by Soraia Carvalho

This article approaches Media as one of the causes for the existence of sedentarism in the life of children / adolescents and the danger of what is shared in social networks. The technological advancements increasingly promote a greater comfort for the human being. New working methods emerged benefited by this same advance, leading to the replacement of human labor or small parts, by machines and computers. These amenities often interfere with lifestyle, requiring less use of the body. The practice of physical activity has always been important for the human being, but with the innumerable technological benefits of the modern world, Mankind has become more sedentary.

The Media burst into our daily lives by pulling us into their “web”. Proof of this is children / adolescents who spend most of their time with social networks, in front of television / computer or online games, etc. This time spent with the media leads to a reduction in the practice of physical activity, since they prefer to be stuck to technology than to do some outdoor activities, for example. This is due to the Media absorbing in various ways their total attention and concentration, abstracting them from what is happening around them. However, these children are their parents’ mirror, as they unconsciously copy their behavior, “It’s like you sat there and fed them a plate of vegetables, and then you had chips. They’ll think ‘hang a minute, why are you preaching? Why are you telling me all about it?” If your parents do not practice physical activity or spend most of their time around Media, the children will follow them. The media share all sorts of information and with children having easy access to it, it becomes dangerous. Not only are they to blame for their lack of regular physical activity, but also for the reduction of mental exercise. Social networks contribute mostly to a false perception of reality by children, making them believe in false values. They believe in much of what they see or read in an immature way, sometimes leading to aggressive behavior.

In conclusion, social media is responsible for influencing our perception of real life depending on the time we spend with it, having nowadays a central role in our lives, capturing much of our attention and abstracting us from what is important as previously mentioned, such as the practice of physical exercise and of a healthy lifestyle and it’s increasingly affecting the young generation.

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