On September 10th of this year, Ralph Santiago, a
homeless man, was walking in New Jersey and was suddenly struck by a group of
teens. Santiago’s body fell onto a fence, killing him instantly. A month later
in Pittsburgh, an English teacher named James Addlespurger was also punched by
a different group of teens. Many other similar assaults have been caught on
tape. What confused the police was that these attacks were “unprovoked”. Police
are calling this series of events the “Knockout Game.” They do not know the
cause of the assaults, but Chuck Williams, a youth violence expert, calls these
actions “extreme aggression”. "That's
America. America loves violence and so do our kids. We market violence to our
children and we wonder why they're violent. It's because we are," says
Williams. To read more about the “Knockout Game” click here.
In my opinion I agree with Williams.
I think that for many it is hard to accept that their favorite movies and t.v. shows are negatively influencing the youth in the United States. With that being said, why do certain teens take violence in the media to reality? I mean, most teens don't go killing other people after watching "The Hunger Games." So what sets them apart? Another question to think about: Why has America become so violent? Were there specific events, or is it just the nature of society? Most importantly, what steps can we take to stop these assaults and other situations regarding teen violence?
I disagree with your opinion that the media is influencing kids to become violent; I would argue, rather, that the morals we surround our children with are what makes some violent and others not, in addition to outside factors, such as mental health issues. As you say in your post, the average teen doesn't see violence (as in the Hunger Games) and committ a violent act; there is no direct correlation. For a clearer example of "justified" violence, we don't have to look very far; our own government takes part in horrendous acts everday. Unjust wars, torturing prisoners... these real acts of violence are what influence our kids, not violent video games or movies.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting post. I always wondered myself why certain kids/adults were negatively influenced by Dexter when I was never inspired to go on a killing spree of bad guys after a Sunday night viewing. I think it is based (MAJORLY) on mental health as PDF said above, also how a child is raised and their own morals. I believe an individual who murders someone after the Hunger Games was bound to do something very violent eventually regardless of whether or not he or she viewed the film before the act.
ReplyDeleteAudrey, I think your post is very relevant to present day America and raises an important question - Whose responsibility is it to morally educate our children? I agree with you that a culture of violence supported by the acceptance and prevalence of violence in the media is at least partially influencing our children and possibly our adults, who are not immune to their surroundings, in a negative way. Should people be able to tell the difference between reality and fiction? I think most of us would say yes. But is the increasing appearance of extreme violence in our everyday surroundings negatively impacting their discernment? I do not think we can completely discount it. I think most would agree that parents are primarily responsible for the moral guidance of their children. However, this assumes we live in a perfect reality in which each and every parent is ultimately invested in the moral development of their child and the ability to teach them right from wrong. It is important to be idealistic, but not naive, and I think that many children would greatly benefit from a reduction in the violence that surrounds them on a daily basis in the media as well as an open dialogue about mental health. Parents and the children themselves are primarily responsible for their actions, but society and the media is not immune. Thanks for letting me read your post, John mentioned them in our MSEd class at Northwestern and I really enjoyed reading your thoughts on this topic!
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