Media violence

  MEDIA VIOLENCE

While violence is not new to the human race, it is an accumulative epidemic that is taking over today’s society. With firearms, ammunition and explosives becoming more accessible, this is resulting into more violent behavior and less serious consequences. Violence in the media plays an imperative role in the etiology of violent and hostile behavior in the world today. While it is difficult to determine which age group have experienced more televised violence, studies have shown that the consequences of aggressive and violent behavior have brought a great deal of human agonizing, suffering, pain and financial destitution to our society, as well as an atmosphere of apprehension, distress and doubt. Research indicates that violence in the media has not just increased in quantity; it has also become more explicit, sexual and sadistic. Most acts of violence in media and on television are laughed off and there are no consequences for these actions. 

In extremely recent current events of this past week the spreading trend has come to pass yet again. In the suburb of Santee, California a 15- year- old high school freshman shot and killed two classmates and wounded 13 others. The shooter, Charles "Andy" Williams smiled as he reloaded the revolver with only revenge on his mind. Hopefully this event, among several others, will spark the call for more gun control for the sake of the children and future generations. Because of the right to bear arms, it is possible for anyone old enough to walk to have access to destructive weapons. Andy had access in his own home with plenty of ammunition. The result is a breeder of violence has been released to the rest of America's children ("Tragedy at Santee" 2001). 

                       

Several precautions exist currently to help with the media violence issue and there are various more things that can still be done. Parental advisory labels, television rating systems, movie ratings, and video game content labels are fluent and abundant. Unfortunately, several items of restricted material are in the hands of an underage possessor due to the lack of enforcement. I doubt that various people take this issue seriously, and the majority of parents are not involved in a child's life enough to know the type of content their child is being exposed to. Parents and adults who own weapons that a child at any age can have access to is just begging for some type of disastrous accident to occur. Future generations need more enforcement and protection from media violence.

The content of television is becoming increasingly vulgar and makes me wonder if all of it is even necessary. Murder, rape, sex, profanity, crimes of all varieties as well as abuse are displayed on television, in movies and in music just for the purpose of entertainment. The media would help the violence explosion by editing content in the things children are the main supporters of. The damage that violent and vulgar content execute on children should not be ignored or denied for one life is to many to lose because of violence. 

In my opinion violence in the media, video games, rated R movies and music has a major impact on the younger generation and something needs to be done to protect our youth. 

- VARSHINI KALKERE