Comparison of television violence and solid parenting
The people of this country have a problem with facing facts. Everyday we turn on the news only to hear about children dying in the streets, the playgrounds, and even in there own homes. Many will blame TV for problems with children and teenagers citing that kids today have no morals or conscious. But it isn't the problem the problem is abusive parents, fewer after school sponsored activities, and children practically raising them selves while both or one parent works all the time. When children are neglected they find activities to get them attention including becoming violent, this is not the result of watching to much TV. Charles Oliver from REASON magazines cites "For 30 years or so television defined a broad-based popular American culture. But beginning in the 80's, that culture began to break down, dividing into small subcultures, as technology, deregulation, and market demand made it increasingly difficult for the broadcast networks to attract a broad national audience. In turn each of these subcultures influences each other, producing a mainstream culture that is currently evolving at an ever more-rapid rate"(Oliver 58). By this he shows that each generation is different from the others and what defined one group won't
"This type of environment breeds' predators' not functional members of society, most of these kids don't spend time in the house or stuck in front of the TV"(James 102). Even when they come inside the norm is no longer daddy bringing home the bacon while mom stays home and takes care of the house. Violence begets violence when brought up around violence it's hard to turn out passive, in the jungle (the inner city) the weak are swallowed whole while the strong run the streets lawless. 20% of suburban high schoolers endorse shooting someone "who has stolen something from you". "5 out of 10 children are physically and mentally abused at one point in there lives"(Minnow and Lamay 69), this terrible statistic is sad but true these kids usually don't become doctors and lawyers. And they learn it from abuse and violence in the home and, most pervasively, from violence as entertainment in television, the movies, and interactive video games"(Grossman 114). If you take a child who is beat on every day for nothing he won't learn respect but will learn fear he/she will learn that to survive you must fight and grasps an animal instinct of kill or be killed. "15 years after the introduction of TV, homicides, rapes and assaults doubled in the United States. While most kids at this stage of life are thinking of girls, parties, and sports the kids of the inner city think of survival. Although TV takes you to worlds you've never been to before it's only make believe. They come home to one parent who is dead tired from working an all night shift who probably doesn't really have the time to take care of home. (WHAT COUNTS: THE COMPLETE HARPER'S INDEX c 1991)"(Grossman 118)While many would agree with Mr. Grossman said, "killing and violence is a learned skill"(Grossman 113) it's learned by what they see as well as their surroundings.
Common topics in this essay:
HARPER'S INDEX,
Oliver REASON,
David Grossman,
,
Medical Association,
Toch Silver,
inner city,
seeing girls,
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