Our idea of entertainment these days continues to go from bad to worse. Just when you think you have seen it all, something else pops up that will once again, blow you away. Today's media is glorifing sex, violence, and drug use all to satisfy the peoples' demands...and for what, so they can go out and copy what they are seeing on t.v. or reading about in magazines? I know I am not the first to complain about this new idea of entertainment but seriously people, if you watch it, they are going to continue to broadcast it. The media is negatively impacting our society and will continue to do so as the demands for more sex and violence increases.
Don't agree with what I am saying? Lets look around at some of the facts in reality that will maybe change your mind.
1. When was the last time you saw more than 1 PG movie being shown at theaters?
2. How many teenage girls do you know that are pregnant?
3. When was the last time you saw a middle schooler dressed appropriately and not like some 20 year old stripper?
4. When was the last time you saw a decent cartoon on t.v. that didn't get canceled after one season for low ratings?
5. When was the last time you saw a positive news article in a magazine?
6. When listening to the radio, what kind of music is generally played?
7. Be honest....would you or your friends rather see a movie that has innocent comedy or crude comedy?
8. How many people do you know that partake in underage drinking and drug use?
9. How many people do you know that have getting drunk as their only important goal in life?
10. When, if ever, has birth control been provided to middle school students other than now?
Hopefully, after thinking about those questions, you will fully comprehend the downward spiral that our society has followed. I think that this image obssessed, sex crazed, violent world of ours is only the beginning of what can happen if people don't start doing something about it. I mean seriously, you don't have to watch the filthy shows or read the nasty articles. There are far more important things in this world than that. One person can stand up to things and help make this world a better place. Don't let anything stop you from being that one person.
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Entertainment gives us and what we want. Instead of living for some higher Purpose we live only for our own happiness. Entertainment glamorizes those things which make us "happy."
The common line of reasoning goes:
"What's wrong with drugs and premarital sex if they make you happy and you don't hurt anyone?"
There are problems for that line of thinking for those who get up our of their narcissistic sludge and live for a higher purpose.
What isn't wrong about it? The idea that our society is focusing on image and sex and violence isn't a good thing. It is obvious that it is harming people. 13 year olds are not ready to have kids, 16 year olds are not ready to die in car crashes due to underage drinking. Do you realize that many kids don't do these things because they want to but instead do it because that's what they see is going on and heaven forbid you don't follow the norm. Seriously...what teenage girl would want to have sex with some horny teenage boy who she probably will never see again. Not to mention the spread of STD's and other problems that go along with sex. These things are degrading to people in general and anyone who gets a "kick" out of it is lacking sensibility. The idea that people keep wanting more and more of this trash that the media displays is sickening.
1. When was the last time you saw more than 1 PG movie being shown at theaters?
Uhh... Enchanted and National Treasure 2. Other than Sweeney Todd, which I saw by myself, I'm pretty sure those are the last two movies I've seen in theaters, period.
2. How many teenage girls do you know that are pregnant?
None.
3. When was the last time you saw a middle schooler dressed appropriately and not like some 20 year old stripper?
I don't see many middle schoolers. Period. My sisters aren't in middle school yet, and I'm mostly around adults and college students all day. And in Colorado in the middle of winter, it's hard to find anyone dressing like a stripper.
4. When was the last time you saw a decent cartoon on t.v. that didn't get canceled after one season for low ratings?
I see lots of cartoons for little kids. But yes, the quality of cartoons has gone down since I was little. So sad.
5. When was the last time you saw a positive news article in a magazine?
In a magazine? I used to see them all the time. Now I don't read magazines. Cost too much to subscribe.
6. When listening to the radio, what kind of music is generally played?
In my car... country. And it's pretty good. In my mom's car... Christian Rock. Enough said.
7. Be honest....would you or your friends rather see a movie that has innocent comedy or crude comedy?
I like romantic comedies, which tend to be innocent. I'm not a big fan of the crude humor, though I'll watch it on occasion.
8. How many people do you know that partake in underage drinking and drug use?
Plenty. Sadly.
9. How many people do you know that have getting drunk as their only important goal in life?
Well, I wouldn't say ONLY goal. Most of my friends, though they have the urge to get drunk sometimes, have their goals set quite a bit higher than that (graduate school comes to mind, and medical school among those graduate schools... uber competitive programs here).
10. When, if ever, has birth control been provided to middle school students other than now?
Birth control isn't all that old. It was originally made in the early 1900s (well, tried to make mainstream, they had it before then, but it didn't work too well) with Margaret Sanger. It wasn't accepted in mainstream culture until like... the 70's, I think, for various reasons.
There's far more in our current media than what you are portraying. The key is to steer people to enjoy these forms, rather than the stupid reality shows present on VH1 and MTV.
~C
Check out the latest entry in the Between The Lines column!
I know exactly what you are saying but I was directing this post to more of a generalization. Are you aware that middle schools are offering kids birth control without parental concent? To me, that is simply absurd. I am all for comprehensive sex ed but I believe that is crossing the line. I know that in my school of about 500 kids, there are STDs everywhere, about 10 girls who have kids at home, and parties every weekend, if not more often than that. I just find it sad that a lot of people seem to encourage this behavior and write it off as "this is what our society has become".
It depends a lot on the culture that the school is located in. I went to high school in the south, and don't recall ever seeing a pregnant girl at school. Of course, maybe they were better at hiding it.
Offering birth control to middle school students is a bit of a stretch, but I see no reason not to offer it to high school students. One of my roommates a couple years ago went to planned parenthood and got birth control for years before her mom had her doctor put her on it. It's not impossible to get birth control without your parent's knowing about it, as long as you know where to go. And I'd say telling teens where to go is better than not telling them anything and letting them get those STDs or get pregnant like all the girls in your school tend to be doing.
~C
Check out the latest entry in the Between The Lines column!
I was talking about the school actually providing birth control right there in the building. That is completely different than telling them where to get it.
It's not that much different in the long run. But I am aware of what you were talking about... I was expressing my views on the situation.
~C
Check out the latest entry in the Between The Lines column!
That's perfectly fine...I appreciate it