YOUTH

FAMILY
&
MEDIA
By:
Fr. Christian “Toots” B.
Buenafe, O. Carm
 NO
confidence
in the
young!
7 in 10 adults think
that teens are rude,
irresponsible, or
wild… they lack
values, character,
and basic civility.
At 16, Filipinos are
among the youngest
to be initiated into
sex.
Time, in Manila Standard, 11 Nov 2002
‘Filipinos 3
rd

biggest
users of
shabu, says
UN study’…
The main concerns of
young people center
on being better
people…
(NFO-Trends 2001)
 For Pinoy youth:
“Having good
marriage and
family life” (98%)
is topmost aspect
of their life.
 The paternal presence today is
intensified, but it tends to follow the
maternal pattern.
Fathers are
beginning to
flee from the
paternal task
of interpreting
the “law.”
By Five for Fighting
By Barry Manilow
Media undermines
the family and the
Media has imbedded
values and points of view.
“Adult" has
increasingly come to
mean "dirty."
 The biggest
question of all:

Where
are the
Diminishing role of
parents in the advent
of overseas
migration and the
increasing entry of
mothers in the
working force.
The need to provide a better
future for our families has
made both parents seek
better-paying, but more
demanding jobs.
Less time spent with
children, and greater
reliance on television to
provide entertainment in
lieu of social interaction.

In Metro Manila, 66%

of parents with kids
are working

Source: Media in Mind 2002

Mass Media, next to the peer
group, becomes a surrogate
to parental socialization.
Mass media creates
alternative expert
system that
competes with the
traditional authority
represented and
monopolized by the
family, school and
religious authorities.
 ItIt has
has the
the power
power to
to
condition
condition people
people with
with
false
false needs
needsand
and
mistaken
mistaken lifelife models.
models.
 Our
modern
culture is
lacking of
stories of
heroes
and
saints
What
happens to
the youth?
 Today’s Pinoy
Youth
The youth of today live against a backdrop in which
rapid infrastructure development proliferate.

Out of home
activities Telecom liberalization
Malls More access to land
lines
Fast
foods Cell phones

Evolving Media
Technology
Landscape
access
more
Computer
channels
games
Cable TV
Internet
• Picture-oriented rather than
logic.
• Feeling-oriented rather than
rational.
• More abreast with information
than able to communicate.
• Instant / cannot wait.
A very sad effect…
“Compassion Fatigue”

electronic violence

indifference
Globalization as a process of “time-
space compression” made possible
the…
• Shrinking of youth
cultures in one global
village;

• Digitization of
knowledge; idols/icons, movies, MTVs,
fashion fads, music, hairstyles

• Disneyizing youth
cultures (via Disney
movies).
INDIVIDUALISM
polyphonic
polyphonic vision
vision or
or
multiplicity
multiplicity of
of reality
reality

difficulty
difficulty to
to attain
attain
certainty
certainty or
or truth
truth
dangerous link between truth
and authority with numbers
relativism
nomadism
 alarming
inability to
make
commitments
consistent with
one’s own faith
vision and
personal
project of life
Sex &
Media dilutes the
innocence of
childhood.
4
Media…
• Expose the youth more to sexual language;
• Readily available through popular “green raps” and
songs, music videos, bomba films and tabloids;
• Source of sexual socialization and entertainment;
• Tabloids contributes to the showbiz-nation – youth are
more interested and knowledgeable about latest
showbiz tittle-tattles than political issues.
• Sexy tabloids have become pornographic literature.
tops in
use of
porn
 Media
stereotypes
people, which
causes
prejudices that
lead to collective
aggression.
4
Mass Media reinforces stereotypes…
• Advertisement capitalizes on women’s bodies to promote commercial
products;
• Boys often use these images as point of conversation, and use them
as jokes to ridicule women;
• Sexist images;
• Images of violence has an effect on the identity formation of youth
offenders (like masculine role models “Robin Padilla” as bad boy);
• “burgis” and “sosyal” vs. “jologs,” “baduy,” and the “bakya.”
surface over depth,
simulation over the real,
style over substance,
packaging over product
 Family/School Values Media Values
• Life • Death
• Livelihood • Laziness
• Care • Destruction
• Community • Alone
• Freedom • Bondage
• Love • Indifferent
• Forgiveness • Vengeance
• Faith • Disbelief
• Hope • Despair
• Self-giving • Greed
• Commitment • Unfaithfulness
• Unity • Disunity
• Spirituality • Materialism
• Security in God • Security is Gold
 Family/School Values Media Values
• Sex is Beautiful! • Sex is PORNO!
• Woman has dignity! • Woman is object!
• Marriage is Sacred • Marriage is lust/temporary
• Freedom to Choose • Consumerism / Abuse
• Needs • Wants
• Cooperation • Competition
• Quality • Brand
• Product (Content) • Packaging
• Truth • Sensationalism (lies)
• Local • Foreign
• Age (Wisdom) • Youth (energy)
• Being • Having
• Small • Big
• Love is Beautiful! • Love is lust/sophistication!
 Parents’ attitudes to Media
-------------------------------------------

Attitude Action Position

Trend I
Suspicion and censorship and outside
rejection control
Trend II
Imitation and use at all costs
marginal
ambition
Trend III
Critical Discriminating inside
understanding use & compassionate
service
 Parents/Teachers is
responsible for…
•Creating an
ambience for
the youth to
be discerning
users of
media.
Be not afraid with
technology.
parents
practice
“co-
viewership”
with your
kids!
parents create a
“reading culture” at
home because there is
no substitute to
reading!
 Exercise “critical
thinking” at home
the ability to
review
(confront-
accept/reject),
reflect & proact
 What can you do?

 Discriminate
Evaluate
Withhold patronage
Express your outrage
Demand better
quality TV content
 h t h e
n g uis
dis ti ec ts
1. to e a s p
m p tiv r e …
rede ular cult u

?
p o p 2. to deter
of mine
appropria
te
to ol s Christian
v e lo p
to d e tiv e participat
3. s tru c i on …
o n
for c cism …
criti
• thoughtful problem solving and
not memorization
• throw the myths and concepts or
let this be validated by facts
 Teach the youth to
DECONSTRUCT MEDIA…
to
distinguish
reel from
real…
to put into
proper
context
the myths
of media…
 But it is not
enough to
deconstruct
media…
ORIGINAL CONSTRUCTION
empowers the audience to
create their own
messages…
 not showbiz news but
political, social issues
that would guide them
in their public life as
citizen of this country.
education to truth
Remember,
we are
mentoring
future
leaders!
 Mentoring
Mentoring isis like
like
simmering
simmering in
in aa crock-pot.
crock-pot.
microwave mindset
 Do not allow our
children to be like:
If we have lost
our prophetic
force and
visibility, what
purpose do we
still serve?
Manage your
REPUTATION!
Why? Because…
 Ther
e is a
pare new
nt/te
on th ache
e b lo r
ck!
New “teacher/parent” on the
block…
1. Media
2. Peers
3. School/Teachers
4. Parents/Family
5. Church/Religious
Leaders
1. Parents/Family
2. School/Teachers
3. Church/Religious
Leaders
4. Peers
5. Media
Doing good, and projecting it is a
solid principle in media culture.
 cultural conversion

To be present we must
have selling power.
conditioned and
dependent on the
most seductive bidder
He who has a message and
no propaganda will not get
very far.
It is not enough to use the
media simply to spread
the Christian message.
It is necessary to
integrate that
message into the
new culture
created by
modern
communication. (Redemptoris Missio)
“The change
will happen
if parents
get
involved”

- James Steyer
The Other Parent
The trick as a
parent is to
find the right
recipe of
vigilance
mixed with
humor and
common
sense.
 The Church teaches that
parents are the primary
educators of their children
for a good reason.

Parents are the best judge!

 The most
SET LIMITS important thing
is LOVE, but a
close second is
STRUCTURE…
rules and limits.
Be firm, but fair.
Secrets of the Teen
Brain / 7 Rules for
Parents
 USING REASON to young
people and allowing young
people to REASON OUT…
EXPLAIN YOUR DECISION:
Secrets of the Teen Brain: 7 Rules For Parents

As your child becomes more adept at

reasoning, it’s no longer good enough
to say: “Because I said so.”
 reason seen as
interpersonal dialogue…

reason as personal
awareness and respect
for individual…
reason as
education to
depth…
reason as
initiation into
critical
evaluation…
reason as a help to the young
person in understanding his
inner resources…
 Prayer
• A key ingredient
in parenting in
the multi-media
age!
 conclusion:
BE A RESPONSIBLE
USER/PRODUCER OF MEDIA!
USED
USED TO
TO BE
BE
by
by Stevie
Stevie Wonder
Wonder and
and Charlene
Charlene
Sources:
 Mc Cann Erickson Study given by Ms.
Emily Abrera last August 9, 2005,
AMRSP Seminar
 Fr. Eli Cruz, SDB lecture given in
various SIGNIS assemblies
 AAAA Media Fact Book
 Sr. Consolata Manding, FSP lecture on
the Spirituality in the Media Age given
during the Spirituality Forum 4 –
Spirituality & Globalization
 Philippine Internet Review: 10 years of
internet in the Philippines
THANK YOU!!!
FROM TBCMP