The Media's Influence on Teenage Smoking

Paper Summary:

The effects of media are often the scapegoat for a lot of society's problems and teen smoking is no exception. Many people believe that the media is solely to blame for the rise in teen smokers in the U.S. However, there are more determinant factors at work here. This paper explores the causes of teen smoking and provides arguments against the current media effects theories circulating at the moment. It shows that the media is only a vehicle for the tobacco companies to use in promoting their brands to the general public. It shows too that the major influences that determine whether an adolescent will start smoking involve the quality of their relationship with their parents, their peer group dynamic, and the state of their emotional health. The author surmises that only in addressing the problems that may exist in these areas can society properly address the problem of teen smoking.

From the Paper:

"As an example of the impact advertising has on the teenaged population, another research study discovered that 12- and 13-year-olds residing in Massachusetts who had seen an anti-smoking television commercial were half as likely to take up smoking compared to those who hadn t seen the anti-smoking ad. Interestingly enough, older teenagers did not appear to be affected by the same ads. This is probably due to the fact that older adolescents possess stronger opinions about certain subjects and so cannot be easily swayed or their addiction to tobacco is already entrenched which would nullify the effects of the anti-smoking campaign on them. While the impact of media on young impressionable minds cannot be ignored, it is not the only factor that compels some teenagers to start smoking. Various other factors, which are a bigger determinant, are also at work."

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