Parents vs. Media vs. Kids: Whose Fault Is It?
Today, people are thinking that the media is all to blame about this societies children being overweight and obese. But not many people think about other suspects. What about the parents or the kids? In these next few paragraphs, we will decipher whose fault it really is for the overweight problem that the children and teens have today.
Can our parents be the outlaws in this situation? Well, they do let us watch the shows we want, use the computer and mess with the video games. They also buy and feed us the foods we eat and make the major decisions in our diets. PRNEWSWIRE article tells us that “Limiting screen time and removing televisions from bedrooms can be important first steps in encouraging children into a more physically active lifestyle”. If most of our parents knew this fact, do you think that they would take it all way? Now if you think about it, most of our parents don’t care what we are doing as long as it is not loud or in their time frame or their rooms. What about our choices? We do a lot of our own stuff too. We know what we like the most, and we usually aim to get that stuff, either just because we like it, or it fits well. It could just the best tasting thing in the world too! We have been taught right from wrong and we shouldn’t fall into pressure, but usually, it happens too often. The media has an affect on us and we choose to follow, even though it is directly aimed at us (which we know) we fall into the pressures of commercials and food and we sometimes go to that restaurant and eat or eat a lot more than we should. But whose fault is it? Kids make the choice of food and amount for themselves, and we choose to exercise or not. So where do the kids get the idea of eating and not playing around enough? Simply, it’s the media. Of kids 12-17, for each hour we watch TV the obesity rate increases by 2%, says the Kaiser report. But they also say that 29% of obesity cases in children could be prevented by reducing their TV intake to 0-1 hours per week. Now these statistics may seem impossible to realize, but they are very true. Kids of all ages are being non-active because they are being distracted by all of the different media that is floating around just to get the attention. The media is a constant bug in our ear, or light in our eye, when it comes to the reality of kids being over weight.
Now that we have gotten all of our facts straight, whose fault is it? Well, we have come to the conclusion that all the three factors, our Parents, the Kids and the Media are all responsible for us, the kids being obese. We have acknowledged that media may be the main source, but it still is upon the people who take in the information given out to prevent and be knowledgeable about media and kids.
Letter to the Editor
* This is a fictional letter that our group will "send" to the editor. We express that there needs to be a difference in all areas of media and advertising, as well as the parents help to get the children in our decade healthier and more active.*
220 Amherst Ave.
Sheboygan Falls, WI 53085
1 June 2007
Letters to the Editor
The Sheboygan Press
632 Center Ave., Sheboygan, WI 53082
Editor:
We have done a three paragraph essay type paper that has to do with the links in between advertising, media and obesity in children. We found that there are many reasons to link all of these together as one problem. The advertising focuses on the children to persuade them to buy their products. The products contain media influences that persuade the children to buy them and want them even more. But these also may contain TV cartoons and shows that the children get distracted by. They, intern, make the children sit around and do nothing all day, thus making them eat over excessively and become over weight leading to obesity.
We believe that you can make a difference in the children’s well being and their overall health. By being a parent, you have a major impact on their lives. You can control their eating habits and what they watch on TV. By limiting their time in front of the TV and video games, you just might make your child angry at you. But by making them go outside and/or be active, they can have a healthier lifestyle. Not only will their health benefit though. Their mind and attitudes will change too, maybe getting better grades in school and a better attitude at home and where ever they go!
Our group hopes that you will take actions to improve the health of our, and your, future. Thank you so much for reading this. We hope you take in what we have meant to say.
Thank you very much,
Becky, Holly and Jolene
7th hour
~*Home*~
Comments (1)
Ms Hogue said
at 12:55 pm on Jun 3, 2007
Hi girls,
I hope you won't mind, but I made a few edits on your page regarding formatting. I did not change one word of your text, though. I hope you think it looks better. I do.
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