Posted by
arandomguy on Sunday, December 10, 2006 1:15:01 AM
For those of you that are my regular readers, you know that I do not frequently comment on social issues. There are many reasons for this, the largest of which is that I believe there are more important things to talk about. That said, I noticed something today that piqued my interest.
So in Minnesota, we already have 0 inches snow. However - luckily for those of us that love to ski - the local ski area's have already made up enough man-made snow to go skiing. So, I've been out 3 times already this year, twice just this weekend (once last night, and once tonight). As I was out there, riding the lifts, I watch the people around me, most of them kids out with their friends.
And the one thing I notice, is the excessive violence and foul language used amongst kids who are, as far as I could tell, about 8. I'm not a stickler for proper language by any means, but when I hear 8 year olds spouting sentences that could be coming from gangsta rappers, it raises more than a few questions in my mind.
First, where do the children learn this kind of trash? My conclusion is that it is in one of two places. Either 1) Media/Culture, or 2) Their parents. Neither is good, though if they learn this kind of thing from their parents then it is perhaps worse. My point is that kids are engaged in "adult" concepts at younger and younger ages.
I'm very young myself, but when I went to school, you got glared at if you used the word "crap" in the classroom. Any overtly sexual language would get you sent to the principal's office. My question is, why aren't the teachers (and parents) of these children doing something about it? If my kids (assuming I had any) acted like that, we would leave immediately.
That children are exposed to this nonsense is a nauseating concept. I rode the lift up with a boy, probably 10 or 11, that had an Ipod. It's pretty common while skiing, and I didn't think anything of it (since I had my own going at the time). I turned and asked what he was listening to, and he told me "Eminem." I despise rap music, but Eminem has been in the news enough that I know of the man (for those of you who don't, he's one of the most obnoxious, explicit, and disgusting rappers in history).
Why are kids 11 years old listening to Eminem? I don't think my parents would let me listen to Eminem now, let alone when I was 11!
This then raises a couple of interesting questions. First, what has caused this problem, and second, what is to be done about it.
I believe the cause of this societal problem, is twofold. First it is a lack of parenting. Parents do not pay attention to what their kids watch on TV, what they see on the Internet, and what kind of music they listen to. This is not totally the parents fault, because children are good at being weasels. Since most adults do not pay attention to modern music (studies have shown that after age 30, most people are unreceptive to new types of music), they in many cases do not understand what their children are listening to or watching, and often buy the CD's and DVD's for them.
The "Parental Advisory, Mature Content" sticker is there for a reason. No 11 year old could simply go and buy this CD. His or her parent must have done so, which means they either 1) Didn't know what their kid was asking for, or 2) didn't care. Either way its a problem, though I'd be willing to wager that most parents are simply oblivious to what their kids are listening to.
As for TV's, movies, games, and the internet, all have ratings systems, and many have protective systems built in with them. For example, the many ISP's have blockers that prevent access to pornographic websites, and other websites with explicit content - including words. The TV's all have parental controls now. Use them. If your kid is 9, then TV Y7, or TVPG is about as much as they should get. TV14 or TVMA would certainly be off limits. The material and content is simply too extreme for children that young to handle.
Movies and games have rating systems. I think the MPAA ratings are largely fair and accurate. Thus G movies are fine for everyone, PG movies are fine for most people and older children, though younger children should probably see the movie with their parents. PG-13 means the content is not suitable for children. Only mature children (presumably teenagers) should be allowed in. R means RESTRICTED.
I can't tell you how many times I've been to R rated movies that I saw with children. What possible incentive does a parent have to bring their kid to an R rated movie? It really hurts the enjoyment of the movie, because I spent the entire time contemplating this kid.
How to solve the problem is closely tied to recognizing what the problem is. Parents need to take a more active role in their child's life. When your kid becomes a teenager, they will not like you sometimes. It's just what happens. This does not mean you cannot step in and make limits. So your kid won't like you. Some things are more important then the like or dislike of a parent by a child. If your 12 year old wants an M rated game for his birthday, step in and say "no." You're too young. If you 14 year old wants an M rated game, step in and say "no."
Yes, they'll be upset with you, but they'll get over it (eventually).
On the other hand, sheltering children cannot be taken too far. Children who grow up overly sheltered, I believe suffer when they are put into the real world. You cannot send your 18 year old out into the world to college if he is totally sheltered. This would be a disaster. I'm just saying that exposure to materials should be restricted by age and maturity. 17 year olds can typically handle R rated movies and M rated games - and likely lyrics with explicit content. 8 year olds can't.
I don't usually comment on social issues, as I said, but this has gone too far. As I ride the ski lift and hear young children swearing up a storm, I just wonder.
Where are the parents?