I remember growing up there was a childrens show on TV called Byker Grove. It was set in Newcastle and about a group of kids who attended a youth club. I must have been about eight at the time this show was on. It was on in the evenings at 5pm. So kids were generally just settling down from a hard day at school. I really liked this show, because it was a little naughty. It was maybe a bit more adult than I was ready for but I liked it. My Mum saw a few episodes of it, and the outcome I was banned from watching it until I became a bit older and could deal with the subjects it covered. Drugs, sex, violence, etc. Now these may sound like pretty heavy topics, and I guess they were, but they were dealt with in a way that let children relate to them. Was my Mum right to stop me watching it? I guess she was, she didn't want me seeing these things. What she seemed to forget was I was living with two sisters that were the same age as these kids on the tv, and I could see some of these things being dealt with first hand. So what difference would it make to me, seeing it on tv?
I feel we under estimate our children. They are much more aware of things than we give them credit for. They see awful things on computer games, television, films, music. Bad messages are everywhere. Do these messages effect our children in anyway? The most worrything I feel is if they don't. What if they become so numb to these images that it doesn't have an effect on them. They kill people in computer games, it's the norm, they get points for it! Does this mean we should try and shield them from these things? Some parents do. They feel that children should be children and they should enjoy the simple things, without being subject to such violence. Good for them I reckon. I hate how children as the majority are now. They are so ahead of their times its scary. We've made it like that though, we've given them more power, and currently children our feeling in control. Children are far more subject to the media. They look upto popstars, sportsmen, movie stars. They are their idols. children should be children, enjoying playing outside, using their imagination, making up games themselves, reading books, drawing pictures, the simple things.
The reality is though that we are not living in these times anymore. We would like to shield our children from these things, but we can't, and I fear shielding them too much will be just holding them back from what many other children will be already aware of. That it is a harsh world we live in, that not everything is easy, and happy and nice. Children should not be aware of these things, this is true, but they are, and those that are sheilded could be just being set up for a fall later on. You see it's all about how you educate your child on such issues, not how well you hide such issues from them.
The thing that really annoys me is just how much the media is blamed for the badness in some children. It is correct they have an obligation to show things in a reasonable light, to not make certain things look cool so not to encourage copycat behaviour. To an extent this is correct. Children should be told the downfalls of such behaviour, and they are. Children aren't stupid, they have school, they have parents, they have friends, they see certain behaviour, and they also see the consequences of such behaviour. Don't under estimate them. To blame a pop idols video for pure evil children commit is an easy way out, simple. These teenagers were influenced? Maybe. They were also capable of this behaviour, being influenced or not. They were evil, influenced or not. They would of done this at some point, influenced or not. I get really irriated with things like this, with where the blame should be laid. Should it be the parents? Maybe they should have been more aware, maybe they should of done things to help their troubled child. Maybe they were just plain bad parents. Parents can only guide you, they can't live life for you. Me and my eldest sister are completely different, she's done some pretty bad stuff, and I haven't. We were brought up by the same people, nothing different. So what makes her capable of such behaviour and me not? We're different people.
The media has an obligation, that though sometimes it's pretty shakey ground, I thnk they do a pretty good job. Don't let them be an excuse, don't let them change anything. See it as an education, and treat children the way society is making them. Anything less will just let them down.