Why blame the media?

[Oss Spy]

It started in the 30's with comic books, continued into the 50's with Rock and Roll music, breezed through the 70's to the 90?', and is pressing continuing on now with video games. The press, parents, even government officials have spoken out against this new fear of the media. Be it violence, drugs, sex, or anything else, fingers have been pointed at the media. Why? What is being shown? Why is it being shown? And why do people feel the need to blame everything on the media? Everyone seems to have taken a side; swords of truth in one hand and shields of ignorance in the other. The facts need to be laid out for everyone to see.

As we've all seen, comic books show caped crusaders and flying heroes beating up bad guys with guns. Singers scream into their microphones about beating their girlfriends. Television shows sex openly, without restraint; obscene language running rampant. Video game players fire automatic weapons into civilians and pull drive-by shootings on rival gangsters. Does this not sound like your typical "ban video games, lock TV programs, and music!" argument? The most unfortunate thing about this is that whenever someone decides to defend these they are often written off as enthusiasts, fanatics, and whatever adjectives anti-media crusaders can think up. The funny thing is that comic books are about people fighting crime, music giving a place for teenagers to relate to, television educates young audiences and entertains the mature, while video games allow stressed teens to vent their anger without hurting a person.

As usual, anyone will tell you that the media does what it does simply because it;s what makes money. This is one hundred percent true: have you ever had a job that you worked diligently for without pay? Ever worked your best without a reward? Of course not! One cannot possibly claim that the media does its thing solely just to make money, and expect to not be a hypocrite themselves! Making that age-old argument is preposterous. The reason the media shows what it shows is because that is what makes money; it's their lifeline. You wouldn't want someone to tell you that the way you make a living is wrong, simply because they didn't agree with it, now would you? That is enough to fire anyone up.

Being one of the most pressing issues, some people feel the need to point fingers at the media for all of their problems. What could possibly explain it? Teenagers having sex, guns being brought to school, the whole nine yards! Guess where the trail leads? The media; as usual. The media influences us, yes that is undeniable. The degree of influence is where the line gets blurred. One argument is that violence in video games makes children go on killing sprees at school. Another is that seeing sex on TV gives teens the idea to have sex. This is completely wrong! How can a video game possibly make a child want to kill? How can TV make an already horny teenager want sex? Think about it logically. I find it interesting that anti-media fanatics claim that television is the cause for my sudden interest in the student's body. Well, they're right. My desires have absolutely nothing to do with the fact that my blood is about 90% testosterone by the time I turn 16.

The media shows violence and peace, makes money while doing it, and catches fire for it. Why? Because parents, instead of talking to their children about sex and drugs, they let the media influence their lives. Why would anyone ever ask their kids about the stash of weapons under their bed? Why bother talking with their kids? Why not blame their shiny new Xbox and not question how they raised their children instead?