Censorship
Jordan McClendon
Dr. Blakely
Honors English Comp. II
April 23, 2010
Censorship; A Child’s Daily Vitamin
It can be alleged that American children are addicted to television. However, some television programs repeatedly expose children to obscenity-laden language and casual sex related situations. The influence that this type of viewing poses on school-age children must be monitored. The argument surrounding media censorship and children has been widely disputed. Censorship, by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary definition, is the systematic effort, usually by a state or government, to forbid speech, publications, or other forms of expression that are deemed objectionable. The 19th article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights specifically enjoins that, “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression,” (Bender 147). Therefore giving a basis for media directors and program supervisors to create and put on the air their own means of expression. Censorship justifies the limitation of expressions that cross the lines of human morality and humanity causing it to be in society’s best interest to protect the vulnerability of developing children. With the arrival of the digital age of media viewing, new problems relating to censorship have aroused and in many ways legislation has failed to keep up. Ultimately it is the state that has both authority and the means to implement the widespread use of censorship when dealing with television viewing. (“Censorship”). Nevertheless, when the government fails to fully provide the vitamin that children need, parents must complete the dosage. The American Psychological Association estimates that the average American child sees one hundred thousand acts of violence and vulgarity on TV before reaching the age of thirteen. Because of this, congress reacted to this trend in 1996 by passing a telecommunications act that, in part, requires television manufacturers to install a V-chip in every television set. The
Dr. Blakely
Honors English Comp. II
April 23, 2010
Censorship; A Child’s Daily Vitamin
It can be alleged that American children are addicted to television. However, some television programs repeatedly expose children to obscenity-laden language and casual sex related situations. The influence that this type of viewing poses on school-age children must be monitored. The argument surrounding media censorship and children has been widely disputed. Censorship, by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary definition, is the systematic effort, usually by a state or government, to forbid speech, publications, or other forms of expression that are deemed objectionable. The 19th article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights specifically enjoins that, “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression,” (Bender 147). Therefore giving a basis for media directors and program supervisors to create and put on the air their own means of expression. Censorship justifies the limitation of expressions that cross the lines of human morality and humanity causing it to be in society’s best interest to protect the vulnerability of developing children. With the arrival of the digital age of media viewing, new problems relating to censorship have aroused and in many ways legislation has failed to keep up. Ultimately it is the state that has both authority and the means to implement the widespread use of censorship when dealing with television viewing. (“Censorship”). Nevertheless, when the government fails to fully provide the vitamin that children need, parents must complete the dosage. The American Psychological Association estimates that the average American child sees one hundred thousand acts of violence and vulgarity on TV before reaching the age of thirteen. Because of this, congress reacted to this trend in 1996 by passing a telecommunications act that, in part, requires television manufacturers to install a V-chip in every television set. The