Communication, TV, Radio and Video Games PDF

Communication, TV, Radio and Video Games GED 132 Science and Technology in Society Communication, TV, Radio and Video Games "If you had to give up one of these three things for a week—TV, radio, or video games—which one would it be, and why?" Communication, TV, Radio and Video Games...

Communication, TV, Radio and Video Games GED 132 Science and Technology in Society Communication, TV, Radio and Video Games "If you had to give up one of these three things for a week—TV, radio, or video games—which one would it be, and why?" Communication, TV, Radio and Video Games Television (TV): Traditional broadcast TV (e.g., cable or satellite TV) Streaming services (e.g., Netflix, Hulu, Disney+) Smart TVs and on-demand content Radio: AM/FM Radio (traditional radio stations) Internet Radio (e.g., Pandora, Spotify Radio) Podcasts and talk radio programs Satellite Radio (e.g., SiriusXM) Video Games: Console games (e.g., PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo) PC games (e.g., Steam, Epic Games) Mobile games (e.g., Candy Crush, Clash of Clans) Online multiplayer games (e.g., Fortnite, Call of Duty) Communication, TV, Radio and Video Games Communication Technologies: Social Media Platforms (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) Messaging Apps (e.g., WhatsApp, Telegram, iMessage) Email and professional communication tools (e.g., Gmail, Slack, Microsoft Teams) Videoconferencing platforms (e.g., Zoom, Google Meet) Print Media: Newspapers (e.g., The New York Times, local papers) Magazines (e.g., National Geographic, Vogue) Digital publications and blogs Digital Media: Websites and online forums (e.g., Reddit, Quora) YouTube and other video-sharing platforms Communication, TV, Radio and Video Games  Communication, TV, Radio and Video Games 1. Print Media 1440s: Printing Press invented by Johannes Gutenberg, revolutionizing mass communication through books and pamphlets. 1605: The first newspaper, Relation aller Fürnemmen, is published in Germany. 1700s-1800s: Newspapers and magazines spread worldwide, becoming key sources of news and culture.  Communication, TV, Radio and Video Games 2. Radio 1895: Guglielmo Marconi successfully sends the first wireless telegraph signal, marking the birth of radio communication. 1920: The first commercial radio station, KDKA in Pittsburgh, starts broadcasting. 1930s-1940s: Radio becomes the dominant medium for entertainment and news, especially during World War II. 2000s: The rise of internet radio and podcasts creates new forms of audio communication.  Communication, TV, Radio and Video Games 3. Television 1927: Philo Farnsworth develops the first fully electronic TV system. 1939: The first TV broadcasts at the World’s Fair in New York. 1950s: Television becomes a household staple, with major networks launching in the U.S. and worldwide. 1980s-1990s: The advent of cable TV introduces more channels and specialized content. 2000s-Present: The rise of streaming services (e.g., Netflix, Hulu) shifts TV consumption towards on-demand and mobile platforms.  Communication, TV, Radio and Video Games 4. Video Games 1958: Tennis for Two, one of the first video games, is developed. 1972: Atari releases the arcade game Pong, starting the commercial video game industry. 1980s: Home consoles like Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and Sega Genesis rise in popularity. 1990s: 3D graphics and multiplayer gaming expand with consoles like PlayStation and Nintendo 64. 2000s-Present: Online gaming (e.g., World of Warcraft, Fortnite) and mobile games (e.g., Angry Birds, Clash of Clans) dominate, with virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) now pushing boundaries.  Communication, TV, Radio and Video Games 5. Social Media 1997: Six Degrees, considered the first social media site, allows users to create profiles and connect with others. 2003: MySpace and LinkedIn launch, creating networks for both personal and professional use. 2004: Facebook launches, transforming how people connect and share content online. 2010s: Platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok change how users interact, favoring visual and short-form content.  Communication, TV, Radio and Video Games 6. Internet Communication 1971: The first email is sent between two computers by Ray Tomlinson. 1990s: The growth of the World Wide Web brings in websites, forums, and online chatrooms. 2000s-Present: Messaging apps (e.g., WhatsApp, Telegram), and video conferencing tools (e.g., Zoom, Google Meet) revolutionize how we communicate digitally.  Communication, TV, Radio and Video Games Summary of Gaps Between Technologies: Print Media to Radio: ~450 years (1440 to 1895) Radio to Television: ~30 years (1895 to 1927) Television to Video Games: ~30 years (1927 to 1958) Video Games to Social Media: ~39 years (1958 to 1997) Social Media to Internet Communication: ~26 years (1997 to 1971, but Internet communication in the 1990s)  Why Some Technologies Developed Faster? Advances in Science and Engineering: As scientific knowledge accumulated, especially in electrical engineering and computing, new technologies built on the groundwork of previous ones (e.g., TV building on radio, video games building on computers). Industrial Revolution: The 19th and 20th centuries saw rapid industrial growth, enabling faster mass production and technological experimentation. Internet Revolution: The advent of the internet dramatically shortened the gap between technological advancements by providing a global platform for communication, collaboration, and innovation.  Communication, TV, Radio and Video Games The influence of the media on the psychosocial development (relating to the interrelation of social factors and individual thought and behaviour) of is intense. The objectives of this lecture are to explore the beneficial and harmful effects of media on mental and physical health, and to identify how physicians can counsel patients and their families and promote the healthy use of the media in their societies. Medias, such as magazines, radio, video games and the Internet, also have the potential to influence children’s eating habits, exercise habits, buying habits and mental health. If children are allowed tobe exposed to these media without adult supervision, they may have the same harmful effects as television.  Television Television has the potential to generate both positive and negative effects, and many studies have looked at the impact of television on society, particularly on children and adolescents. An individual child’s developmental level is a critical factor in determining whether the medium will have positive or negative effects. Not all television programs are bad, but data showing the negative effects of exposure to violence, inappropriate sexuality and offensive language are convincing.  Researches on TV Influences Some literature suggests the following: Physicians can change and improve television viewing habits (4). Canadian watch excessive amounts of television (5,6). There is a relationship between watching violent television programming and an increase in violent behaviour (2,7). Excessive television watching contributes to the increased incidence of obesity (8,9). Excessive television watching may have a deleterious effect on learning and academic performance (10). Watching certain programs may encourage irresponsible sexual behaviour (11). Television is an effective way of advertising products (12).  Television viewing frequently limits time for vital activities such as playing, reading, learning to talk, spending time with peers and family, storytelling, participating in regular exercise, and developing other necessary physical, mental and social skills (9). In addition to the amount of time spent in front of the television, other factors that influence the medium’s effect on children include the child’s developmental level, individual susceptibility and whether children watch television alone or with their parents.  Learning Television can be a powerful teacher (17). Some public television programs stimulate visits to the zoo, libraries, bookstores, museums and other active recreational settings, and educational videos can certainly serve as powerful prosocial teaching devices. The educational value of some TV programs, has been shown to improve the reading and learning skills of its viewers (18). In some disadvantaged settings, healthy television habits may actually be a beneficial teaching tool (17). Still, watching television takes time away from reading and schoolwork. More recent and well-controlled studies show that even 1 h to 2 h of daily unsupervised television viewing by school-aged children has a significant deleterious effect on academic performance, especially reading (10,19).  Violence The amount of violence on television is on the rise (20). For Example, the average child sees 12,000 violent acts on television annually, including many depictions of murder and rape. More than 1000 studies confirm that exposure to heavy doses of television violence increases aggressive behaviour, particularly in boys (2,21–23). Other studies link television or newspaper publicity of suicides to an increased suicide risk (24–28). The following groups of children may be more vulnerable to violence on television: 1. children from minority and immigrant groups; 2. emotionally disturbed children; 3. children with learning disabilities; 4. children who are abused by their parents; and 5. children in families in distress (2,7).  Nutrition time away Because television from play takes and exercise activities, individuals who watch a lot of television are less physically fit and more likely to eat high fat and high energy snack foods (9). Television viewing makes a substantial contribution to obesity because commercials ads can promote unhealthy dietary practices (15,29). The fat content of advertised products exceeds the current average Canadian diet and nutritional recommendations, and most food advertising is for high calorie foods such as fast foods, candy and presweetened cereals (14,29). Commercials for healthy food make up only 4% of the food advertisements shown during children’s viewing time (8). The number of hours of television viewing also corresponds with an increased relative risk of higher cholesterol levels in children (8). Television can also contribute to eating disorders in teenage girls, who may emulate the thin role models seen on television (8). Eating meals while watching television should be discouraged because it may lead to less meaningful communication and, arguably, poorer eating habits (29,30).  Alcohol and smoking On an annual basis, teenagers in some countries see between 1000 and 2000 beer commercials carrying the message that ‘real’ men drink beer. Convincing data suggest that advertising increases beer consumption (34,37), and in countries such as Sweden, a ban on alcohol advertising has led to a decline in alcohol consumption (38). Tobacco products are not advertised directly on television in some countries. However, passive promotion occurs when, for example, an opera star lights a cigarette in an act. Formula One race car has cigarette advertising on it or sporting events carry the names of tobacco companies. There is evidence that passive advertising (28), has increased over the past few years. Television is not the only way that children learn about tobacco and alcohol use; the concern is that the consequences of these behaviours are not accurately depicted on television. One-half of the animated feature films available on videocassette, as well as many music videos, show alcohol and tobacco use as normative behaviour without conveying the long term consequences of this use (39).  Advertising Advertising can have positive effects on children’s behaviour. For example, some alcohol manufacturers spend 10% of their budget on advertisements warning about the dangers of drinking and driving. In addition, although some health care professionals concerned about the health benefits of appropriate milk use, milk consumption has increased as a result of broadcast advertisements. Most preschool children do not understand the difference between a program designed to entertain and a commercial designed to sell. A number of studies have documented that children under the age of eight years are developmentally unable to understand the difference between advertising and regular programming (12,40,41).  Advertising The average child sees more than 20,000 commercials each year (12). More than 60% of commercials promote sugared cereals, candy, fatty foods and toys (12). Cartoon programs based on toy products are especially attractive. Advertisements targeting adolescents are profoundly influential, particularly on cigarette use (4). The question of whether children are more resilient to the influence of television is debated frequently. Most studies show that the more time children spend watching television, the more they are influenced by it (4). Earlier studies have shown that boys may be more susceptible than girls to television violence (25).  Education and parental Involvement High school programs promoting media awareness have been shown to be beneficial (4). They give students more understanding of how the media may affect them socially. In Canada, the Media Awareness Network has a number of resources that can be used by both professionals and the public to promote media literacy. Their resources are comprehensive, current and specifically applicable to Canadian culture (42). Parental involvement in determining desirable programming is the best choice. Parents have to monitor and control their children’s viewing habits. Studies show that parents play an important role in their children’s social learning (44), but if a parent’s views are not discussed explicitly with children, the medium may teach and influence by default.  Music Videos Music videos may have a significant behavioural impact by encouraging viewers to violence and making teenagers more likely to approve sex (45). Up to 75% of videos contain sexually explicit material (45), and more than half contain violence that is often committed against women. Women are exposed frequently in a superior manner that affects children’s attitudes about sex roles. Music lyrics have become increasingly obvious, particularly with references to sex, drugs and violence. Meanwhile, the potential negative impact of explicit music lyrics should put parents on guard. At the very least, parents should take an active role in monitoring the music their children are exposed to (45).  Video Games Some video games may help the development of motor skills and coordination, but many of the concerns about the negative effects of television (eg, inactivity, social behaviour and violence) also apply to excessive exposure to video games. Violent video games should be discouraged because they have harmful effects on mental development (7,47). Parents should be advised to familiarize themselves with various rating systems for video games and use this knowledge to make their decisions. The effect of violent video games on children has been a public health concern for many years. No quantitative analysis of video game contents for games rated as suitable for all audiences was made until 2001 (47). The study concluded that many video games rated as suitable for all audiences contained significant amounts of violence (64% contained intentional violence and 60% rewarded players for injuring a character).  Internet The Internet has a significant potential for providing children and youth with access to educational information, and can be compared with a huge home library. However, the lack of editorial standards limits the Internet’s credibility as a source of information. There are other concerns as well. The amount of time spent watching television and sitting in front of computers can affect a child’s postural development (48). Excessive amounts of time at a computer can contribute to obesity, undeveloped social skills and a form of addictive behaviour (9). Although rare, some children with seizure disorders are more likely to attacks brought on by a flickering television or computer screen. No data suggest that television viewing causes weakness of the eyes. It may be different when a child is closely exposed to a computer screen for long periods, although there are no ultimate references to support this.  Internet Other concerns include those who use the Internet to trap young people into relationships. There is also the potential for children to be exposed to pornographic material. Parents can use technology that blocks access to pornography and sex talk on the Internet, but must be aware that this technology does not replace their supervision or guidance. There is a wealth of information on managing the vast resources of the Web, both good and bad. Above all, parents should be encouraged to appreciate that there is potential for more good than bad, as long as one has the knowledge to tell the difference. Youth claim the Internet as a significant part of their culture and an integral part of their daily lives (6). Physicians and parents alike must be armed and ready to face that challenge and ensure that they gain the potential benefits as safely as possible.  Benefits of Internet Near limitless information resource An asset for research or homework A communication tool for teachers and university professors with their students Rapid and inexpensive communication via e-mail and video linkage Access by the disabled individuals Through technology that makes computer use possible By taking advantage of communication with peers that does not require that their disability be visible Source of entertainment  General risks of Internet The Internet, by its interactive nature, is likely to use for excessive periods of time. ‘Internet addiction’, also known as pathological Internet use or Internet addiction disorder, is a known problem among adults and is no less a problem with children whose usage may be unlimited (30,49,50) Instant messaging may delay (schoolwork and in the workplace) Like television, excessive time spent on the Internet may interfere with normal socialization between child and peers, and with family Excessive use fosters inactivity and, potentially, obesity  Internet Misinformation Lack of monitoring for appropriateness or accuracy of information Health risks posed from following incorrect information Fostering inappropriate ideas for children and teenagers such as the following: Encouraging inappropriate weight loss and diets. To read more on this, see www.eating-disorder.org/prosites.htmlor my.webmd.com/content/article/34/1728_85382 Generating a sense of need to acquire material goods False advertising or scams typically spread by e-mail Temptation to acquire (or steal) credit cards to pay for on-line services  Adverse effects on values Underage children may accidentally access pornographic sites Hunters have access to minors through unsupervised use of chat rooms and e-mail promoting sexual exchanges and promiscuity On-line gambling plagiarism in school work Promotion of violence through Web sites targeting a specific group Use of the Internet by school bullies to spread hate toward a victim Violence through video games, song lyrics and on-line bullying, access to hazardous materials or information on making weapons