Violence on media is a highly controversial topic, and it’s difficult to define what the problem is and what its implications are. It results primarily from television programs, but it also happens from violent music videos, sports and other news stories.
The media contents to which children have access have grown rapidly in this generation. Children have got books, newspapers, magazines, films, radio, tapes, records, and broadcast television with dozens of TV channels, thousands of videos and video games, and millions of internet sites. The result is that children are engrossed in all these on a daily basis. This is true not only in the industrialised countries but also increasingly in all the societies of the world.
Today, over half of all children have television in their bedrooms. This amply enables them to view programmes without parental supervision. Children begin to notice and react to television in the age when they are unable to distinguish between fact and fantasy or in good and bad and receive watching violence as an ordinary thing. Since they watch TV a lot, it makes them more vulnerable to negative effects of the played contents. Children are instinctively innocent and accept imitating a good cause of the personalities on screen.
However, it is unfortunate that there are hardly any models of non-violent conflict resolution on media. They imitate them when they watch them rewarded for their violent actions. By watching aggression, children learn how to be aggressive in new ways. Children who prefer violent television shows are found to be more aggressive afterwards. It causes children to become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others, have heightened fear in the world and, aggression and violent behaviour with others. Its easy to see that violence in the media has unfortunate effects on child behaviour.
The parents must create a peaceful environment in their homes. Children see in parents a role model to follow. Therefore, parents are required to display restraint, avoid violent/short-tempered behaviour in front of children. While acting as a responsible pillar of world community, media is also required to put an end to the projection of violence.
SADIA ZAHEER
Lahore
