Protecting young minds in a digital world

One of the most notable changes in our social environment in the 20th and 21st centuries has been the saturation of our culture and daily lives by mass media. In this new environment, radio, television (TV), movies, videos, video games, cell phones, social media, and computer networks have assumed central roles in our children’s daily lives. For better or worse, mass media has an enormous impact on our children’s values, beliefs, and behaviours. Unfortunately, one particular common element of electronic mass media has a detrimental effect on children’s well-being. Research evidence accumulated over the past half-century suggests that exposure to violence on television, in movies, and, more recently, in video games increases the risk of violent behaviour among viewers, just as growing up in an environment filled with real violence increases such risks.

Correspondingly, the recent increase in the use of mobile phones, text messaging, email, and chat rooms by youth has opened new avenues for social interaction in which aggression can occur and young people can be victimised easily. These globe-spanning electronic communication media have not only introduced new psychological threats to our children but have also made it much harder to protect them, exposing many more to dangers that only a few might have experienced before.

Lately, it has become common practice to blame the media for any inexplicable acts of violence faced by society. In several instances, during court proceedings as well as in post-incident reports, exposure to violent television content or films is cited as a possible factor behind such acts. Whether after criminal trials or tragic terror attacks, this pattern of attributing blame to what is watched or consumed often resurfaces, raising important questions about the responsibility and influence of media in society, especially on young minds. However, when we examine the nature of the evidence linking crime and media in these cases, the argument begins to unravel, which begs the question: what is at stake in blaming the media?

Frankly speaking, many people who make such claims often have very little knowledge of the individual cases or of the vast body of research conducted on these sensitive issues. Yet rumours and opinions quickly assume the status of “truth” and “authority.” However, this does not mean that watching violent material on visual media does not affect the human mind. The effects may differ from person to person, but one cannot completely rule out the influence of violent depictions of crime and aggression on viewers. In fact, several well-researched reports document the impact of cinematic and television violence on real-life tragedies.

While freedom of the media is extremely important and should be zealously protected, responsibility must coexist with freedom. Steps should therefore be taken to ensure that the more obviously harmful depictions of violence and crime on television or in cinema are regulated. Parents should also avoid exposing children of a tender age to violent programs, or even seemingly harmless ones that, if imitated, could lead to accidents.

Although parental supervision and film certification rules help shield children to a large extent from objectionable content on television and in films, the internet, by its very nature, is difficult to regulate, making harmful content freely accessible. Hence, if we continue to turn a blind eye to this problem, a time may come when even those who consider themselves immune to such acts of violence may become victims themselves.

(The writer is a spiritual educator and popular columnist for publications across India, Nepal & UK. Till Date 9000+ Published Columns have been written by Him.)