by Jackie Ballway

Created on: May 18, 2008

Poor parenting is the cause of the increase in violent acts by children, not video games or other forms of pop culture. That said, the opposition has made valiant points: video games do show people how to shoot guns and kill aliens and poor old ladies walking down the street; songs are vulgar and abusive; movies are full of sex. Without the proper explanation, an impressionable child could see the violent acts committed in video games like Halo and Grand Theft Auto and not understand the immorality of the actions. That's where parents enter the picture. It is not Hollywood's job to raise America's promised few; it is to entertain and amuse the masses. One of the first rules of parenting is to instill a sense of morality and kindness into your child. Allowing video games and movies to raise your child is asking for negative behavior.

"My rights are denied by those least qualified, trading profit for pride, but it's okay. Everything's backwards in Americana my way." In the song "Americana" from the album of the same name, The Offspring let off steam that many Americans are boiling with. They spout profanities to help illustrate a point: America is not what it used to be. Kids are having sex at earlier ages and cussing more and more. Who do they learn these things from? TV? Possibly. Whose job is it to dispel the myth that these acts are moral? Parents. Unfortunately not everyone sees it this way. The concept of self-reliance is dying, and in its wake springs forth a wave of dependency. A "don't blame me I just work here" attitude by parents lays the problems of children on the doorstep of the media instead of the doorstep of the home.

During the time of the old cowboy movies, whole Indian tribes were wiped out, but little boys weren't seen running out scalping people. Media violence has been around as long as the media itself. The morality that was instilled in the children of yesteryear is the deciding factor in this debate. Murder will always exist, as will sex. It's not society's fault if parents are less than watchful.

Our thirst for violence may give the news more ratings, and our morbid fascination with the sex lives of others may make up a land of perverts, but these factors are not a recipe for a murderous country. Normal life is not filled with constant conspiracies and naked women walking around law firms. Normal life is not filled with gunmen shooting up schools. Though the cause of violence among teens does need to be sought out, rash decisions do not need to be made. There is no reason to lay sole blame on pop culture for the acts of a few misguided children. In the words of the band Hole, "You better watch out what you wish for. It better be worth it, so much to die for".

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