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Ben Pasch
Mrs. Ryan
CC English
14 November 2007
An Easy Way Out
The problem here is wildly blown out of proportion. Every time a new study or new evidence is found that television violence has a negative influence on the young, people start complaining. Television was once viewed as a simple means of entertainment. When kids started to become violent or aggressive, we started to look for cause and excuses. Now that there is “proof” that TV is a cause of the “epidemic” of teenage violence, everybody wants the television industry to tone it down, stop showing so much violence. Why? Because we, parents, don’t feel the need to supervise our own kids. Parents know that there are some things in life they don’t want their children to see. One might ask if TV violence is actually considered a problem in society. Apparently it is, according to studies “by the Surgeon General, the National Institute of Mental Health and others” (Hollings 529). These studies have reported that there is “a direct link between exposure to violence in the media and aggressive violent behavior” (Hollings 529). Apparently, also, “in the United States, youth violence is a public health problem, so designated by the Centers for Disease Control (and Prevention)” (Eron 525).
How is television blamed, in any regard, for promoting violence? Not all the blame is put on TV, however. But this blaming is something I think about almost everyday. I watch TV, when I have the time. My parents have always told me that what I
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see on some shows or movies is usually unrealistic. But others believe that TV is what causes kids to become cold-blooded killers. So there have been many different solutions to this problem. Many are unnecessary and wouldn’t solve the problem. This controversy is unnecessary and too much time is being spent on it.
Censorship is one of the main topics discussed at hearings about TV violence. Censorship is censorship, there cannot be partial censorship; it must...