Home Literature The Media: A Guiding Teacher

The Media: A Guiding Teacher

转简体  轉繁體

--Voice of the Youths (From Book: America, Return to God)

By Josh Miller (Age 17)

With his eyes glued to the television set, little Johnny sits and absorbs all of the seductive messages that the television sends his way. Whether it is recognized or not, the television teaches little Johnny about life and what values he should live by. His thoughts now center on danger, fury, and aggression; this causes little Johnny to pick fights at school, to argue with his parents, and to torment his fellow students. Before anyone can tell what has gone wrong with little Johnny, John, the mature, immoral student of the television takes control. Instead of learning about violence, John now learns about drugs, sex, liquor, and cigarettes. John, having gained all the confidence and knowledge he needs from this teacher, goes forward into the world.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Promoting sex and sexual behavior is the media’s newest specialty. Television and the media in general are eroding the foundation of morals in America. Social problems are erupting all over the country: school shooting, rape, abuse, racism, discrimination, hate, teen pregnancies and drugs. The responsibility that the media has in teaching and raising children must be tempered by involved parents as well as stimulating activities.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

In addition to the external effects of the media, the media also harms the mental and cognitive processes of children. The realism of the media causes the children to imitate what they see on the television. This leads to the increase in violence, stress, sex, anxiety, and fear. Children feel as if everything that they see on the television is real, true, and right. They feel as if the right decision or action for them is to harm a fellow student. They feel as if sex is an everyday event that everyone is partaking in. This is because the media shows the students that sex and violence are common practice that every student uses and turns to.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

In order to break free of the binds that the media has wrapped around youth, society must first recognize the “TV should not be used as a babysitter”1. When society dwindles down to a fiber of being that uses the television as the main source of entertainment and knowledge, society has lost all control over all the adolescents that are nurtured by the television. Society instead must turn to into a place in which parents develop and maintain control of the viewing habits of children. In particular, parents must have accurate and reliable information on what shows contain violence, sexual messages, and vulgar language.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

By turning off the television, one would be sending a clear message to the media producers that media cannot glorify sex and violence. In order to stop the moral degradation in society, the people must take a stand collectively.

The world is filled with many additional, beneficial, benevolent activities that children could be focusing on. With current standings, it is impossible for parents to make sound, thought-out decisions about the media and its alternatives.

This implies that the parents must be given accurate and reliable information about the programs that the media offers. The parents have the children’s best interest at heart, not the media. Therefore, the parents need to make decisions about the children and the programming for children, not the media.

(Selected excerpts)

Notes:
1 “CITY: Exposure of children to scenes of violence on TV affect their personality.” PPI – Pakistan Press International (June 28, 2004): NA. General OneFile. Gale. West Ottawa Public Schools. 11 Oct 2007. <http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?proID=IPS>.

Home Literature The Media: A Guiding Teacher