News Media: Violence & Youth

It appears that sometimes we take for granted the littlest things. In fact, we tend to believe whatever is “served” to us. Instead of actually doing research or investigating the topic for ourselves. Yet, are we to blame for believing everything that is portrayed in the media? And if so, why do we invest so much trust in these sources? In an article I read this week titled, “Debates Over Media Effects” it discusses this notion of fears associated with the effects various media will have on particular audiences. Violence in the media seemingly is always associated with aggressive behavior among youth, yet is this true? The media has a eloquent way of attributing violence acts with deviant juveniles. In fact, the most prominent school shooting that was nationally covered was the 1999 Columbine High School shooting in Colorado. This received massive amount of coverage because the shooters where only 17 and 18 years old. The media portrayed this to be the first of its kind and a massacre that would go down in history. Yet this hadn’t been the first reported school shooting in the United States. In fact, the first reported school shooting or massacre occurred in 1764 during the French and Indian War in what is now present day Pennsylvania. Native American Indians entered the school killing the professor and nine of the 10 children. In retaliation the government passed an order allowing the slaying of all women and children of American Indian decent. I can’t recall being taught this in school. Yet, I feel this is an important part of history that should have been disclosed to me at a young age. By informing children of the serious ramifications that were associated with these acts in history and by enabling them to understand why these acts where done and how devastating they were, it could help build wiser young adults. It appears we are taught what media portrays best. We learn what we are served and everything else is left for us to discover.