When Congress held their hearing May 4, 1999, it was for the sole purpose of filibustering to parents around the United States that were looking at every teenager as the harbinger for the demise of society. Congress felt there was a strong need for a congressional hearing on the Marketing of Violence to Children due to the horrific events that happened in Littleton, CO, or as we refer to it to today - The Columbine Shooting. Congress felt there was a direct correlation between the children see in the media and the violent acts they MIGHT commit. After listening to the opening statement and a few of the speakers brought in for this hearing there is a few conclusions I can come up with: Congressmen like to hear themselves speak ALOT, hearings are called with little care for proper research, and that the "adult" population fears what they can't understand.
Due to the length and content of the hearing I was unable to tolerate listening to every one of the speakers congress brought in to discuss this matter. I focused my time listening to the mostly Henry Jenkins, an author and teacher at MIT who concentrates on how media and people interact. He was called in last minute to discuss media and the marketing of violence specifically to children. His speech took away from the filibustering that was going on by the congressmen who felt compelled to speak on a subject they clearly were not fully informed on. Jenkins focused on the fact that media is not the problem and does not cause kids to be violent. Instead, Jenkins states that those who commit violence do not get it FROM media outlets but rather violence is within them already and media allows for their already violent tendencies to be visualized; media is allowing a connection with an idea or emotion already present within a person. Jenkins informs the audience that the real issue of children responding to life with gross extremes of violence has nothing to do with what they are listening to or watching or playing but rather within their own minds caused by real life experiences: "Banning black trenchcoats or abolishing violent video games doesn't get us anywhere. These are the symbols of youth alienation and rage -- not the causes," (Jenkins). Another key point Jenkins expounds upon is that holding hearings like this just incites parents and further alienates them from the children they are suppose to be protecting. Jenkins ends his speech with a plea to everyone "Journalist Jon Katz has described a backlash against popular culture in our high schools. Schools are shutting down student net access. Parents are cutting their children off from on-line friends. Students are being suspended for displaying cultural symbols or expressing controversial views. Katz chillingly documents the consequences of adult ignorance and fear of our children's culture. . . . I urge this committee to listen to youth voices about this controversy. . . Listen to our children. Don't fear them."
Current feelings about media and its effect on children in society is still debated, however, the focus does not seem to be on one particular aspect of media, but rather on how quickly media is changing with new technologies arising daily and how society is having a hard time keep up with all these new ways media invades societies everyday life. One of the biggest issues that I researched was the rise of blaming the media of gaming for the rise in childhood obesity, which is now considered an epidemic in America. Like the violence being discussed prior, gaming has become a scapegoat for an issue that really has nothing to do with the media of gaming. It is not gaming's fault that parents rather plop their kids in front of TV then participate in their lives. It is not gaming's fault that parents allow their children to eat crap rather then take the time out to cook their kids a healthy meal. It is not gaming's fault that children rather closet themselves inside their house, playing video games, instead of going out to playing with other kids that could demean or hurt them. Games, like Jenkins stated in his testimony, is a symbol not the cause.
I could not find any videos on Youtube.com but was able to locate the footage via C-SPAN... the link is http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/123015-1
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