Children today can gather a good deal of knowledge without having to step out of their homes. The television and the internet provide knowledge in every field that may interest the child. The other side of the coin however is the negative impact of exposure to violence at a very young age. Young children learn means of communication by observation and television has a great impact on their learning (Bandura, 1973 in Srygley, 1978).
Informal Controls in my Life.
Research shows that mass media such as television and internet can and do affect the lives of the people who use them. Having grown up in the technological era, these factors have had their place in my life and have influenced many of my decisions. I was first introduced to the internet at the tender age of ten when. We studied IT at school and my parents decided that controlled exposure at an early age is better than uncontrolled exposure at an older age. Little did they know that I had been hearing all about it from my friends for the past two years! I was first taught to explore Wikipedia for school project work. Soon I branched out to online gaming and music. Movies soon followed. Seeing that I was playing "safe" games, my parents began to relax and trust me. This was just great! Then came the time when I was old enough to have an email account. This was a ceremonial event, with three of my friends, who had come to my place for a sleep over in attendance. Soon I began creating accounts on Facebook and Twitter so that I could keep in touch with friends who had gone off or would soon be off to college. .
How the Methods of Informal Control Have Influenced My Life.
Having created a Facebook account, I began exploring out of curiosity. I came across many posts of friends, and posts by friends of friends. Some of them were shocking. I grew up in a devout Christian family. One Saturday, I read a write-up of an optimist who was ready to try anything new.
