The functions of the media for adolescents include these six areas.
Entertainment. Adolescents, like adults, often use media simply for entertainment and an enjoyable diversion from everyday concerns.
Information. Adolescents use media to obtain information, especially about topics that their parents may have been reluctant to discuss in the home, such as sexuality.
Sensation. Adolescents tend to be higher in sensation seeking than adults are; certain media provide intense and novel stimulation that appeals to adolescents.
Coping. Adolescents use media to relieve anxiety and unhappiness. Two of the most frequently endorsed coping responses of adolescents are “listen to music” and “watch Television.”
Gender role modeling. Media present models of female and male gender roles; these media images of female and males can influence adolescence’s gender attitudes and behavior.
Youth culture identification. Media use gives many adolescents a sense of being connected to a large peer network and culture, which is united by the kinds of values and interests conveyed through adolescents oriented media.
The media can be both bad and good for adolescents. In some cases, it causes more problem for adolescents then it helps. The media only shows the good points in life and in almost every show that adolescents watch, the problem that arises is solves in an hour while in the real world that is not the case.
The messages that televisions provides to adolescents is very powerful. More than 1000 scientific studies and reviews conclude that significant exposure to media violence increases the risk of aggressive behavior in certain adolescents. It can desensitizes them to violence, and makes them believe that the world is a "meaner and scarier" place than it is. Violence appears in various forms of media entertainment, such as movies, video games, and television news. Research has shown that news reports of bombings, natural disasters, murders, and other violent crimes have the potential to traumatize young adolescents.
Media Education has the potential to reduce these harmful effects through the process of educating adolescence, and adults about media. Media Education is defined as the study and analysis of mass media. A media-literate public is able to decipher the purpose and message of media rather than accepting it at face value. With an educated understanding of media images and messages, users can recognize media's potential effects and make good choices about their and their adolescent's media exposure.
Media Education represents a multifaceted approach to understanding and eliminating the negative impact of media images and messages on young people. At the same time, it allows the positive and pro-social uses of media to be explored and appreciated. Media Education includes the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and produce media products. A media-educated person understands the following: all media messages are constructed; media messages shape our understanding of the world; individuals interpret media messages uniquely; and mass media has powerful economic implications. A media-educated person will be able to limit use of media; make positive media choices; select creative alternatives to media consumption; develop critical thinking and viewing skills; and understand the political, social, economic, and emotional implications of all forms of media.
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