Blaming entertainment

[Exile]

Children are a media product these days. They are raised with a constant barrage of really powerful imagery that often makes the real world seem drab and slow paced. It will be much worse in another generation.

I think most adults now grew up with a lot more balance between their activities than many kids do now. The research still indicates that the real danger is for the fringe kids who don't participate in organized or team activities. They go into their rooms and live their lives in an entirely fabricated world and it really warps them.

One of the suggested keys to abnormal development is the age which kids are exposed to media violence. When many here were kids, there weren't first person shooter games or at least they were experienced as teenagers. Children are being allowed to play these games as young as 5 and 6 now when they aren't capable of separating fantasy reality the way they should. We also see parents taking kids to violent movies with fun explosions and high body counts....I grew up normal. This means I had to sneak into an R rated movie(to be honest I was just hoping for nudity) My parents wouldn't have just taken me. Now you don't have to even leave the house to get really detailed graphic imagery...I am a parent of 3 and I still screw up sometimes in letting the younger one see what the older one is allowed to watch.

Sorry for the ramble but it is a pretty complex deal with a several factors, I do think violent media that sensationalizes violence at every turn is a large factor though.

 

[njunk]

Its ridiculous to assume that what a person sees/watches in media/games etc does NOT have any effect on them.
If that were factual a 30 second commercial during a football game wouldnt cost a jillion bucks.

 

[don712]

Somthing is wrong out there it started 30 years ago and its only going to get worse so think about it. Kids rasing them selfs no father around how many kids grow up in a one parent home no supervision the only suport they get is at school and that,s not enough. There out all night doing what ever they want it all messed up. Iam geting old but Iam scared for my grand kids

 

[Bellman2]

First off there is no such thing as "gun violence". It sounds kinda silly to say beer violence or handkerchief violence doesn't it. Point number two. If you had to choice a potential point of causation between an inanimate object, and simulating the killing of people over and over again in a virtual world, I'd pick the latter. Not to say it always matters, but for some kids I'll bet it does.

Damn.......Twice I have agreed with you!!!!!!!!!! Its not just one thing, its an accumulation of things, Kids are turnd over to the tv for entertainment, they are not encourafed to get out and play and use their imagination, and there is little or no support or discipline from parents or parent. To quote W.C. fields.."Go away kid, you bother me"

 

[DixieDoug]

Is this happening in other countries? I

 

[BERN]

Njunk,
There is a huge difference between marketing and a widespread move toward a violent society based onthe content of entertainment. Besides, do you rush out and buy every item you see advertised? If not, why?
Some of you are making the antis argument for them.

 

[Tiberious]

[h=5]Hi all. I don't post much but had to say this...

It bothers me that the argument is being made that movies and video games are somehow to blame for gun violence. Adults should control what their children do as well as shape their perceptions of these things. Mature persons should not be influenced by their entertainment. This argument weakens all of us who are fighting for our rights under the 2nd amendment of the United States constitution. It is an inherent logical fallacy to claim that society is at the same time mature enough to posses our arms but so weak of mind as to be influenced by Hollywood.

The constitution of the United States stands on its own. One does not have to go far at all to see the totality of reasoning in the right to bear arms by our founding fathers. If we argue the point on any other basis we fail.

"The Constitution shall never be construed to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms."
- Samuel Adams[/h]

Taking guns out of the hands of law abiding (adult) citizens and controlling the violence in TV, movies and video games are two completely different arguments.

Our children are growing up in a world where violence is becoming routine. I agreee, in a ideal world parents would control kids access to these materials. The fact is that this is not always possible, even in two parent loving homes. I grew up on Andy Griffith and Leave it to Beaver. Even cartoons now are filled with violence and disrespect. You cant tell me that this has no impact on a young impressionable brain. It clearly does. Does this mean that every child who views them will necesarily become violent ...of course not. It does mean that they have some responsibility in their development.

If my 8 yo child goes to a friends house and is served alchohol, that would be a crime. They could be given access to R rated movies though and there would likely be no reprocussions.

 

[sparked1]

I blame women, and not in a misogynist way. Our society has been feminized so we're overly sensitive to everything. More precisely, we have to seem sensitive to everyone and everything or else feel the wrath of the media, boycotting, etc. I played all sorts of violent video games when I was a kid and I don't remember ever once, even for a second, that crossing over into reality. That's probably not true for everyone, but likely for most of us "normal" folk. Women (Moms) are the ones primarily the ones complaining about too much violence on TV and media. LaPierre was just using this as a scapegoat, but I doubt he believes it himself. He also used Israel as an example of why we should arm teachers, and Israel's situation has absolutely zero in common with our situation here.

And yes, parenting may not be able to control exposure to all of it, but it most certainly can control mass consumption or addiction to it.

 

[BIKER13]

We had a kid back in the day ,use to kill birds and put em in his pockets.We always said he's wierd.Murdered his mom at 17,got out.Raped a woman at gunpoint,went to prison,got out.Murdered someone years later,he ain't out.He was one ****ed up cracker fo sho.We weren't Drs but we knew he was ****ed up.

 

[Exile]

Bern I think most here are saying there is a link between violent media and increased violence in our society.....not that guns are at fault.

The feeling these kids get from plowing through a video game stage destroying everything they see or watching people fly backwards through the air after being shot with a shotgun in almost every Hollywood movie are powerful images that do have an impact on young people.