Just Inappropriate for Kids or Just Inappropriate
Many people talk about how the media affects our children, how it may lead to violence or how it may encourage promiscuous lifestyles. There is a lot of merit there, but one thing that is increasingly noticeable but overlooked is the fact that the parents themselves are underestimating the influences of media in their own lives and indirectly how it affects their children.
Take a look at movie review sites where users list their ages, you’ll see adults saying the movie is inappropriate for the younger audience. But you ask a 25 year old how they feel and they say it is inappropriate for 21 and under. Ask a 21 year old and they say it is inappropriate for 15 and under and so on. Thinking we are above the influences of media starts at a very young age. In the same way, lot of the criticism that are made against inappropriate shows, movie scenes, and video games are often argued for the sake of the children rather than based on morals because the latter would mean the older adults themselves are subject to their own cry for control.
Hints at “Inappropriateness”
If it’s morally wrong to put a sex scene in a mainstream game, then they themselves should not be playing it. If one believes it is morally ok, then shouldn’t that bother us in someway? If it is something we would be embarrassed to be watching in open public or in front of your kids, doesn’t that hint at the fact the question shouldn’t be whether it is appropriate for our children, but whether it is something appropriate at all?
Take a look some of the comment excerpts for an article discussing the controversy of placing nudity in a video game.
“I just find it sad the trivial amounts of nudity and sexuality in a video game is so controversial.”
– I find it sad, that our society as a whole has come to a point that nudity and sexuality in video GAME is consider “trivial” and is even considered a topic of “controversy”. There is no controversy here.
“Where is it said that all video games are supposed to be suitable for children?”
– This can only be said when one deems playing games with sex and nudity is suitable for adults. Is it though? Is that suitable for anyone?
“Whatever is in these M rated video games, I can guarantee that they are FAR FAR less raunchier than your typical Hollywood film that is rated R for sexual content.”
– This is not an argument. This is a diversion of the point of discussion. So what if it is FAR FAR less raunchier than film? That mean the R rating should be up for discussion, it doesn’t in anyway make nudity in video games better.
Films are as violent and full of sex as ever, and I don’t see our society crumbling around us.
– I would beg to differ. What is considered taboo mere 10 years ago to show on film or on TV or even TV commercials are considered the norm today. Put some of the stuff we see on TV up on the air back then and you would be chased out of town. Why do media companies produce this type of material? Because we as a society eat it up. Has our society been crumbling morally? I think there is a lot to argue for that one.
Children Concerned about Parent’s Web Usage?
Children’s Rights in Society produced a report this year about how children are becoming increasingly concerned about their parent’s internet habits. In 2007, the organization had nearly 2,000 cases from father’s visiting pornographic websites, to mothers playing world of warcraft and not spending enough time with the family.
See some very disturbing quotes from the report below about PARENTS usage of the web. A different twist to media affecting children.. this time through the parents.
Father’s use of the Internet
“It seems that my dad is ‘unfaithful’,” wrote one 15-year-old boy.
“I read his MSN conversation log. I was just curious. And then I saw that he was talking to, like, young girls. And the disgusting part is that he’s 53!
“And they talk about sex and how they’re going to meet and everything. It makes me want to puke. It really makes me feel bad.
“I don’t know if I should tell mum because I’m worried they’ll get a divorce. Please, what should I do?”
Moms on World of Warcraft
I know it sounds ridiculous but my mother has started playing the computer game WoW, World of Warcraft,” wrote the 13-year-old.
“This summer she has been sitting up all day and all night and she forgets what’s important to me. And when she’s not at the computer she’s like a lost soul. She just looks straight ahead and says nothing. I’m not doing so well.”
- Are these comments and cases rare exceptions or are the morals of our societies crumbling?
- Is media affecting adults just as much as it does the children?
please comment below with your thoughts