Mental Health， Digital Media and Adolescent Masculinity ln China

TAN XUAN

Guizhou Radio & TV University

Mental Health， Digital Media and Adolescent Masculinity ln China

TAN XUAN

Guizhou Radio & TV University

Nowadays，the digital media into our life quickly，we cannot without our digital media devices such as computer，smartphone and so on. Sam，K.(1994) once said“ The media are able to determine what and when we think about our social world.” It plays the im-portant role in our life and gives us more influence ，especially adolescents. In this easy， I want to argue that the digital media brings the negative effective for adolescent masculinity in China. As Arnett， J. J(1995) once said “Broad socialization allows for a high degree of individual choice and freedom， but at the extreme some individuals may find it disorienting， and find themselves struggling to choose from among the many paths available to them”. I will focus on teenagers’ morality and empathy， since I think they are important point in their growth process. With the development of the digital media，it gives us more convince and funny ，since we can use it to deal with many basic problem in our life， however， it also brings negative influences，especially adolescents easily were effected.Sometimes， the teenagers looks digital media devices as a study and entertainment tool， even as part of life that cannot without.What’s more， they always do not have the behavior of controlling themselves not exceed to play it，especially masculinity. They are easily affected by violence，terror， unreality emotion and information from digital media，such as online games and violence films.So，I choose this topic and focus on their mental health.

From the survey of China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC)， up to december 2012， there are 2.35million adolescents use internet in China ，it makes up 66.4% in adolescents total number. There are 48.28% teenagers have see the sexy websites， 43.39% adolescents have received information about violence， rumor ， fake ，porn through email， advertisement ，e-cards and so on. Then ， the number of teenagers get heart and physical harm from fake information on the internet is nearly 14.49% of the total(CNNIC 2009).From this data， we can easily found more or less teenagers indeed are effected from digital media.The essay is important because there is a growing tendency of using digital media of adolescents from CNNIC.We should notice this phenomena.

Firstly， the negative effect of digital media influence adolescent’s morality. Because during their growth process，they have not the independent value system， they are easily affected by surrounding. Depend on their opinion， the teenage from 12-18 years old have some obvious character feature，they are not just think surface when they have problem， they have ability of speculation logic (Huitt and Hummel， 2003). But， they do not have so much life experience that can deal with some problem in unknown region. When they solve problem， they usually think and analysis issue as they want，which is the special point that they always have different opinions from adults，such as parents and teachers. As Arnett， J. J.(1995) once said the adolescents use the different values and goals’s ways from adults in media. So， they always make selections differ with other socializer. The more they focus on themselves， the more alienation adults， such as choose talk with peers and vent emotion on the internet，which is the reason that adolescent closed their heart in“really” world. Meanwhile， it also makes them feel lonely. However， in the digital media world， adolescents always are involved or contributed some issue like as rumor， violence by digital media with unconscious. They cannot judge what is right clearly， even they cannot control themselves well.

The awareness of the morality will be weak easily ，with the digital media is full of various type messages(Chao，D，Y.2010) .We often receive negative messages of violence，sex， terror from media，such as television， internet，phone and so on.We also more or less feel uncomfortable when we face those messages even through as adult . The adolescent are more effected than adult since their naive awareness， they have not enough experience and knowledge to judge what is better for them in mass massages. When teenager have weak morality awareness， they maybe cannot control themselves well， even have the antisocial behaviors.Nowadays， there is a growing tendency of teen-ager crime about sexy， violence. There is a report from Yantai，X.(2013) in China， it shows the media more or less influence the teenage criminal is the important reason at total. Meanwhile， they are not only receive this negative information ，but also join in spread it use phone or internet， which is the typical evidence if they have weak morality awareness， they have the inappropriate respond and behavior.

Second， digital media also influences adolescent’s empathy.The teenagers always focus on their phone， iPad or something else. They walk with headset， sleepy with phone，talk with computer. They lose the chance that play，talk with each other face-to-face.They gradually closed their heart and deny to connect with each in ” real” world. Sometimes，the body language and facial express are also communicative methods， if people merely use electronics element to connect，we will lose more emotion in future.

From Sam Kirschner(1994)，”…both younger and older children can experience strong emotional reaction， such as fear and anxiety， from viewing media depiction of criminal activities， violence ，physical injury， or danger.“In recent repot， there are more horror film occupy scene. not only in china ，but also in world， the horror film brings anxiety，fear and other negative emotion for adolescent.There is a news about the horror film is so terrible that make a 14 years old girl was startled and lead to paralysis in American， the same things once happened in China， there are many evidence shows that the extremely horror would give individual deep terrible impression.We easily find that negative film brings terrible emotion for adolescent from above.

Thus， we should advance the adolescent high quality using and effectively control mind in digital media. As the Sam，K.(1997) said “we may conclude that the mass media contribute to a number of antisocial effects in both children and adults…the mass media are but one factor…that contributes to antisocial attitudes and behaviors in individuals ” The person has own life style depend on their different life habit. Meanwhile， person’s initi-ative is important because it will lead if they have healthy life style.

The adolescents should be cared by family，school and society. The family education is important part in their growth process， since their parents can know more the children from various angles. The harmony relationship between parents and children is important ，when children have appeared the teenagers personal feature，they are more independent rather than delay their patents. It will also appear that they gradually conflict with their parent. Alexandra Beatty(2006) once said parents start to concerned about the spread content from media， such as sexy，horror and violence. They are afraid it may effect their children healthy development. Even through they actually want children to avoid those negative messages，the teenagers indeed have more curious about it and try to find anyway to know it. when adolescents cannot get understanding and right guide， they often choose closed them in a narrow space and vent all motion through digital media， such as playing online games， watching firm and listen music. On the other hand， parents should change their recognize about digital media ，it also has the positive influence for adolescent. They would batter give the child right guide how to use digital media to help them life batter，the digital media also can be used as a study tool ，such as search material and so on. At the same time，the school education plays an important role. School can set up various interesting classes rich the students leisure time.Meanwhile，school also can give special lecture and psychology tutorial for different students， which can help adolescent distinguish what is right and can help teacher supervise student mind trend. It is also good for their batter personality form. Furthermore， society should more care about the growth of adolescents. There are more policies to avoid adolescent receive negative messages， for instance， the network supervise department will check and forbid too violence and sexy message on the screen. When adolescents play online games over the limited playing time， the software will be closed.Those measures actually have the effective action. But the best method should be combine various angles from family， school and society.

Above all， the teenagers have indeed affected by those negative influence.What’s more， they personality is contributing during the age of teenage should be more concerned， because of they cannot control themselves well and also have not a strong ，clearly ，right value system. If we cannot give them a right direction for them life， we cannot image how the development in our society in future. Digital media is an important way to influence and teach the adolescents growing. If we can use it to help them gain happy，healthy life and avoid misfortunes. Why not?

Reference：

[1]Alexandra Beatty(2006) Studying Media Effects on Children and Youth： Improving Methods and Measures，Workshop Summary

[2]Arnett， J.J(1995) Journal of Youth and Adolescence.New York： Plenum Publishing Corporation.Vol. 24， No.5

[3]Chaodong，Y.(2010) Analysis Adolescent Life Style Under The Digital Me-dia.Taiyuan： Journal of Shanxi Youth Vocational College

[4]CNNIC(2009)The survey shows online games brings the huge harmful for adolescent. [online] available from：http：//www.cnnic.cn/hlwfzyj/hlwfzzx/qsnwm/201206/ t20120612_26782.htm

[5]Huitt， W.， & Hummel， J. (2003). Piaget's theory of cognitive development. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta， GA： Valdosta State University. [online] available from http：//www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/cognition/ piaget.html

[6]Keith Tester(1994)Media， Culture and Morality .London：Routledge

[7]Sam，K. (1997) Perspectives on Psychology and The Media. Washington：American Psychological Association

[8]Shanxi news(2014)The sixteen old boy was indulged in online violent games， and he assassinated his parents at night， assuming that he was playing a role in the game. [online] available from： http：//www.chinadysj.com/a/ youxi/123426.html

[9]Yantai， X(2013)Analysis The Relationship of New Media And Adolescent Criminal In China