The Business Structure Of Commercial Television

In the article “TV’s Negative Influence on Kids Reaffirmed” by Jeffrey M. McCall, he addresses the issue of how TV has a negative influence on children. McCall states that young children and toddler’s cognitive ability do not develop as well when they have a television in the background while they are playing and interacting. McCall also argues that TV has a very influential role in the teenage pregnancy rate and how early teens become sexually active. To further prove his point, McCall proclaims that children and teens that are exposed to large amounts of television and video games become socially awkward and have issues interacting in society. McCall also says that the networks are rating their own programs carelessly, which is leading to shows that should be restricted by a V-chip being watched by children, rendering the restricting system null and void.

Ratings increase budget, etc. However, there must be more consideration for the impact it is creating in society. Parents Television Counsel (PTC) is a non-partisan organization that advocates responsible entertainment. Their mission statement is, “To protect children and families from graphic sex, violence and profanity in the media, because of their proven long-term harmful effects” (PTC, 2015). This is the kind of organization I align myself with personally and professionally by petition support, tracking ads and TV programs and offering

Television is an electronic telecommunication device that transmits pictures and sounds. Since its inception and release into society, the Television has grown to become extremely popular. The undying devotion to this medium has helped shape many aspects of human life. It has become a tool for education and entertainment. Businesses have found an efficient means to access the wider public through advertising. Advertising is a paid form of publicity aimed at a large audience by businesses with a view to increasing sales. Advertisements, unlike propaganda, have clearly stated sponsors. Through advertising, businesses can communicate with the user of their goods and services. The television allowed for the exponential expansion of advertisement. While older media is still used for advertising, Television’s ability to transmit moving picture and sound put it well above print media and radio (Messaris 2)

* For teens, television is a major source of information about sex. A survey conducted in 1997 by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 61 per cent of young teens, ages 13-15, rated entertainment media as their top source of information on sexuality and sex health. This should concern parents because although two-thirds of TV shows contain sexual content, only one in ten includes any reference to safe sex or the consequences of unprotected sex.

Television advertising has been a staple for companies since its start in the 1940’s. According to a 2016 study done by Nielsen, the average American adult watches five hours and four minutes of TV per day. Five hours is a large chunk of time to spend watching “the tube”. Companies are aware of this and try to capitalize on this opportunity as much as possible. Additionally, large scale broadcasting events such as the Superbowl and the Oscars are ways for companies to reach more widespread audiences than on a daily basis. These events are key in contributing to some businesses’ yearly revenue.

An important controversial issue that America faces today is the debate of sex in advertising. Edward A. McCabe and John Carroll are two authors that present opposing arguments about this issue. McCabe persuades the reader into thinking that sex in advertising is no big deal, while Carroll explains why this is a major problem in America. Sex ads are defined as any type of advertising that shows pictures of partial nudity with wording that relates to the body in a sexual way, usually portraying women. Sex in advertising has been around for a long time but has the industry become too sexually explicit?

The average American teenager watches three hours of television a day. Scientist Rebecca Collins conducted a study to see if watching sexual behavior on TV influenced teenagers’ own behavior. In her results, she found that watching shows with sexual content has a considerable

The American people are the ones who can decide what they and their children are viewing on that screen. And because, no one finds indecent material offensive anymore, television show creators have been running rampant with violence and sexual content. This, in turn, influences the morality of the United States, as a whole. Americans are the ones who decide what is acceptable and unacceptable to be aired on television based on what they do or do not want to view. What is shown on many popular television shows in this present time, suggests that American morality is on a downward slope and has been for 50

For many years now, the primary medium for advertisements has been television. A majority of society has access to a TV, and because of this reality, producers promote their products via this media outlet. However, are these companies just trying to sell their products? or they also advocate their personal agendas upon the masses. Throughout history, the various media channels have influenced society to believe or accept twisted fallacies.

When I was first given this assignment it made me a bit uneasy. I was nervous about writing an extended essay on one particular topic. Being that there are so many social issues that need to be brought to light I was having a little trouble sticking to just one. However, with some guidance and encouragement I decided to finally settle with the issue of sex in the media. Within this extended essay I will attempt to shine light on the history of sex in advertisement and examples of different ads, prove sex sells any and everything, the role the media plays in our youth’s lives and creates hyperactive sexual development in children between thirteen and seventeen years old and how the media degrade women and associate them as mere objects. I

He states, “There’s is a flaw in the argument in that advertising can’t be democratic, because it can only appeal to the people who can afford to buy the things they are selling.”(99 Miller). Miller asserts that television shows are now made around the advertisements, with the product being placed within the show or being “repetitions of the ads themselves.”(98) Miller concludes that advertising works like all propaganda, despite your will or reason. It is working on a more visceral subconscious level rather than a persuasive level as many advertisers think it

Sexual imagery has become a trend in the business of advertisement, which has become extremely efficient. Tom Reichert in “The Prevalence of Sexual Imagery in Ads Target to Young Adults,” states in his journal, “To determine if advertisers use sexual imagery to appeal to youth, 2,863 ads in magazines read by young and mature adults were compared. Results indicate that ads targeted to young adults were 65% more likely to contain provocatively dressed models and 128% more likely to contain sexual behavior than those for mature adults. In the ads young adults, female models were 3.7 times more likely to be portrayed sexually than were male models. The findings suggest that advertisers use sexual imagery, primarily by means of female modes, to appeal to young audiences.”

The increasing amount of violence, foul language and sexuality available to children on TV is harmful to their development. What was once a time for children to watch TV with content suitable for their age is now directed for an older audience, Family Hour. Statistics show that this is the time most children are watching television with their family members. Despite knowing this, “Since 2000-2001, the amount of sexual content during the Family Hour has increased by 22.1%” (Parents Television Council 55). A poll done later in March of 2007 asked the general public if they thought there was too much sexual content on television. 79% of those that participated in the poll stated that there was too much.

Our sex saturated media is also generating conflict in young girls’ development. The portrayal of women as sexual objects is discussed in the article “The sexualization of Girls is Harmful” by Olivia Ferguson and Hayley Mitchell Haugen. The article cites statistics of “prime-time television shows popular among children” remarking that “12% of sexual comments involved sexual objectification toward women” and “23% of sexual behaviors involved leering, ogling or catcalling at female characters”.(par 6) The feature provides www.aboutkidshealth.ca/ as an “online resource for information about areas of children’s health and family life”. (Par 1) This web site states “depression, low self-esteem and eating disorders” as consequences for media sexualizing women. (Par 2) The research defines “the objectification theory as a psychological theory explaining the

Pornography has many obvious as well as not-so-obvious consequences within society. Pornography has the power to ruin marriages, destroy trust, excite a person to the point of sexual crime, or create an unhealthy view of human sexuality and the opposite sex.” (WowEssays, Pornography)