The challenges of youth

Erick Kalenga
Published: February 23, 2008

As I carefully observe today's youth and all the violent and criminal behavior they are displaying, it becomes evident the amount of foul language, violent TV programs, films, musical lyrics and violent video games they are exposed to.

Media expert, broadcast journalists and syndicated Christian talk shows all believe that there is a strong connection between media and today's youth violence.

Teresa Tomeo, a broadcaster and author of the new book "Noise," wrote, "Investigators found a strong connection between violent video games and the Columbine shootings, as well as other school shootings here in the U.S. and Europe. And while law enforcement has yet to determine what motivated the gunman in the Virginia Tech massacre, the evidence on the influence of media violence continues to mount. Countless organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychological Association, have been warning for years about the desensitization that takes place when one is fed a continual media diet of death and destruction."

Just this past year, the media was flooded with school, college and shopping mall shootings. This is an indication that the issue is getting worse.

With all of the sexually explicit material on television at night, it is up to the parents to protect their children.

Almost eight years ago, a study by the Los Angeles-based Parents Television Council compared primetime (early evening) sex, language and violence in 1989 and 1999. These are some of the findings:

"First, on a per-hour basis, sexual material was more than three times as frequent in 1999 as it was in 1989. The report gives many examples of how the sexual language on television has changed dramatically within just one decade.

"Second, the study found that the rate of foul language in 1999 was more than five-and-a-half times higher than that of 1989.
"Third, the study found violent incidents occurred at about the same rate in both years, but the intensity of those incidents greatly increased. Some of the programs ... showed nothing but violent images. So in terms of sexual content, coarse language, and violent material combined, the per-hour figure almost tripled from 1989 to 1999."

A study from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health concluded that: "Sixteen percent of parents reported that their children watched two hours or more of television daily at 2.5 years of age (early exposure), while 15 percent reported that their children watched two hours or more of television daily at 5.5 years of age (concurrent exposure). One in five parents reported that their children watched two hours or more of television daily at both 2.5 years and at 5.5 years of age (sustained exposure).

"Sustained exposure to television was associated with behavioral problems. However, early exposure that was subsequently reduced was not a risk for behavior problems. Concurrent viewing was associated with fewer social skills, while sustained and early viewing had less of an impact on social skill development."

It is very evident that in every area the media is not getting any better. The sex, language and violence increased dramatically since 1999. The most disturbing thing is that our perception has gotten worse. The things we never used to allow or accept, we now tolerate.

I encourage all parents, grandparents, legal custodians and guardians to take this matter very seriously. Monitor what your kids are watching, what music they are listening to, what video games they are playing, what is on their computer (Myspace, Facebook, etc.)  and who they talk to.

If you have to remove things from your home to protect, please do it. Please do not let the media and the system raise your kids. Take charge.

Erick Kalenga is an independent columnist who appears Sundays in the Star-Exponent. He lives in Madison County.
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