Social Media, Youth Consumption, and Digital Safety Concerns
Defining Social Media
Social media is communication that articulates social groups. Some means of this include the press, radio, film, television, the Internet, and new communication technologies. It is essential for understanding the past and the evolution of social groups, contributes to establishing and organizing the social relations of a group, and allows it to cohere and evolve politically, economically, and culturally.
Key Functions
- To inform
- To entertain
- To persuade
Core Elements
- Message
- Language
- Channel/Medium
- Transmitter
- Receiver
Understanding Visual Communication
Visual communication is a communication process in which the transmitter and receiver are separated and communicate through an audio-visual technical means.
Key Features
- Audio-visual products should not be confused with reality itself.
- These representations bear a similarity to reality.
- Determinants of visual representation include technology and creativity.
Social Impact of Media
The media environment is often perceived as fostering a passive and manipulable audience. However, receivers are typically active individuals who seek content according to their interests and interpret messages based on their psychological and sociocultural backgrounds. It is difficult to establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship between an isolated media post and a particular behavior.
The concept of the media environment posits a continuous flow of messages that shapes and influences our lives. Nevertheless, other significant variables are at play, beyond just the receiver and the message. These include:
- Media access
- Assessment and utilization of resources
- Receiver skills and competencies
- Cultural and social contexts
Ultimately, studies focus on evaluating the long-term effects, particularly cognitive ones, because media significantly influence attitudes and behaviors.
Media Consumption Among Minors
Several factors constrain media consumption among minors:
Constraints
- Geographical location
- Temporal availability
- Sociodemographic factors (including gender, age, and socioeconomic status)
- Range of available media and technologies
Television (TV) Consumption
Time Spent
TV viewing is widespread and continuous. It tends to increase based on two factors: the inability to develop alternative activities and low income.
Content Watched
Content includes both children’s programs and adult programs.
Viewing Context
The context often involves a lack of parental controls and varied technological equipment. Television serves as a landmark in the socialization process.
Television Industry Strategy
Broadcasters face competitive pressure to acquire a larger audience. Consequently, many media companies concentrate their efforts on children and adolescents as viewers and consumers.
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)
General Features of Underage ICT Use
Internet access in Spanish households has increased. The bedroom is often where children spend much of their leisure time using ICT.
The age at which children begin to surf the net is around 10-11 years, though this age is progressively decreasing. Access and usage increase with age, with the 14-19 age group being the most active.
Understanding Media Content Risks
Risk, in this context, refers to content that can cumulatively have a direct impact on individual behavior, potentially conflicting with fundamental educational values.
Factors for Content Risk in Childhood
Children and young people are more easily influenced by risky content because:
- They have not yet fully matured cognitively or emotionally.
- They are not always vigilant, and a critical supportive context is often lacking.
- Continued exposure to such content makes them less resilient than adults.
Effects of Risky Content
Effects can be direct (e.g., imitation of behaviors) or environmental (negatively conditioning development). Risky content can affect:
- Imagination
- Emotions
- Attitudes
- Values
- Moral principles
Types of Risky Content and Negative Effects
A. Violent Content
Decreases sensitivity towards violence and the reaction to it. It also discourages questioning the morality of violent behavior.
B. Sexist and Racist Content
Embeds prejudices, sexist attitudes, intolerance, and exclusion.
C. Pornographic Content
Alters the normal maturation of the child. It can lead to a separation between sexuality and emotion.
D. Consumerism-Inducing Content
Fosters an obsession with consumption, potentially leading to social fracture.
E. Content Degrading Language and Respect
Promotes simplistic language and attitudes of contempt and exclusion towards others.
F. Content Violating Honor, Intimacy, and Privacy
Blurs the lines between public and private spheres. It can also result in individuals not learning to defend basic personal rights.
Risk Practices Related to ICT
Risks associated with Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) can be viewed from three perspectives:
1. Content Risks
Very easy, and sometimes involuntary, access to inappropriate content.
2. Contact Risks
Contact with strangers online, which may pose dangers.
3. Behavioral Risks
Includes scams, hacking, abuse, cyberbullying, identity theft, and other harmful behaviors.