By setting an example of violence, the media has taught children to resort to physical violence when feeling angry. Everything from films, shows and even the news displays violence. The violence on television depicts people killing other people for power, money or just ‘because‘. Violence is everywhere on television. People can’t escape the violence in the media; just watching television exposes people to violence.
Argument: For Jeff Jacoby, writer of “A Desensitized Society Drenched in Sleaze,” violent entertainment indirectly causes real life violence. He states that even with his highly religious and disciplined background he was “jaded” from exposure to violent TV. he thinks that if he can be desensitized, then anyone can be desensitized. With that thought, Jacoby may have a valid point. If exposed to violent TV for an extended amount of time, it may be able to desensitize anyone, especially if they come from an already broken home or bad neighborhood.
The increase in violent crime by youth is an alarming trend that has many contributing factors. An environment where violence is fed to our youth daily from all avenues including, home, school, and the media can only reinforce the concept of violence as the answer to our problems. Who has the answer for such dramatic damage in our society? Experts who have studied youthful offenders state that most of them grew up in broken and abusive families marked by drugs and alcohol, violence and mental illness. Abuse at such an early age can lead to aggression and violence (The New York Times, 2000).
Juvenile Recidivism Recidivism is the act of repeating an act over and over again especially a criminal acts such antisocial behavior. Juvenile recidivism is where the criminal acts and antisocial behavior are experienced in the youth more. The Research Problem Juvenile age is the most complicated age in the human growth. It is the time when an individual is discovering him or herself. This period is when one can either make it out to become a great adult in the future or become a total mess all together.
The physical and mental effects on teenagers through technology are causing concerns for many parents and experts. According to Strasburger, Jordan, and Donnerstein, "parents and professionals are seeing an increase in aggressive behavior, sexual experimentation, weight gain and loss, and school academics” (Strasburger, Jordan, & Donnerstein, 2010). The average teenager will have viewed almost 200 000 violence acts on television. Interactive technology can foster antisocial beliefs and behavior in teens because of the violence in new technology, which can be found video games. An example is "In the aftermath of the West Paducah, KY School shooting, it was revealed, the shooter had never fired a real gun in his life, yet his marksmanship was both accurate and lethal” (Strasburger, Jordan, & Donnerstein, 2010).
It is necessary to take a closer look at whether or not violence in the media really is responsible for this development and then to examine what censorship may entail before taking such a far-reaching decision. Many concerned people, ranging from worried parents through to reputable psychologists, deplore the ever-present nature of violence in the media, claiming that this is the reason why people are increasingly prepared to commit violent acts. They argue that violence is being propagated as normal or even entertaining. Violence is in the newspapers, on the news, in film plots and in cartoons. Violence is a source of laughter in children's programs; films present it as staple fare; it is served as pseudo-information in sensation-hungry newspapers and on reality TV; and it is even glorified by some musicians in their lyrics and performances.
Ahmed 1 Sami Ahmed Professor Grannis English 112 7 December 2008 The Medias Affect on Teenagers The rise of violence and sexual activity in teenagers has placed the entertainment industry under scrutiny. Parents blame the industry for exposing their children to inappropriate content at a tender age. The industry has argued that the rating system at place should give the parents control over the content viewed by their children. Now let us find out whether the content of the media has an affect on teenagers? Or if it is the parent’s responsibility to regulate what teens watch?
Teenage years is probably one of the most challenging periods of life. It is a stage of identity versus confusion – knowing oneself compared to losing oneself. Belonging and being accepted in a group is very important and being "cool" as well. During these years of growing up, teenagers encounter their share of positive and negative experiences. Peer pressure, curiosity, and the availability of drugs are factors that some youthful and vulnerable teenagers have to deal with in their adolescent lives.
Unfortunately, many of today’s television programs are violent. So does TV influence kids that violence, drugs, alcohol and sex are ok? How much violence, drug references, alcohol usage, and sex references does the average American child come across? How much of this do they take in? Hundreds of studies have found that children and teenagers that watch television may: • Become “immune” or numb to the horror of violence • Gradually accept violence as a way to solve problems • Imitate the violence they observe on television; and • Identify with certain characters, victims and/or victimizers Also, Extensive viewing of television violence by children causes greater aggressiveness.
Many people attribute the increase in violent youth to the increase of violence in the media. There is a common belief that television, films and video games are to be blamed for making children deem that violence is not only acceptable, but a necessary way of solving conflict. Some blockbuster movies that top the charts tend to be action-packed, such as the Terminator in 1984 or films about superheroes that save the day by destroying the villains. Superman, Batman and Spiderman are the perfect examples. The youth are then influenced by observing these behaviours and mimicking the actions of these so-called heroes.