FREE ESSAY ON VIOLENCE IN ENTERTAINMENT TODAY

VIOLENCE IN ENTERTAINMENT TODAY

From 1979 to 1989, the firearm homicide rate for persons 15-19 increased sixty-one
percent. Male youth in the U.S. are more than five times as likely to be victims of
homicide as to youths in many other developed countries. The violence in many
entertainment programs has increased to over seventeen percent. The violence in
entertainment today is affecting society as evidenced by the content of the material, the
increase rate of violence, and the reluctance to deny access.
Many people acknowledge that entertainment can effect people in an aggressive way but
others may feel it is for pure enjoyment. In "The Violent Mind", Hyde and Forsyth explain
that a society grown on television that consists of endless violence, it is unbearable
without becoming violent ourselves (147). Children who spend a countless number of hours
watching people enforcing physical harm to one another, its practical that they grow up
to do likewise. Our society has become more violent since the rise of entertainment
therefore, it must be the entertainment that makes us violent. Time magazine says,
lessons in school can be undermined by today's popular culture; messages that blare from
stereos, televisions and movie screens amount to a second education for the young ("Our
Violent Kids" 55). The entertainment media has played a powerful role in the formation of
values. Today's adolescents unlike earlier generations are receiving an enormous amount
of glorified violence that they tend to mimic. To prove that entertainment was a
tremendous factor of violence the Tribune News Service gives us an overview of what we
had to witness about the Littleton, Colorado massacre ("Popular Music's Influence on
Teens" 411K). The two boy killers were considered social outcasts, and were preoccupied
with the violence presented in the media, music, and video games. They were also fans of
the shock-rocker Marilyn Manson; among his obscene songs, which contained violent
messages, including shooting kids who harass you. The impact of violence that
entertainment has influenced our youth and has drastically increased the violence among
other children.
As can be seen, the rate of violence has increased extravagantly over the years.
According to "Violence in America," Bode, and Mock at the Children's Hospital near
Hollywood, 31 children at the age of 14 or younger were treated for gunshot wounds in
1991 (23). As you can see, the rate of kids shooting kids continues to increase year
after year. It appears that the gun control has diminished to the point of near
nonexistence because children of all ages are capable of getting their hands on guns. A
study from the Tribune News Service shows that 61% of all TV programs contain violence
("Violence Accusations" 510K). By that time probably over 500 high risks of violence has
been show to children under the age of five. In terms of all violence, aggressive
behavior and dangerous consequences have encouraged kids to play with fire or other
hazardous objects. "By the age of 16, a typical child has witnessed an estimated 200,000
acts of violence, including 33,000 murders," says Time magazine ("Rise in Brutal Crimes
53). To understand that rate of violent content in entertainment today will increase
more, and enhance corruption in later generations, we might be able to stop some of the
future consequences if we take action. It is inescapable that children will imitate the
brutality in real life. Subsequently, if a teenager witnesses a immense amount of
violence it is inevitable that the younger generations will witness twice as much if the
industries do not put more restrictions on inappropriate material. 
Obviously, if parents and others for example, entertainment industries, and record
stores, keep monitor of inappropriate material and would take more consideration to deny
underage children access to any type of material they want it might reduce the violence
rates. The Tribune News Service show that nonviolent programming such as "Touched by An
Angel," and other varieties infrequently attract a sizable audience ("TV Violence
Sickening Souls" 501K). Every year the envelope of unacceptable behavior is pushed to new
extremes to generate high ratings. Ratings are the only liable explanation why violent
shows are more frequently on the air. "Younger children have a difficulty distinguishing
televised fantasy from reality," explained Barbara Wilson, in the Tribune News Service
("Violence is Seductive" 416K). Since there is a great amount of difficulty to identify
fantasy from reality, there is an increased risk of children trying to impersonate
cartoon characters. Due to the violence, which is portrayed, as the easiest and quickest
way to resolve a problem so rarely is there a nonviolent act considered as a person's
first option. One source demonstrates that the television industry have age-based rating
scales based on the content of the following program, which is televised for a 15 second
period as the program beings to air ("Violence Seductive to Children" 416K). The tactics
that television industries are currently using has proven to be ineffective despite the
effort to prevent young children from viewing inappropriate material. On account for
protecting the children, the 15 seconds that the age-based scales are on the air may not
be enough time for parents to notice what type of show their child is viewing; hence the
ratings should be at the corner of the screen the entire program. America's television
programmers are failing in their attempts to monitor on-screen violence, and young kids
are being harmed in the process. 
Furthermore, if we give access to young adolescents who may not be able to clarify
reality from fantasy, then in the future we will all be living in a world of fear; would
desire to live in society like that