Children, Adolescents, Substance Abuse, and the Media
Children, Adolescents, Substance Abuse, and the Media
American Military University
Children, Adolescents, Substance Abuse, and the Media
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the media plays the largest role of influence on substance use among children and adolescents in the United States. Movies, television commercials and shows, music, internet, advertisements, books, social networking sites, video games, and even cellular phone applications allow for the belief that using alcohol and drugs is the popular thing to do. Although society tries to get teenagers and pre-teens to ‘just say no’, companies spend billions of dollars each year condoning use of cigarettes and alcohol. “Superbad” produced by Columbia Pictures, although rated R is aimed at a teenage audience. The movie portrays not only alcohol use and abuse, but also the purchasing of it illegally in the attempt to inebriate two girls. The movie does not show alcohol use being a gateway drug; neither does it show to potential negative effects of binge drinking. The media will continue to influence children and adolescents until congress and the government take the war on drugs to a new level and prohibit the advertising of alcohol and drugs on television during youth-oriented broadcasting and establishes additional laws for each industry.
“Superbad” produced by the popular production company Columbia Pictures, was released in August 2007, with a R-rating by the Motion Picture Association of America. A R-rating refers to the movie as being Restricted and those under the age of 17 years must be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian to watch the film. This movie grossed $170 million in the box office and was nominated as best movie at the 2008 MTV Movie Awards.
Two of the main characters, Seth and Evan, labeled as the unpopular kids, are best friends about to graduate high school. They both
American Military University
Children, Adolescents, Substance Abuse, and the Media
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the media plays the largest role of influence on substance use among children and adolescents in the United States. Movies, television commercials and shows, music, internet, advertisements, books, social networking sites, video games, and even cellular phone applications allow for the belief that using alcohol and drugs is the popular thing to do. Although society tries to get teenagers and pre-teens to ‘just say no’, companies spend billions of dollars each year condoning use of cigarettes and alcohol. “Superbad” produced by Columbia Pictures, although rated R is aimed at a teenage audience. The movie portrays not only alcohol use and abuse, but also the purchasing of it illegally in the attempt to inebriate two girls. The movie does not show alcohol use being a gateway drug; neither does it show to potential negative effects of binge drinking. The media will continue to influence children and adolescents until congress and the government take the war on drugs to a new level and prohibit the advertising of alcohol and drugs on television during youth-oriented broadcasting and establishes additional laws for each industry.
“Superbad” produced by the popular production company Columbia Pictures, was released in August 2007, with a R-rating by the Motion Picture Association of America. A R-rating refers to the movie as being Restricted and those under the age of 17 years must be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian to watch the film. This movie grossed $170 million in the box office and was nominated as best movie at the 2008 MTV Movie Awards.
Two of the main characters, Seth and Evan, labeled as the unpopular kids, are best friends about to graduate high school. They both