Impact of Media Violence on Teenagers and Adolescents

Running head: PSYCHOLOGY
PSYCHOLOGY
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1
PSYCHOLOGY
Abstract
The increasing rate of media has been directly or indirectly influencing the lives of
teenagers in recent times. Reports reveal that the types of images, visuals demonstrated through
the video or computer games have been posing threats and causing harmful effects on the mental
health conditions of teenagers and adolescents. The following paper will evaluate the way
teenagers and adolescents especially boys have been showing abusive and hostile behaviour
towards parents and peers thus hampering their future.

2
PSYCHOLOGY
Short-term or enduring impacts of violent or aggressive media usage on aggressive
behaviour have been revealed by several observations pertaining to age, cultural aspects, and
gender as well as personality types. However, recent observations have demonstrated that media
violence impact has its existence in the lives of children and adolescents by further producing
significant unconstructive transformations in the behavioural patterns of the children and
adolescents belonging to the age group of 8-18 years especially among males thus influencing
both the teenage boys and the society (Rideout, Foehr & Roberts, 2010). The paper will relate a
case of 10 years old child named Greg and the way his parents witnessed significant changes in
his behavioural development because of immense harmful and aggressive effects of media.
Furthermore, the paper will highlight some of the vital areas of risks and threats which would
occur due to prevailing exposure to media violence by further shedding light on the ways certain
protective factors must be implemented to mitigate the harmful consequences. The paper will
provide a plan to Greg’s parents to help him come out from such a viscous circle and lead an
usual and peaceful life like the others of his age group.
Video games demonstrating aggressive illustrations have in recent time’s surpassed
violent music videos or even vicious or sadistic television visuals as a matter of concern to
parents as well as policymakers. However, there have been several reasons behind such a grave
concern whereby children and teenagers particularly the ones belonging to the age group of 8-18
years have been spending elevating amount of time indulging into videogames (Ferguson &
Olson, 2014). Initially Greg’s parents were delighted to observe that their son has been enjoying
the video game gifted by them on his 10th birthday. They believed Greg was utilizing his spare
time by engaging into something which would offer certain level of recreation in his life.
However, soon certain behavioural changes have been identified by them which eventually