Data Management Project
The Influence of the Media on Teenagers' Development and Lifestyle

Sarah Joyce, Nick Lalumiere and Aggie Klimkowska
St Peter High School, Ottawa-Carleton Catholic School Board
Teacher: Mrs. K. Zarins

The subject of the affect the media has on teens is an extremely large and wide ranged topic. For this reason, we have divided our study into 4 major categories that we wished to observe, amongst Grade 11's and 12's. We grouped them into the following:

1. The level and types of influences
2. Physical appearance
3. Sexuality and relationships
4. Behaviours and lifestyles (particularly alcohol amongst teens)

Our thesis is: The media influences the grade 11s and 12s at St. Peter Catholic High School with respect to their physical appearance, their sexuality, relationships, and their behaviours and lifestyles.

In order to prove our thesis, it was necessary to gather background information from each person surveyed, as well as their thoughts and beliefs on certain topics. We wanted the survey to include all the important aspects of media influence, being the level and types of influences, the impact on physical appearance, sexuality and relationships, and the impact on their behaviour and lifestyle. In our survey we ensured the questions were simple, relevant, specific, and readable.

The study we conducted is a cross-sectional study, and discovering the truth was our goal. After the survey was complete, it gave us a brief background on the student, and the way media is present in their lives. From the information gathered we then analyzed the responses.

Using several methods learned in class, (Venn diagram, probabilities, normal distribution, combinations, various data charts, etc.), we made the following conclusions for each section:

1. The level and types of influences:

This section took into account the types of media teens were exposed to, for example movies, Internet and television. From the information collected, it could then be analyzed to show how much teens were influenced by different media sources. Further research was then conducted on television because it seemed to be a large influence.

It can be concluded that the information observed from the first section proves that the media has a large impact on the lives of adolescents and that it influences teens from several different sources. Therefore, it is fair to say that section 1 proves our thesis correct, and that the media affects teens.

2. Physical appearance:

This section viewed how media had an effect on teens lives and how they felt about their personal physical fitness. With the information analyzed it is correct to say that the media has some kind of affect on teens perspectives on their physical appearance. With the data collected, it is difficult to say how large the influence is, as there are several other factors to include other than the ones posed by the survey about working out. Yet, with the data collected and the basic knowledge of health media (ie: health magazines, perfect bodies portrayed) it is right to say that the media does have an influence on teens' idea of their physical appearance.

3. Sexuality and relationships:

This section observed how teens felt about sexuality and homosexuality. This section proves that the media can have an affect on how the teens' relationships and sexuality. Both the relationship and the homosexuality parts of the survey prove this. Yet, the evidence gathered isn't as concrete as the results from the previous sections, causing us to make a few assumptions. Therefore, teenagers are influenced by the media in these manners, but our analysis was missing solid proof.

4. Behaviours and lifestyles:

This section examined how teens rate their priorities and it also relates teen drinking to the media. A link between early age drinking and alcohol commercials was made in this section. Therefore, this section concluded that media has a tremendous affect on our behaviours and lifestyles.

Overall conclusion:

After discovering our conclusions, we then used information collected by Statistics Canada to compare some of our information to the rest of Canada. By doing this we could make relations between our school community and the rest of the country. We observed many differences and some similarities between these two sources of data collected which are further explained in our project.

In conclusion, our analysis determined that 3 out of the 4 sections we researched were accurate. Our conclusions prove that media is actively involved in the life of the teens and that there are several sources that influence them. This is to say that 75% of the data was correct based on our hypothesis, proving the underlying message that the media does have a major influence on our adolescent society's standard of living.