The stimulus of media on youth

Media play an integral role in the lives of youth. Over the years, the rapid evolution of technology in various forms has significantly influenced the way people live and interact. These new technologies have become a mainstay for how people, particularly youth communicate and are entertained. Technology affords young people many benefits: the ability to talk to people worldwide, to more easily and regularly communicate with family and peers, and to make rewarding social connections. The focal point of the present study is to assess the stimulus of media on youth and how media influences the lives of youth. Media which have become pervasive in the lives of youth, social network sites, online games, video-sharing sites, and electronic gadgets are current features of youth culture. They have so permeated young lives that it is hard to believe that these technologies had barely registered in the lives of youth. Technological advances bring the promise of new skills and greater youth participation in society, but also increase the risk of youth exploitation and informational divides. There is an urgent need for societies to both protect youth and empower them to shape their own media environments. The media has optimistic role to play in contouring youth. Media transforms the character of youth by providing information, education and entertainment to them. Media also acts as the forum for public discussion and debate thus providing an opportunity for youth to express their ideas and vent their feelings.