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Do you believe that violent movies and violent music create and are the cause of violent children, or do you think they were already violent to start with?
Why would any parent want their child watching violent films or listening to violent music in any case?
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
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Most kids over the age of about 5 or 6 realise that these movies and video games are NOT REAL LIFE. They can easily distinguish between real life violence and what's on the screen. I watched lots of violent films and played gory video games at a young age, and yet, I too never liked the sight of real blood and felt bad about squishing bugs! I wasn't a violent child at all. I think, in some rare cases, in children/young people who are already prone to violence, these video games are merely something they need to FEED ON to satiate their bloodlust. If it wasn't for video games, they'd be torturing cats or beating up weaker kids, as they've done for thousands of years and still do today.
Some of these hypocrites moan about violent video games but don't do much about the real culprit, which is gun laws. Why are these sort of random shootings so rare here in Australia, when we're exposed to the same violent media as you are in the States?
Do you believe that violent movies and violent music create and are the cause of violent children, or do you think they were already violent to start with?
I think they are merely just a scapegoat for bad parenting or lack there of.
While violence in the media might be a factor, I would venture to guess that any history of abuse and genetics play a much larger role. After all, there are far too many people who are into violent movies/video games who aren't violent people in real life. It doesn't seem to me that violent media alone is enough to "send someone over the edge". Based on my personal experience, the people I've known who were the most comfortable with real violence, and have used violence on a regular basis, were people that I knew who had a long history of physical abuse and other types of abuse growing up, and were taught at a young age that violence is an appropriate response. That said, I also know a lot of people who were abused growing up who haven't grown up to become violent people, so I imagine there must be another factor in there as well, such as genetics.
Inside of every person are two dogs; a good dog and a bad dog that are constantly fighting. Which dog wins depends on which one you feed the most.
While I want to agree with this, it might be more appropriate to "like" it. We are all responsible for our own actions. As one who grew up in the era where this argument started, I am adamantly against the premise that movies/games/music MAKE someone violent.
Up until a certain age, kids model what they see. I say that stops at around 7. They realize that they are not Spiderman or Michael Jackson.
So no, I don't think that it creates violent kids, but parents should always teach their children that what they see on Tv is not always 100 percent true.
Do you believe that violent movies and violent music create and are the cause of violent children, or do you think they were already violent to start with?
No, already violent to start with, there were violent kids before movies and music; and there are plenty of non-violent kids with the movies and music.
I do think the increase in the amount of violent kids has more to do with the feral kid raising than anything else.
But as a note, there may be some sort of link, because; companies spend billions each year in advertising trying to influence people to purchase their products and services, and the companies will demonstrate evidence that advertising works and is directly linked to purchases. Now, the debate comes in that how can everyone generally agree advertising is an effective means of persuasion for people to purchase products, yet influences by way of movies and music are not persuasive at all?
For example; If a cereal company directs its marketing to kids, with colors and and a little song and dance commercial, how is that deemed influential marketing; yet a kid listening to violent music for two hours straight, or playing a violent video game for five hours, or watching three violent movies in a row, is not influenced in any way?
You let children be exposed to violence (even on TV / movies), you "condition" them that it becomes "OK" & just the way life is to be waloowed in "violence"... so they in turn think is OK & will pass that info unto their children... & the cycle goes on....
Just like a divorce... so many children who goes to see a therapist after their parents dicorces or even without that therapist & their parents "conditioned" that child to believe that "divorces happens & it is common" thus its all OK... well... that child will grow up believing its OK to divorce (easy way out) when ever there are even miniscule problems instead of working things out (the hard way).
Thus why divorce rate never goes down... like gas prices (hard to go down but easy to go up due to human greed).
Vicious cycle that seed we humans tend to plant... NOT GOOD at all.
P.S. When all it takes is that one solo responisble adult spouse to take that time to teach that child between the right & the wrong.... That someone that child would "listen to".
.... companies spend billions each year in advertising trying to influence people to purchase their products and services, and the companies will demonstrate evidence that advertising works and is directly linked to purchases. Now, the debate comes in that how can everyone generally agree advertising is an effective means of persuasion for people to purchase products, yet influences by way of movies and music are not persuasive at all?
That's a very good point for those here in denial. Obviously, *SOMETHING* has influenced and/or contributed to the increasingly poor behaviors of the last several generations of children. I agree with one poster who blamed parents who allow children to get away with poor behavior; parents stick up for their children "right or wrong" over neighbors, elders and teachers complaints without even listening. Parenting has ALSO changed quite a bit in the last several decades. Parents have become servants to their children's wishes and wants.
Disney is one of the worst offenders for making shows with children as "heros" while degrading their parents as nitwits. (modern TV influence again)
Compare present generation children and their media exposure to children of the '50's and early '60's.. If they were lucky, they got a short dose of tv in the evening.. "Leave it to Beaver", "Father Knows Best", "Mayberry USA", etc. They had no high priced Xbox's, Ipods, Ipads, laptops, internet, no rappers, etc. Major BIG difference in upbringing.
Sunsprit brings out another good point:
Quote:
I have a substantial group of neighbors that are all members of a religion that forbids them to listen to the radio, use the internet, or play any of the electronic games. The only music they listen to is their own religious music, and they never listen to the news reports. Access to a radio for weather forecasts is by only a few top members of the leadership.
I'll also note that they all have large families and spend a lot of time with their children, so these are kids that from their early years are taught how to behave in a socially acceptable manner. They send them to their own church based school for K-12 education.
I've now watched about 100 of their children grow up to be some of the hardest working, calmest, most even-tempered, teenagers and young adults I've ever seen. I'm not saying that they are without having difficulties and anger at events in their lives, but they appear to be very rational and capable at dealing with whatever comes their way ... and I've seen these consistent strong traits well developed in children as young as 8 years old.
As a group, their young men volunteer their time to community service withou seeking any compensation. They also are among the first responders to disasters; sometimes, local tornados or floods, sometimes, they go overseas to assist others. It's a given for them, they don't give it a second thought, they just do it.
Does the absence of continuous exposure to violence play a factor in this behavior pattern?
I can understand why those who live in *modern times* want to defend their upbringing and deny any influences brought on by modern technological conveniences.. it's because they have nothing better to compare it to.
But the evidence is pretty much right there looking back at the past. Times have changed dramatically in the last several decades and while there's more offered to entertain our youngsters, there's also a lot more bad influences going on in affluent living today .
Last edited by Maryjane55us; 09-02-2012 at 05:09 PM..
Reason: adding thoughts
On the idea of the “times have changed in the last several decades” - we are now honoring the villains. In the first video games there was also violence – but you were penalized if you had friendly fire or shot an innocent civilian. I can say the same for TV and our movies – the bad guy got his and the good guy was never hurt. Many of today's video games have no penalties for doing the wrong thing (killing innocents or stealing is rewarded). In our movies or on TV the bad guy that gets the rewards.
This has to play a role. Kids cannot sit for days playing these games and watching the TV and movies and not suffer from this criminal learning experience.
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