5-Star Rating: Violence on TV

STORY BY CIERRA HARPER. PHOTO: WINMENTALHEALTH.COM

Do you think there is too much violence on television today? You wake up to it and then go to bed watching it day in and day out. Violence on television now-a-days should have parents concerned all over. Eventually, if children continue to watch these violent shows regularly, then they will start doing violent things, such as fighting, or something even worse, killing.

One of the number one reasons that there is so much violence on television today is for the ratings. The number of viewers watching keep shows going and the more writers and networks produce trash for children to watch. The most popular TV shows have the most views, stars and ratings. The more ratings, the more violence, and money everyone in the end makes.

Take for instance “Scandal” on ABC, Thursday nights. “Scandal” is one of the most popular shows on television, but the level of violence is unbelievable. It has killing, fighting, torturing, and murders shown on a weekly basis. And you wonder why schools are so out of control.

Another reason why there is so much violence on television is to tell a story. The channel Investigation Discovery (ID) gives the story of violent deaths. It provides motives, times, and reasons for these vicious crimes. The violent parts come in to play when the show does a dramatic reenactment and shows the victim getting strangled, tied up, rapped, or even shot to death. The more blood, the higher the ratings increase. Each network is competing for the top ratings to be number one at the expense of our youth.

By far one of the greatest reasons there is so much violence on television is for entertainment purposes. Any given day you can turn on your television and see someone getting smacked in the face and everyone thinks it is funny. The popular television show for teens today is “Bad Girls Club”. This is a new reality show where you observe women cursing each other out, pulling hair, and fighting each time someone has a disagreement. Now, so many girls and boys think that this is okay to do as well and a sure way to solve conflict rather than having a talk to settle differences. Many of the popular reality shows such as Housewives of Atlanta, Miami, and New Jersey all portray some sort of conflict that ends up in a brutal smack down.

If you ask me, violence has too much of an influence on youth today to be displayed on nearly every channel on television. Today, parents feel as though the Disney Channel is safe, however, many of the cartoons and shows that are meant to be entertaining are filled with violent behaviors. It’s a wonder why so many teachers are asking students to pick up a book and let your imagination take you away. Think about it, a book could be the answer.

Cierra Harper is an 8th Grade student at FPCS-Woodridge Campus