Should Violence Be Censored From Media For Underage Children? - Essay Sample

Introduction

The exposure to violence in media through channels such as video games, movies, television, music, and social media represents a significant risk to the health and well-being of underage children. Studies indicate that media violence contributes to aggressive behavior, nightmares, fear of harm, and desensitization to violence in children. Children in the US between the ages of 8 and 18 years spend an average of six hours per day using entertainment media (Smith, Sven, and Ferguson 2). Likewise, children aged 6 years and below spend 2 hours daily using screen media such as computers, television, and movies. Furthermore, in most American households, televisions are common in the bedroom. Research states that the effect of having a television set in the children's bedroom is being studied. However, current data indicate that having a television set in the children's' bedroom increasing their viewing time by 1 hour a day (Smith, Sven, and Ferguson 3). Unfortunately, parents lack the capacity to monitor content viewed by children in their bedrooms leading to less consistent rules regarding media use. Therefore, violence should be censored from media for underage children.

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Prolific research studies show that the rise of violence in video games and movies leads to an increased risk of aggression in children. A 2009 American Academy of Pediatrics study stipulated that violence in the media increases an aggressive behavior (Smith, Sven, and Ferguson 4). The violence experienced in video games, for instance, creates the gamer transfer phenomenon. Due to the advancement in technology, media imagery has improved drastically to showcase high-quality or high definition images. As a result, the imagery affects behavior. The video game imagery is highly immersive and increasingly realistic due to the rise of virtual reality gadgets. The aftermath raises the questions of what children experience following their immersion into the violent virtual world. The problem with underage children is that they are likely to be impressed by what they see on media; hence they act out in real life. For instance, superhero movies illustrate how the main cast (superhero) uses violence against the villain to maintain peace and order. Underage children can misinterpret such scenarios and understand that violence is the only way to solve a problem, leading to aggression and desensitization to violence. Moreover, since children have a high level of exposure, media has a greater chance of shaping their actions and attitude as compared to parents and teachers. In other words, underage children are influenced by media because they learn by imitating, observing, and adopting behaviors (Spitzer 1387).

Since children learn best through observation and practicing what they observe, the consequence of their behavioral attempt influences their habit. All violent media teach specific aggressive behaviors and circumstances in which such behaviors seem appropriate. As a result, behavioral scripts are stored in memory and when they play video games or watch violent movies and TV programs, they learn effectively leading to an increase in nightmares and violence. It is also important to note that less empathy psychologically affects children, an attribute common in bullies. Violence in the media promotes the perception of danger, eradicates empathy and leads to sadistic actions in children (Rowan). Moreover, children exposed to media violence are more argumentative and less patient than their peers. As a result, these children fail in their social relations because of the unwillingness to cooperate with others and have a strong sense of entitlement.

On the other hand, violence in the media negatively affects academic performance in children. Underage children exposed to violent media experience reduced levels of concentration, attention, and memory. For example, some children fail to do their homework because they were busy playing video games or watching movies because entertainment is addictive. Furthermore, the brain in children goes through a series of development. The brain development is linked to the stimuli of the surrounding. High violent media content in children leads to passive or destructive learning in children (Rowan). Moreover, high screen users fail to participate in physical activities leading to obesity and mental health problems. As a result, children have the right to enjoy their childhood without exposure to media violence to improve their academic and outdoor performance.

Conclusion

In conclusion, violence in the media should be censored for underage children because it negatively impacts their development. Violent media promotes aggressive behavior and also leads to poor academic performance. Therefore, children should not be exposed to violence as a form of entertainment because their brain is under development and may not distinguish reality and fiction. As a result, parents should be at the forefront of ensuring that they monitor and supervise media consumption in their households. With the rise of digital devices such as smartphones and smart TVs, parents can use parental control features to control the type of entertainment options for their children. Likewise, policymakers should work together with pediatrics and the entertainment industry stakeholders to regulate media consumption, especially for young children and adolescents. For example, there should be an external body that rates movies, television programs, video games, etc. other than the entertainment industry sponsored ratings. Similarly, teachers should teach children to seek educative entertainment instead of violent media. Most importantly, censoring violent media is a public issue and the citizen should endorse the type of entertainment that suits children. The bottom line is that violent media is harmful to underage children and should be terminated.

Works Cited

Rowan, Cris. "Moving to Learn." Insights from a Leading Child-Development Expert, movingtolearn.ca/2018/ten-reasons-why-children-under-the-age-of-12-should-not-play-violent-video-games.

Smith, Sven, and Christopher J. Ferguson. "The Effects of Violent Media on Children." Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the Media, 2018, pp. 1-9., doi:10.1016/b978-0-323-54854-0.00001-1.

Spitzer, Manfred. "Influence of Violent Media on Children and Adolescents." The Lancet, vol. 365, no. 9468, 2005, pp. 1387-1388., doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(05)66372-6.