by Ronnie Dauber

Created on: May 27, 2008

Violence in Entertainment is now common to viewers of all ages, giving way to the circumstances as being acceptable and even normal. The influence is overwhelming and the results have become unsuspecting.

Of all the industries in the world, the most glorified is that of entertainment. It is even more respected than medical research or space exploration. We give the actors and directors a place of high esteem and brag on their abilities to present their characters so well. We present them to our children, unknowingly, as the perfect example.

The misconception we have as viewers is that we know that the actors are acting, that their characters are not real, and that the story plot is fiction. We watch the movies and the television shows with enthusiasm and excitement, and we recommend the programs to everyone around us. We accept these as great entertainment.

How does this affect society?

The fact that we accept entertainment with such enthusiasm and the actors with such respect, we are saying to our children and to everyone out there that we approve of this form of entertainment. We like what we see and it's okay to enjoy it. And regardless of what the story is about, the sexy actors are always justified for their actions.

But to children and even many young adults, there has been a confusion established. It is wrong to kill and yet, the movie that the parents promote is filled with murder or other acts of crime. So, to the unsure mind, is murder okay or not? Is it okay sometimes but not other times?

We cannot teach our children that crime is wrong and then brag about a movie that is filled with it. It's an oxymoron and as parents, we are displaying a hypocrisy that says we wouldn't do it ourselves, but it's great to watch someone else do it. Therefore, we put our children in a position where they must decide for themselves if it is right or wrong because there appears to be no absolute rules against it.

The whole acceptance of this form of entertainment teaches our children that they are above the law if the circumstances permit them to have to commit a crime; that it's okay to take drugs if they're depressed; that it's normal to disrespect their parents because of their differences in opinion.

We must be very careful as parents, that we do not say one thing and yet do another because our children will not miss that beat. When we do this, we put them in a position where they need to make their own decisions on what is right or wrong, based on something they saw on television or in a movie which you approved of and the results could be devastating.

Violence in entertainment has a very negative affect on our society because instead of entertainment being censored to meet our standards, we have changed who we are and what we believe to allow violence into our homes as a norm. And for that, we will continue to reap the rewards of violence within our communities because it is no longer an invasion, it is the way of life that we have said, is normal.

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