Television and Cultural Plagues in America

Paper Summary:

This is an opinion paper which states that the root of many of America's social and cultural problems stem from television and movies. The paper examines different social problems - teenage sex and promiscuity; drug and alcohol abuse; and guns and violence. The paper provides examples of 'lewd' or unsuitable TV shows or movies to explain the point. The writer concludes the censorship and control is necessary to stop these trends.
The Link Between Television and Cultural Plagues in America
Televisions and Irresponsible Sex in America
Television and Drug Use
A Culture of Guns and Violence in America
Bibliography

From the Paper:

"These studies are particularly relevant today, given the controversy surrounding hip-hop star Eminem's lyrics. Eminem's lyrics constantly involve topics such as parental murders, rapes and suicide, and children are huge fans of his music. Should his music be regulated if studies show that children actually do engage in violent acts because of the lyrics? Or is that a violation of Eminem's First Amendment rights?
I feel that sociological violence is, obviously, a dangerous trend. However, regulating music, movies and television implicates serious First Amendment challenges that truly are not the best way to achieve the end of a society with less pathological and sociological violence.
The best way to control violence is not to restrict what children can and cannot see and hear. Rather, restrict access to violent weapons. If a child sees an Eminem video with a gun or a movie with a serial killer, it is highly unlikely, given Topics Magazine's research, that he or she would emulate the violence. However, given the American Psychological Association's research, we should still not dismiss the effects of the media on sociological violence."

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