The Dangers of Violence in the Media for Today’s Youth
Torrents of light flood on to the television screen depicting an arena full of half crazed fans cheering on the two figures in the ring. The two men use the most underhanded tactics to beat the other into a pile of meat on the canvas as the crowd goes insane over the mayhem. Children crowd around the glowing receiver and squeal with joy as their favorite wrestler performs an action, which would normally cleave a man’s skull. Violence is being taught to children at a very young age now, which can stimulate a string of negative events and severe emotional reactions. Though it is a reoccurring theme in movies and television shows, it is also becoming more publicized in current events. CNN is now going into wars and placing its audience in the frontlines with lead flying through the air and whizzing past the camera’s lens. Violence is becoming overly accepted in today’s society, and has very real effects on today’s youth.
To children, television equals reality. Watching Stone Cold smash a guy’s head into the turnbuckle teaches children that this sort of violence is acceptable, and has no consequences. Instead children are shown that these actions warrant applause, not a prison sentence. Of course the youth will t
Some may argue that simulated violence in a child’s life can prepare him or her for the true terrors in the real world, and numb them to the emotion of fear and violence by showing it to them throughout their entire life. Theoretically this makes sense. Exposing people to a feeling of pain in a certain area on their body will eventually result in the numbing of that limb. This does not hold true in the emotional spectrum of the human psyche though. Repetition is used over and over in commercials to make a client feel comfortable and secure with the product. The product could even be inferior to another’s but because the repetition used on consumer he or she is certain that the better advertised product is the better product. This holds true with behavior patterns in children. A reoccurring influence of violence in a child’s life may build up an emotional tolerance to the feeling that violence in wrong. A pattern which will be reflected in their ever action and decision.
being hurt or killed they may not take the programs so seriously. Many parents are not even aware of the types of violence that their sons and daughters witness everyday on the television. By sitting down and w