“Rational concern is one thing.....blind fear and unthinking prejudice is another” (Lumby and Fine 2006)
Unfortunately in this news article, it is the latter which dominates the debate once again about TV viewing and teenagers. The fear this time is centred around a well known obesity related disease: Diabetes. By this reference and with the use of particular words and phrases this article sets out to escalate this fear into a ‘moral panic’.
A moral panic was a term first thought to be coined by sociologist, Stanley Cohen, in the 1960s, when describing a ‘kind of media generated hysteria about youth out of control” (Lumby and Fine, 2006) What Cohen noted was that with sensationalised media coverage, a topic can easily be significantly distorted.
In this article, Neil Keene, sets out to sensationalise this topic in a number of ways, designed to amplify the findings and alarm the public. Firstly, he refers to the risk as being ‘nation-wide’, immediately concerning all of us. Then by adding teenagers, TV, computers, Xbox and Diabetes (a disease well known to be linked to obesity) into the mix he has created a true recipe for a moral or media panic.
Keene has used highly emotive words such as “deadly”, “alarming” “glued to” and “horrified” all intended to persuade the reader of the distressing nature of this report.
He has not included any noteworthy studies or research but simply reports statistical findings which support his debate.
However, Keene has neglected to draw attention to the fact that it is sedentary activity and poor diet that lead to the increased susceptibility of developing Type 2 Diabetes. America’s Kaiser Family Foundation in their 2004 Report “The Role of media in Childhood Obesity” discovered that there was very weak evidence to link TV watching with being overweight or obese and hence predisposed or susceptible to Diabetes. Socioeconomic factors, and the diet of parents were also found to be contributors to obesity.
The boys surveyed could just have easily been replacing TV watching or playing computer games with other sedentary activities such as reading, playing board games or chess and have had the same results.
I myself have two teenage sons and whilst they indulge in their fair share of Xbox, Television viewing, and Facebooking, I do not feel panicked about the likelihood of them developing Diabetes from this.
It is highly more probable that they will be susceptible from genetic predisposition (their father and grandfather both unfortunately have Type 2 Diabetes), and hence attention to healthy diet would be more in order. TV and Xbox are a form of relaxation for these busy boys who fill up their time, with school, sport, extra curricular activities, such as drama and music and part time jobs.
Lumby and Fine (2006) suggest that moral panics are a danger because they distract from the real issues and hence real solutions. By suggesting that Diabetes or susceptibility to it will be the result of too much TV or computer playing is actually diverting attention away from a healthy lifestyle of balanced exercise and eating that should be being promoted.
REFERENCES:
Catharine Lumby and Duncan Fine. (2006). TV Villians: Media Panic. In C. L. Fine, Why TV is Good for our Children: Bringing up 21st Century Children (pp. 55 -96).
Cohen, S. (1972). Folk Devils and Moral Panics. London: Macgibbon and Kee.
Foundation, H. J. (2004, February). The Role of Media in Childhood Obesity. Retrieved October 12, 2010, from Kaiser Family Foundation: www.kff.org/entmedia/.../The-Role-Of-Media-in-Childhood-Obesity.pdf
Keene, N. (2010, July 10). Diabetes risk for nation of telly tubbies. Retrieved October 12, 2010, from News.com.au : From all Angles: http://www.news.com.au/national/diabetes-risk-for-nation-of-telly-tubbies/story-e6frfkvr-1225890032457
America’s Kaiser Family Foundation in their 2004 Report “The Role of media in Childhood Obesity” discovered that there was very weak evidence to link TV watching with being overweight or obese and hence predisposed or susceptible to Diabetes. Socioeconomic factors, and the diet of parents were also found to be contributors to obesity.
ReplyDeleteI firmly believe that diabetes is hereditary and diet-attributed disease. Kids will become obese while watching television if the parents don’t perform their responsibility in conducting a constant check on the foods that their kids are eating while watching television. Discipline imposition is very important for the kids. If parents give so much leeway for the kids to watch television for several hours, blame can be put to the parents. Moreover, since parents have the over-all control is buying foods for the kids, hence, obesity can be avoided.
However, there is a latest research conducted by Dr. Magda Havas (as cited in Adams (2010) on electropollution that can cause diabetes (Type-3). Type-3 diabetics actually experience spikes in blood sugar and an increased heart rate when exposed to electrical pollution ("electropollution") from things like computers, televisions, cordless and mobile phones, and even compact fluorescent light bulbs. In my personal perspective, media is among the contributing factors in childhood obesity.
by: JENNIFER