Violence Within the Media

There is no doubt that violence in the media has a great impact on today’s young and growing society. Children who constantly watch television and play video games are exposed to this on a daily basis. At a young age the brain is like a sponge, it absorbs information really quickly. At such a young age, children don’t know that what they see is just action packed movies and games for entertainment. Instead they can interpret it as it is okay to do these things because they see others doing it on television or in video games. Have we failed our children?
An old saying is, “What has society come to?” To answer that question, consider that bulletproof vests now come in kids’ sizes. Is this what we have done to help society and its problem with violence? “Exposure to media violence and bullying stand out as two distinct factors that contribute to aggressive and violent youth behavior” (Werle). What makes these ideas trigger in the minds of young children? One of the most vivid headlines that comes back to memory in relation to a child’s violence, has taken place on December 6, 1999, where a seventh grade boy opened fire on another group of students. Once again friends and neighbors stood in shock while describing the boy to reporters as a “good kid” and “an honor roll student”. It is becoming more and more difficult for teachers and police officials to determine if the next spark of violence will erupt from the quiet kid in the corner or the bandanna sporting gang members. Is society or nature to blame for the drop in respect for life by youngsters? We cannot shrug our shoulders every time media violence from gory films or obscene song lyrics spills over into our schools.
The definition of “school” is “an institution for instruction and learning”. “Schools should not become a series of negotiations designed to minimize hassle. Schools should be about maximizing expectations-in academics and behavior-for all students” (Gutloff, 5). But with so much violence in... [continues]

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