Television shows are aired either globally or nationwide. You have a set of different channels, depending on which cable you are connected to. There are channels that air news reports or news segments, sweet flicks, movies that differ in genre, television series that include sci-fi and superheroes, real-life television series, television shows that are educational for the people, game shows, television shows that advertise or promote products, shows that advertise services, cooking shows, and such. People grew up watching television, with their parents, siblings, friends, guardians or individually. They watch television shows for leisure and relaxation when they are stressed, although, they still watch just to pre-occupy their time and space. They also watch when they have to gather information from media, television shows, for their research or homework. Adults, specifically parents, let their children watch television shows that are educational. The thing is, not all television shows are suitable for all ages. Just because it's animated, specifically cartoons, it is already for general viewing. There are cartoons that depict violence and discrimination. Television shows that include violence that influences the youth to mirror them through media globalization.
In a study, 37 school shooting incidents from 1974 to 2000 show that over half of the attackers were greatly influenced by violent TV shows, video games and other media in their methods of attacking. This just proves that children as young as they are now should be discouraged from being exposed to violence in media and other forms of entertainment. Television shows can greatly influence the growth of the youth in a negative way, as well as trigger vices. Thus, leads to a cycle of violence, discrimination and inappropriate jokes and acts through the youth that has been influenced by media. Would you like your children and your children's children to grow up into a society wherein violence and discrimination amongst the youth is mirrored? Do you want your children to contribute to the deterioration of moral values and disregard good manners and right conduct? Do you want the future generation to suffer from physical assaults and engage in violence because of emotional distress resulting from the past generation that started the influence of violence through media? These are the questions I've been reflecting on. A study was conducted by Kaj Bjorkqvist wherein he randomly assigned one group of five to six year old Finnish children to watch violent movies, another to watch movies that don't involve violence. Raters who did not know which type of movie the children had seen then observed them playing together in a room. Children who had just watched the violent movie were rated much higher on physical assault and other types of aggression. Other experiments have shown that exposure to media violence can contribute to an increase of aggressive thinking, aggressive emotions, aggressive behavior, and tolerance for aggression amongst the youth. Whatever the children see in the media, they mirror it through the way they act, speak, interact and think.
People who have more knowledge and wisdom about this issue should have the initiative to take part in addressing to this problem of the society that causes immoral acts and turmoil, both physically, verbally, mentally and emotionally. The main purpose of media is, supposedly, to influence and educate the people, specifically the youth, in a good way but instead what is happening right now is that people are enjoying the negativity that the media is producing. Children may become more fearful of the world around them; children may become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others; the youth will become tolerant and will enjoy the presence of violence in media, resulting to them reflecting it in their daily actions and words. People should take responsibility regarding this issue, before violence has fully taken its course in the world we live in.
-Troy Wanne_PD2
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