For more information
Call 1-800-351-0222
Call 1-800-351-0222
TEENAGE DRINKING.
Term Paper ID:24736
Get This Paper Free! or
Essay Subject:
Examines impact of confusing medial & cultural messages about drinking, role of cognitive dissonance, incidence, economic aspects, sexuality.... More...
5 Pages / 1125 Words
7 sources, 10 Citations,
MLA Format
$20.00
More Papers on This Topic
Paper Abstract:
Examines impact of confusing medial & cultural messages about drinking, role of cognitive dissonance, incidence, economic aspects, sexuality.
Paper Introduction:
Cognitive dissonance is a theory put forth by Festinger and others which derives from the view that "when our behavior does not reflect our beliefs we will experience dissonance: a conflict between our intellect and our actions" (Huber and Wien 25). We receive messages from our surroundings all the time which may challenge our assumptions, our beliefs, or our behaviors, and we may continue behaviors which counter these messages even if we believe the message as well. Young people are assaulted with media images, messages from peers, messages from teachers, and messages from parents and other adults which the behavior of these young people may go against, creating cognitive dissonance as they learn one lesson and act out another at the same time. We can see this in certain behaviors which young people know are bad for them but in which they may indulge in any case, such as
Text of the Paper:
The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper.
A recent study addressed the issue ofhow family background might affect teenage sexuality, and it was assumedthat teenagers' sexual behavior is moderately influenced by their familybackground. Communication Contexts. Advertisers use images ofyouth, excitement, and sex appeal to sell alcohol and cigarettes, and youngpeople provide feedback by purchasing and using these products, illicitthough this action may be. Overall, familybackground variables explained about 3 percent of the variance in teenagesexual behavior. More than five million had binged at some point in their lives,and three million had done so within the last month (Novello 961). Five percent reported that they drank daily, and 39 percentreported that they had binged on alcohol (or had five or more drinks insuccession) within the previous two weeks (Marks 264). Some may drink simply to dosomething forbidden, but other reasons can also be found which may increasethe cognitive dissonance involved in this behavior. According to a 1991survey by the Surgeon General, 41 percent of teenagers who reporteddrinking said they did so when they were upset because it made them feelbetter; 31 percent reported drinking alone; 25 percent drink to get high;and 25 percent drink when they are bored. In an era of concern overdrug abuse, an era in which this concern is directed most often at so-called "hard" drugs such as cocaine and crack, alcohol remains the mostconsumed drug among adolescents and a major health problem for thispopulation (Lewis 64). "Addiction in Adolescents." The Western Journal of Medicine (May 199 ), 543-546.Novello, Antonia C. Wien. However, mass media isnot the only message received, and cognitive dissonance develops in theregion between conflicting messages. This conclusion was supported by a cross-sectional analysisconducted among San Diego teenagers aged 14-16. The use of sex as a sales tool has a verystrong appeal to a group whose sexuality is awakening and is alreadyproviding disparate and confusing messages to the individual. In terms of drug abuses, thestatistics show that alcohol remains the "drug of choice" for the majorityof adolescents, and surveys have shown that two-thirds of all American highschool seniors questioned had used alcohol at least once in the precedingmonth. Masscommunication has a major influence on their cognition and their behavior,and feedback operates in this process as the audience responds to themessage of the mass media (Huber and Wien 97). This is particularlytrue of alcohol use--while the use of illicit drugs such as marijuana andcocaine has steadily declined among high school students over the pastdecade, alcohol consumption remains widespread. Another reason cited by many for the increase in teenage drinking inrecent years relates to the influence of the media and specifically toadvertising which seems to target young people with images that appeal tothem. For their part, advertisersdeny that they are making an appeal to young people with these ads, thoughthe message seems to be getting through whether it is intended or not ("Adrug problem often overlooked" 6). Young people areassaulted with media images, messages from peers, messages from teachers,and messages from parents and other adults which the behavior of theseyoung people may go against, creating cognitive dissonance as they learnone lesson and act out another at the same time. This is reflected in teenage sexual behavior. We can see this incertain behaviors which young people know are bad for them but in whichthey may indulge in any case, such as drinking, smoking, having sexualrelations (perhaps unprotected in an age when everyone knows better), andother high risk behavior. Surgeon General shows an even higher incidence reported--among highschool seniors in 199 , 9 percent had used alcohol at last once; 51percent of junior and senior high school students had used alcohol at leastonce within the previous year; and among the 2 .7 million 7th through 12thgraders in 199 , more than half had consumed alcohol at least once. and Sherry L. Students in this surveyalso reported that they had little difficulty getting alcohol either bybuying it themselves or by asking older friends to buy it for them. Cognitive dissonance is a theory put forth by Festinger and otherswhich derives from the view that "when our behavior does not reflect ourbeliefs we will experience dissonance: a conflict between our intellect andour actions" (Huber and Wien 25). Consider alcohol use among young people. It was found that maternal attitudes toward adolescentpremarital intercourse and family rules about dating, sex and, drug usewere among the factors that had a significant influence on teenage sexualactivity, so that "families who maintain relatively conservative attitudesand evoke high standards of compliance with social rules of conduct [may]delay the sexual experience of their adolescent" (Donovan 177). "From the Surgeon General, US Public Health Service." JAMA (August 26, 1992), 961.----------------------- 7 We receive messages from oursurroundings all the time which may challenge our assumptions, our beliefs,or our behaviors, and we may continue behaviors which counter thesemessages even if we believe the message as well. Morrison states that adolescence is a confusing and complex period inlife, a time of questioning, exploring, and risk taking, and drug use hasbecome an increasingly prevalent part of an adolescent's rite of passage.Morrison also believes that the youth of today are responding to thepromise of the contemporary chemical culture which seems to offer quickrelief and instant gratification, popularity, and an attractive peer groupalong with sexual prowess and financial success. Teenagers are surrounded by the message that drinking is bad for themboth immediately and in the long term. Donovan, P. Eightmillion of these students drank weekly, and almost one-half million bingedeach week. "Drug and Alcohol Abuse." The Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons Complete Home Medical Guide Edition (1989), 264.Morrison, Martha A. There issimilar conflict between parental and societal messages and peer pressureand media advertising, all contributing to behaviors producing cognitivedissonance in young people. Belmont, California: Wadsworth, 1998.Lewis, Anne C. Research has shown that young people, unlike adults, are drawnto ads that associate alcohol with sex appeal, athletic prowess, aglamorous lifestyle, and risk-taking behavior. These things allrepresent primary adolescent issues and desires and are enhanced throughtelevision and other media (Morrison 543). These types of ads existedin part because government regulation of alcohol advertising is fragmentedand involves three agencies--the Food and Drug Administration, the FederalTrade Commission, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms--none ofwhich have clearcut authority to regulate advertising aimed specifically atyoung people. A report by theU.S. Television networks also give these ads the widest possibleair play because they have come to rely on beer and wine marketers tosupply some $7 million of revenue yearly. Abouttwo-thirds of the students who drink reported buying their own alcohol,some using fake identification, others buying from stores known to sell toyoung people, and others simply going into the store and buying itunchallenged (Novello 961 8). "Concern over Alcohol." Education Digest (February 1992), 64.Marks, Andrea. The survey confirmed theconcerns of children's advocacy groups and anti-alcohol-abuseorganizations, both of which had said for years that anti-drug efforts hadfailed to change teenagers' attitudes about drinking. "Mother's Attitudes Toward Adolescent Sex, Family's Dating Rules Influence Teenagers' Sexual Behavior." Family Planning Perspectives Vol. The problem is severe: Marks cites evidence showingthat the use of alcohol can be seen as part of an adolescent tendencytoward risk-taking behavior, including such behavior as cigarette smoking,alcohol and drug abuse, and reckless driving or other dare-devil exploits,all of which constitute the most common causes of death during adolescence,whether by accident, suicide, or homicide. The Surgeon General has noted that the images in liquor ads--bikini-clad women, professional sports stars, and surfers and mountain climbers--are images that make drinking look like fun and a wonderful carefreelifestyle. Feedback is "any sign offered to a source that the message has beenreceived, and understood, or perhaps, misunderstood" (Huber and wien 7).Young people show that they have understood messages regarding drinking,smoking, and other high risk behavior, and yet many still indulge in thesebehaviors as if the effects will not apply to them or their lives. 27 (July 1, 1995)), 177."A Drug Problem Often Overlooked." Tufts University Diet & Nutrition Letter (January 1992), 6.Huber, Robert L.
If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again:
or
We can write a Custom Essay just for you.
Browse Essays by Subject