Analysis of Violent Culture: The Media, The Internet, and Placing Blame

Analysis of Violent Culture: The Media, the Internet, and Placing Blame

The author, Darren Beals, did not modify my opinion on the topic of violent culture but he presented evidence from several point-of-views. The media, internet, parents, and television all could be part of the problem Beals did not choose a side he just elaborated on their involvement in the "Kipland Kinkels's shooting spree." In 2004 "Students age 12-18 were victims of about 88,000 violent crimes at school, compared to about 309,000 away from school," states the National Center for Educational Statistics in 2004. No one factor can be the blame for violence determined in a situation such as this. There could be a variety of contributing factors.

The media can ruin a person's reputation and have stories about you as headline news whether it is good or bad. "Details reported from program to program focused on different aspects of Kinkel and his horrible actions." The media takes negativity and exploits it fully. If the crime is big enough, you are sure to hear about it on the news or read in newspapers.

It is unfair to point the blame at the parents because of a crime a kid might commit. Everyone is capable of committing an act of violence or worse. It is impractical to look at someone and say it is impossible for that person to wound or kill an individual. Many kids learn right and wrong but it is their choice to make that decision. What affects that decision while growing up is the consequences they have if their parents find out if wrong doing occurred? How many times have you got away with something you knew was wrong? Does this make your parents, bad parents? Are they to blame? No. "Odd behavior such as stuffing firecrackers down gopher holes and shooting at squirrels in the woods," is not something that would make many parents proud but it is something Kipland Kinkel did when he was a kid and also common mischief in my own family.

The internet can be used in ways that can be socially beneficial or harmful. Information is so readily that it is accessible to everyone to use no matter the purpose. As long as you have a connection, you can surf the web. There are ways around parental controls so you cannot monitor your child with 100 percent success. "I just discovered that 13 year olds are smarter than the parent generation" states a concerned mother in an article titled "Bypassing parental controls in AOL." Apparently, all the child has to do is minimize the AOL window