Essay, Research Paper: Violence On Tv

Violence on Television: Do Children Need Protected?
What would you do if your children were watching cartoons one night when all of a sudden the characters pull out a gun and start shooting each other? Would you turn it off? I am sure most parents would. But if I were a parent, I would not. Shadowing your children from everyday violence is a lost cause. Whose to say that they are not watching violent shows over a friend’s house? Or even an aunts or uncles house? Protecting your children from violence on television is your choice. But whose choice is it to protect the children of the country? Not yours. Not mine. And not even the President of the United States. Passing laws/acts to ban violence on TV is against the First Amendment. There is no hope in deciding what is considered violent and what is not. One may think that the “Power Rangers” is a violent kids show, and others may not. Protecting children from violence on television is downright impossible and is in opposition to our rights as American citizens.
On the issue of violence on television, there is a never-ending debate. One could argue for hours on whether or not violence on television could be avoided. Ernest F. Holling states that, “Saturday morning children’s programming...shows an average of thirty-two violent acts per hour” (620). He also says that it is time for decent Americans to rescue our children from this threat. What threat? If children want to watch violence on TV, they are going to one way or another. Holling also says that illegalizing violence on TV is not against the first amendment. He fights that, “...We have restricted sexual indecency on TV for decades. The same applies to violence” (620). The American Psychiatric Association states that,
“Individuals with greater exposure to media violence see the world as a dark and sinister place. Television programs present a narrow view of the world, and the world they present is violent. Thus, people who watch a lot of television are more likely than those who watch less to see the world as being violent and overestimate their chance of being involved in violence” (Physician Guide to Media Violence p. 254).
On the other side of the spectrum, we have those who are in opposition to the illegalization of violence on television. This is the side that I tend to agree with. Del Reisman credits television for bringing subjects that are hard to talk about out in the open. “Abuse in the home toward children, or parents, or grandparents is out of the closet now, thanks to television. Gay bashing has found its way from the dark alleys of our cities to the films of both weekly series and movies-of-the-week. The violence on the home screen follows the violence in our lives” (618). If it were not for television, we would not know what is going on in the world around us.
In my opinion, I think people are using violence on television as an excuse for children’s actions today. Television is an easy culprit because people know that children watch it al least four hours a day, and that most of the shows contain some sort of violence. However, I do not feel that television is responsible. Children do not need protected from the violence on TV; if they do not see it on television, they will more than likely come face to face with it one way or another. I would certainly not stop my children from watching any violent television shows; I think that it is better they see it at home and ask questions than see it on the street and maybe get hurt in the process. I have watched may violent television shows in my lifetime and saw many violent movies, too. And I do not go around shooting people or beating people up. My little cousin, who is three years old, watches “Power Rangers” religiously. And he does not go around “karate-chopping” people. He watches it because he likes them and they are entertaining. I think if parents to not let their children watch television, violent or not, their children are being deprived. Surely television is not everything, but it is a part of everyday life. Many people also blame the news and media for presenting violent images. They are just doing their job; people want to know what is going on in the world, and the reporters tell them. I believe that children should watch the news and read the newspaper at least twice a week. That way they are aware of what is going on in the world and can learn that the things some people are doing are not acceptable. Children are starving for information, and television is they way they have to get it, be it violent or not.
In conclusion, children do not need to be protected from violence on television. If parents do not want their children to watch the television, then they have to shut it off. But they also have to take responsibility for their actions, and not watch violent television shows while their kids are in the house. This issue is a two way street. But I feel that too many people feel that it is a one way street, and they are focused on the bad things about violence on television, and not focusing on the good things, whatever they may be.


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