Accessibility and Such

I think the main problem with how desensitized our youth is, when it comes to violence,  how accessible it is. Let’s face it: violence in entertainment has been around for forever. But today, you can download it whenever you want and we just don’t really think anything of it at this point.

Kelsey covered the medium everyone seems to be most concerned about, video games. This is a big one. This is the one all the plastic surgery fixed, suburban mothers whine about all the time. And while it is a big issue, I don’t think those same mothers think much of it when they go home and watch the new episode of Grey’s Anatomy or when they buy their kids the second book of The Hunger Games.

Violence is pretty much everywhere. In the news, in your daytime Soaps, in that new book you picked up that everyone is saying you just have to read. It’s everywhere. That’s the problem: we are, as a generation, getting a lot more used to it. I mean, some of Shakespeare’s greatest scenes were fight scenes but you couldn’t download them in 5.6 seconds in 1520, could you? Today, you hear something on the news about a shooting or you want to know who died in this week’s episode, you can figure it out in pretty much no time. We have all the information someone could imagine wanting in a few clicks. That is really scary. Out of all the people I asked for opinions on this, I think the one quote that sums it all up is: “Convenience is a double-edged sword (which is a perfect metaphor in this context).” (Taylor, grade 11)

Another problem I thought about a lot during the outlining of this topic was: I think a lot of the times the media over glamorizes violence so that we like it. Because they aren’t going to produce something you won’t buy. So, is it our fault that it’s everywhere then? I will say, we as humans seem to almost thrive on violence in our entertainment world. Like, the gorier it is, the more we all flock towards it. I can't say if that is a result of overexposure or over-glamorization or just human nature. No matter what though, I think people blaming this big bad looming presence we call 'the media' for our desensitization is a little odd, seeing as they only give us what we are willing to pay for.

This post was extremely short and it sucks because I have so many opinions on this, but I do not want to over work this topic because I think it has to potential to be very clear and direct.

Kathleen, I cannot wait to hear what you have to say tomorrow. Hope everyone has a nice and safe Memorial Day!