. Since adolescents are not aware of the media's role in society, they feed into the misconceptions presented by the media. As a result, there are more females now than in the past wearing halter-tops and mini-tees and desiring to engage in sex. Many schools developed  dress codes to alleviate the number of females wearing inappropriate clothing to school.(ref)

Not only are images from the media used a a guidance for dressing, but also for body shaping. Often in the media images of thin and muscular people are seen and viewd as sexy. As time goes on, teens begin to adopt the ideas of what is sexy according to the media. Women are more likely than men to develop eating disorders from their desire to look a certain way; however, this is not just a result of viewing specific images from the media.  (Stice, 2001; Van den Bulck, 2000). 

In addition, adolescents receive information about what is means to be a woman or man from different television programs and films. Acceptable gender behavior is also learned and reinforced through peer interactions. (Harris, 1986, as cited by Grube et al, 2000).  Depending on the type of show, young people may adopt bad aspects of gender roles. 

 Adolescents are exposed to numerous sexual images and messages on television and they use this source of media to gain knowledge about sex, drugs, and violence, as well as how to behave in relationships and friendships (Chapin, 2000; Gruber & Gruber, 2000).  In the United States, parents are able to monitor what they children are exposed to in the media by using television rating systems such as parental controls, V-chips, and rating scales. In addition,  certain internet providers offer parental blocks to prevent children and teens from entering phonographic websites. Although these rating systems help parents to monitor what their children watch on television, it does not eliminate adolescents' curiosity about sex. Therefore, it is very important that parents find ways to talk with their children about sex. For some parents talking with children about sex will not be problematic, but for others it will. 

 In music, especially rap, some men use their lyrics to degrade and devalue women. Young boys listening to this kind of music may begin to think that this is what they need to do or to act like in order to get attention. For instance, in Jay-Z’s song Is That Your B****? he rhymes,
“…Uh, yo don't get mad at me/ I don't love 'em I f*** 'em / I don't chase 'em I duck 'em / I replace 'em with another one…/ I never kiss her, I never hold her hand / In fact I dis’ her I'm a bolder man / Imma pimp her, it's over/ It's over man, it's over man…” (Jay-Z, 1999),

The message that Jay-Z is sending to young men is that women are only useful for sex. Not only is Jay-Z degrading women in this, but is also influencing young men to treat women like objects instead of human beings. Adolescents are also exposed to violence in music. For example, Eminem talks about killing his wife in his song entitled Kim (Eminem, 2000).

Girls are also influenced by music.   For example, Britney Spears in her song, I’m A Slave 4U, sings,

I'm a slave for you/ I cannot hold it, I cannot control it/ I'm a slave for you/ I won't deny it,/ I'm not trying to hide it/ Baby, don't you wanna dance up on me/ To another time and place/ Oh, baby, don't you wanna dance up on me/ Leaving behind my name and age/ Like that. You like that? /Yeah. Now watch me/ Get it, get it, get it, get it/ Get it, get it, get it, get it/ Get it, get it, get it, get it/ I really wanna dance tonight with you/ I really wanna do what you want me to/ I really wanna dance tonight with you/ I really wanna do what you want me to/ Baby, don't you wanna dance up on me/ To another time and place/ Oh, baby, don't you wanna dance up on me/ Leaving behind my name and age…(Spears, 2001).

Young girls may perceive the message from this song as being "girls are required to be submissive to men".

Although some artists produce positive songs, adolescents are exposed more to the negative ones because they are played more on the radio and televeision. (Brown & Hendee, 1989, as cited in Chapin, 2000). These lyrics may contribute to teen pregnancy, sexual assault, and drug use, among other things. 

 Adolescents that seek information about gender roles from the media will also receive morals and guidelines for living. Abstract moral development begins during adolescence.  It is the ability to think about the consequences of one’s actions. During adolescence, teens are putting mental question marks next to the morals that their parents have set for them. Children are interested in learning about the accuracy of their parents’ morals and the reasons for them. This information is attained through the media and interactions between friends. Adolescents receive information on how many of their peers believe that engaging in a particular environment is right or wrong. (Newton, 1995) Not only are adolescents learning about how many of their peers have the same perspective on a certain behavior but they are also learning about the behaviors that they will accept or reject.

 Although adolescents are seeking for independence from their family, it is vital to adolescents’ existence that parents teach them about life. Even though, it seems as if children are not listening to their parents when they are being lectured, parents should know that they are listening. As adolescents view things in the media and interact with their peers, they are matching what was learned at home to what is being taught in the world. Without prior knowledge, adolescents’ accept everything that is presented to them. In other words, adolescents that lack a foundation or a set of morals will not know what is right or wrong. (Kelly et al, 1999)

 In addition, adolescents usually have a difficult time fitting into non-delinquent groups when they lack morals on how to behave.  An non-delinquent group consists of young people that do not violate the laws of the United States and of their parents; however, some laws contradict the rules enforced by parents. For example, some parents permit their children to drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes, whereas the law states that children under the age of 18 may not purchase cigarettes; this law is interpreted as, children under the age of 18 should not smoke cigarettes until they become adults. Children may experience confusion if there are contradictions in the laws of the United States and the rules enforced by their parents as well as those adolescents who lack moral development join antisocial groups. (Ennett et al, 2001, Steele, 1999)

 One way for parents to help their children cope with the differences in the law of the United States and rules enforced at home is to inform their children of those differences. Parents can also educate their children about the consequences of their actions. For example, a parent that tells his or her child that it is okay that he or she smokes should also tell the child that smoking is not allowed for children under the age of 18. Parents should also say, if you decide to smoke and get caught you will get into trouble with the law and this can follow you for the rest of your life. Colleges and jobs always ask if you were convicted of any crimes. By parents telling their children the pros and cons to an action and permitting the child to make the final decision may help adolescents to become independent of their parents; interpret the messages portrayed in the media about that particular issue as acceptable or non- acceptable; and to choose groups that will support their decisions.

• Adolescents are concerned with how they are viewed by others
• Adolescents desire to fit in, therefore they will search for that which is popular
• The media provides adolescents with information about gender roles, sex, relationships, emotions; however, the information given to them does not necessarily reflect society as a whole
• The media has a great impact on adolescents
• It is important that parents teach their children about life issues such as sex

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Destiny’s Child The Writing’s On The Wall (1999) CD.

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Eminem The Marshall Mathers LP (2000) CD.

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Grube, J.W.& Grube E. (2000). Adolescent Sexuality and the Media; A Review of Current Knowledge and Implications. Western Journal of Medicine, 172 (3), 210-214.

Jay-Z Vol 3…Life and Times of S. Carter (1999) CD.

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Newton, M. (1995). Adolescence: Guiding youth through the perilous ordeal. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.

Spears, Britney Britney (2001) CD.

Stice, E., Spangler, D., & Agras, S.W. (2001). Exposure to media-portrayed thin ideal images adversely affects vulnerable girls: A longitudinal experiment. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 20 (3), 270-288.

Van den Bulck (2000). Is television bad for your health?  Behavior and body: Image of the adolescent “Couch Potato.” Journal of Youth and Adolescence,29 (3), 273-288.