Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Today in my Psychology class we were discussing how violence in the media and video games are an associate violent behavior in kids, and that they will grow up thinking that violence is acceptable, so kids should not be exposed to large quantities of these factors. I understand were my teacher was coming from when she addressed this issue of violence in the media and in video games and how it can be harmful, but wouldn't children just grow up ignorent without the experience of being able to see the negatives in the world as well as the possitives? Our teacher was saying that she does not allow her son to be shown violence except for in low doses (a couple hours of violence in movies, with her approval of the rating), but can she really monitor his life outside their household? This issue touched me because of the amount of friends that I have had who have been murdered. Ignorance is not bliss no matter what people what to think. I found myself thinking, "How can she really believe that this is helping her son, and how can she be teaching us to raise our kids that way as well?" I respect her and her family, but I have my own opinions on the issue. She was telling us about a study were children were taught how to use a gun safely, but when put in a room with a gun and other toys they would immediatly go for the gun and try and shoot it. This study to me seems like it was done completely wrong. I have known too many people who have been shot down by guns due to gang violence, and I can't help but think, "Could my friends murders have been avoided if their murderers had someone in their life that educated them on the violence around them, and taught them right from wrong before they were tainted by gang mentality? Why did these murderers feel that gang life was the way to go? was it safetly in numbers? was it the need for family?" Well I believe its ignorance. Instead of having the corriculum teach us about how violence in media and video games will alter children's minds, maybe we sould be focusing on how to tell our children right from wrong before they go out in the street and have someone else use our children's ignorance to their advantage. We should be educating our children to survive OUTSIDE the household, it may be hard, and disturbing to show violence to children, but its something that needs to be done to benifit them and society as a whole. I'm in no way saying that a 3 year old should be exposed to violence in the media, but by the time that child leaves the house, even to kindergarden, they should have some kind of exposure so that their minds won't be tainted by others.Growing up in violent neighborhoods, or growing up in peaceful ones, its an issue that has to be discussed with children, because no matter how much you might want them to stay innocent, you dont want them to grow up with the wrong mentality.