The greatest enemy to the law is not the criminals themselves, but what shaped them, what drove them and what warped their mind at such a young age as to push them to extremities. According to Leonard Eron, Senior Research Scientist at the University of Michigan; "Television alone is responsible for 10% of youth violence."
This is a most shocking fact to both younger and older generations as we witness what a new generation is growing up and learning about what is right. How can we keep our children safe if they think that violence is the way to solve problems?
However, the one of the facts that must be addressed is that television provides a global network; an alert can be broadcasted all over the world in a matter of seconds if the government require so. However, is this a price worth paying for our children's minds? The American Psychiatric Association has stated that: "By age 18, a U.S. youth will have seen 16,000 simulated murders and 200,000 acts of violence."
Each one of these 16,000 murders and 200,000 acts of violence shape and mould our children's minds. Each one of them teaches children that violence and death is acceptable and is a normal part of everyday life. If TV never existed, thousands of youths who are currently homeless and with criminal records may have grown up to be successful, helped with volunteer work in developing countries on a GAP year and so helped give other needy children a brighter future by building schools and homes. Have gone to Oxford or Cambridge. Gained a degree. Gone on to become successful businessmen, accountants or lawyers. Why do we continue to shape our children's minds against what we want?
Moreover, another subject that we have not touched upon is that TV is making children obese. Today, one in four children is obese and the Health and Social Care Information Center survey of 2,000 children found: "From 1995 to 2004, obesity among boys aged 11-15 rose from 14% to 24% and girls from 15% to 26%. The rate rose slightly in the two to 10 age group."
This outbreak of obesity is due to lack of exercise because that time is spent sitting inanimate, watching television or playing computer games. This outbreak falls almost entirely upon Television's effect of drawing in young minds and holding them in its iron fist. There are very few transmissions that promote well being and exercising, and that one in five adverts are for food implies that television is the prime cause of nationwide child weight problems today.
Many people say that television has made people more aware of the outside world and has made people more conscious of what is right and wrong. However, exactly the opposite is happening. Youths are being taught that violence and swearing is the way to solve issues, and that rape and murder are acceptable.
The Kaiser Family Foundation issued this statement: "A majority of parents say they are "very" concerned about the amount of sex (60%) and violence (53%) their children are exposed to on TV. After being read arguments on both sides of the issue, nearly two-thirds of parents (63%) say they favor new regulations to limit the amount of sex and violence in TV shows during the early evening hours, when children are most likely to be watching."
This further enforces the argument with the fact that when ordinary citizens know what kind of content is shown on TV, they agree that TV should be regulated more strictly. This is the kind of society we should live in, not one that rests on the shoulders of TV and video games and where parents do nothing to protect their child's state of mind.
Moreover, another thing television is renowned for is advertising. The average person will watch over 20,000 adverts a year. This is extremely disturbing to the observer as one sees a group of people gripped by a frenzy brought on by one advertisement.
These adverts create want for possessions and force youths who cannot afford these cravings for material goods to steal and lie until they get what they need to satisfy themselves, If TV had never been invented, then thousands of youths who have now have criminal records would have the slate wiped clean and be able to start afresh. Recent studies have shown that over 27% of the causes for crime among young people was to gain money to purchase items that they desperately wanted, maybe if their more well off friends had one or he had seen an advertisement and was gripped by it. This cannot be allowed to continue if we are to preserve our children's future.
In conclusion I firmly believe that television is a cancer that this whole world has to bear, it has bought suffering to many peoples lives. It has caused many instances of copy-cat violence and murders and has plagued young generations with advertising and obesity.
For example, ibid have produced this statement: "Children younger than 8 "cannot uniformly discriminate between real life and fantasy/entertainment... They quickly learn that violence is an acceptable solution to resolving even complex problems, particularly if the aggressor is the hero."
Television has scarred children and youths worldwide and we may see its consequences regrettably unfold in the next decade.
