Television Violence Papers Essay Example

exposed to on television. An illustrative instance of this influence can be seen in the children's TV show called Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, which exhibits how violence portrayed on TV can affect our children.

The Power Rangers, a highly popular children's TV show, is featured on various merchandise including lunch boxes and boxer shorts. Consequently, kids feel a strong desire to possess these items. This poses an issue for parents who recognize that these products offer no advantages for their children.

The Power Rangers is a highly violent show that is currently popular among kids. The violence of the show has resulted in New Zealand and two major networks in Canada prohibiting it from their daily programming. Nancy Carlson-Paige of Lesley College, as reported in the December 1, 1994 Boston Globe, mentioned that teachers locally observe how Power Rangers hinders normal childhood development and poses a threat to children's mental health due to its influence on their play (Meltz pg. A1).

Chris Boyatzis from California State University at Fullerton conducted a scientific study on the effect of Power Rangers on children. The study indicated that children who watch the show exhibit seven times more aggression in their play compared to those who don't (Meltz pg. A1). Similarly, Micki Corley, the head 4-year-old teacher and coordinator of the Preschool Experience in Newton Centre, stated in an interview with the Boston Globe on December 1st, that the children are perplexed by it.

They imitate the actions without comprehending the outcomes. I observe children stating statements such as, "If I am the Red Ranger, I am not truly Joe hitting Mary. I am Tommy or Zack striking a villain." However, it is

Mary who gets injured and Mary who sheds tears. The perplexity can be seen on their faces.

Meltz (pg. A1) states that preschoolers frequently deny responsibility by stating, "But I didn't do that." It is evident that at this developmental stage, they face difficulty in differentiating between reality and imagination. Power Rangers enthusiasts defend the show by emphasizing its positive attributes. They argue that the characters display respect towards adults, exhibit friendly behavior, and consistently convey a moral message. Furthermore, each episode explicitly underscores these morals prior to concluding.

The question being discussed is the worthiness of Power Rangers. Marilyn Droz, director of research for the National Coalition on Television Violence, conducted a study on the show and found that 70% of children who watch it consider fighting as their favorite aspect. Additionally, an hour of Power Rangers programming typically includes 211 acts of violence. In comparison, a typical hour of Saturday morning cartoons has around 25 violent acts, while an adult show only has six (Meltz pg. A1). Despite entertaining children, even a few minutes of daily exposure to Power Rangers can have significant consequences by undermining their moral values and understanding of reality.

These children don't believe that hitting or kicking is wrong, as they ask, "Why can't I do it if the Power Rangers do?" This puts additional strain on parents who have to clarify that what the Power Rangers do on TV is fictional. This causes confusion for the child because they see it happening in front of them, even though it is not real.

We should not solely blame the Power Rangers for influencing the violent behavior of our children. Other violent kid TV

programs have a similar impact on children. Cartoons and child programming receive the most attention in relation to this issue because of the harm they can cause to children. However, theatrical movies, as well as non-prime-time series television, are also responsible for television's violent reputation. According to the UCLA Television Violence Monitoring Report published in the September 20, 1995 edition of the Boston Globe, out of 121 television series aired during the 1994-95 season, 10 were frequently violent or used questionable violence (Elber pg.).

84). In his book "Television and the American Child," George Comstock reveals shocking statistics about the content children are exposed to on a daily basis. According to the National Television Violence Study, which took three years to complete, analysis of 2,693 television programs from 23 channels showed that a majority of these programs contain what researchers describe as "harmful violence." The study discovered that in 73 percent of the scenes, the violence went unpunished. Additionally, in almost half of the programs featuring fights and gunfights, the victims miraculously appeared unharmed.

Of all the programs, 58% did not display pain indicators, while only 16% experienced long-term problems in physical, emotional, or financial domains. It is crucial to instruct children that actions of characters can cause harm and violence should never be viewed as a resolution. The upcoming generation must be educated to address conflicts with their "enemies" through communication and compromise.

Both President Clinton and Christopher Reeve support the V-chip as a potential solution to violence on television. The V-chip is a technology that allows parents to block violent programming, giving them control over what their children watch. According to President Clinton, the V-chip

empowers American parents to pass on their values and protect their children (Jackson pg. 15). On the other hand, Reeve, who is the president of Creative Coalition advocating for First Amendment rights, believes that legislation should ensure parental control over TV viewing while delegating program rating responsibilities solely to the industry. He recognizes the need to reduce television violence but suggests that Congress is not as equipped as the industry in addressing this issue (Hohler pg. 11).

I disagree with the implementation of the V-chip because it requires those who desire morally upstanding programs to bear the cost. Parents should not have to spend money to block violence and sexual content. All programming should be suitable for family viewing. If light-hearted comedies, public television, and weekend sports are not exciting enough, then input your code and expose your living room to AK-47 terror and near-pornography. Instead of the viewers of Sesame Street having to pay, it should be the fans of Chainsaw Massacre. They should visit an electronics store and purchase a television with an S&G-chip, which stands for sex & guts.

It is important that parents who are willing to pay have the ability to provide their children with violent content. Electronic stores offer convenient and affordable options for enthusiasts of violent and explicit material to satisfy their interests. Nonetheless, I contend that resolving this matter is not as straightforward as incorporating a computer chip into televisions. Instead, we ought to tackle the underlying problem by engaging in conversations with Hollywood about the unnecessary demand for such programming.

The importance of promoting creativity and critical thinking is crucial to avoid individuals relying on simplistic forms of communication,

which can have negative consequences for everyone in the future. The ongoing discussion about television violence suggests that this issue will persist indefinitely. Over time, our understanding of the effects of television violence continues to grow.

There has been a growing awareness of the underlying issue and the necessity for change sparked by all these findings. We understand that excessive exposure to television violence is harmful to viewers. It is time to take a strong position on this matter and express our disapproval to the creators of these shows.

Bibliography

1. Comstock, George. Television and the American Child.
2. San Diego: Academic Press, Inc., 1991.
3. Elber, Lynn. "Getting to the Heart of TV Violence". Boston Globe, 20 September 1995: Page 84.
4. Goodman, Ellen. "How to Zap Violence on TV". Boston Globe, 15 February 1996: Page 23.
5. Hohler, Bob.

"Christopher Reeve Argues Against Federal Censorship of TV, Urges Hollywood to Adopt Own Rules."

"Beware Rangers Mixed Messages, Sidebar I: How Parents Can Become Involved, Sidebar II: Share Your Holiday Strategies".

• Boston Globe, 1 December 1994: Page A1.
• Wood, Samuel. The World of Psychology. Boston: All yn and Bacon, 1996.