Module 4 Refelctions
“It is important that we find out how young people interpret sexual images in advertising, music, and television in their context, and in their own words. If we are so concerned about teen sexuality, we need to talk with them, not just about them, to learn more” (Sternheimer, 2013, p.153). This is a very powerful phrase in which I agree on. However the problem I believe that causes this conversation to not be initiated is cultural backgrounds. Like Dugan stated, “Culture is a learned behavior by a given group” (2010). If your childhood was surrounded with Catholicism, and Hispanic parents who never received education on sex how are they suppose to educate their own children? My mother never talked to me about what the menstrual cycle was and what to expect. I learned this through school, and when the day came I was not prepared. I waited for my mom to come home from work and she just handed me a box of feminine hygiene. If some parents can’t even handle the conversation of a menstrual cycle how are they suppose to spark conversation of how we as teenagers interpret sexual images, music, movies and advertisements? I believe for some cases for these questions and this learning to occur we need to advocate the importance of parent to child sex talk. If parents see the importance and influence it has on the child these questions will then come easier. “In the third paragraph of the 2001 KFF report, the authors note almost as an aside that many teens feel they do not get enough information about sex from parents or teachers. Rather than focusing on this point, they continue to study the media issue” (Sternheimer, 2013, p.152). Why they continue to study the media issue is beyond me. This is frustrating; I believe they just don’t want to show how they as adults have a lot to blame when it comes to teen sex.
“Yet much of our research on sex continues to focus on popular culture, ignoring the complex roles politics, race, and poverty play in the teen-sex equation” (Sternheimer, 2013, p.150). Just like last weeks conversation about violence and how media is to blame for such violent occurrences, they are blaming media to be the result of teen sex. Again not taking into consideration major factors that Sterheimer points out. In my example of myself being first generation Hispanic woman, my parents never educated me about sex, thankfully I found my ways of educating myself and I am not a mother; probably what was expected of me given the circumstances I was in. I am proud to say that I will build on different cultures for my children, where openness, and no religion brainwashing exist. I am not saying I will decline family values because like Dugan stated, “When family values are declined, media has replaced story telling instead of family, and when media is the story teller bad actions go unpunished” (2010).
“TV Helped Create the Child Obesity Problem, a Washington Post headline asserts. Stories like these make it seem as though television is a major cause of child obesity” (Sternheimer, 2013, p.193). I find it ridiculous to blame kids obesity on media. First of all kids are not old enough to by that happy meal with the new cool toy that is being advertised. The parents are to blame for their child’s obesity (unless it has to do with a deeper health issue). They don’t know by consuming such fatty foods that it is causing health issues but parents do. The amount of television and snacking the child consumes is entirely in the hands of the parents. However this issue becomes a little more complicated when we account for poor families. “For one, children in low-income urban areas often have few safe places to play outdoors. Parents’ work schedules often require these kids to have many hours with little supervision, and while watching television or playing video games inside may not be good for their waistlines, they keep them safe from potential harm on dangerous city streets” (Sternheimer, 2013, p.194). Yes the importance is child safety, however setting schedules of how much television they can watch, how much time they should spend doing homework, reading, and helping out with chores can also help in child safety from the streets while providing better health.
Not only is obesity being blamed on media but anorexia/bulimia also. A great question was presented by Sternheimer, “How can watching images of mostly underweight people on television make viewers want to eat both more and less at the same time? (2013, p.196). I strongly believe that anorexia/bulimia is to blame on media but not obesity. After learning during this course how media represents beauty by using engineering techniques on photos, famous people, and constantly stating the perfect image as being skinny leads media illiterates to believe this is what beauty should look like. Although my stance for medias influence is as I have just stated, after reading further into the chapter I have begun to realize that the issues of obesity, anorexia/bulimia are multifaceted. I believe that one could argue for and against medias influence on health. Arguments made by sociologist Becky Wangsgaard Thompson, Penelope A. McLorg and Diane E. Taub provided further insight into other factors that should be considered on health issues such as sexual, physical abuse, and parents who might have focused on dieting and exercising. “To understand the social factors that influence body dissatisfaction, we have to go beyond just looking at images in popular culture” (2013, p.201).
