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| Sunday, 16 February 2003 |
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by Umangi de Mel
Violence is now on the rise, not that it did not exist before. But now violence has erupted in schools, tuition classes and between young ones. Has violence got anything to do in watching violence on the Idiot Box? Are young people imitating violent TV scenes and actions or is society as a whole to blame for the rise in violence? Here's what 23-year-old Shehan L. who is an extremely busy telemarketing operations representative and Chathurika Ruwanthie Kaduruwana a 20-year-old Leo have to say about watching violence on TV. Chathurika swims herself trim when she doesn't work as a telemarketing executive. Although in similar professions, they are polar opposites in character. Shehan, the real jabber-jaw doesn't know when to stop while Chathurika speaks only when spoken to. The two of them take their turns to talk about Television violence and its effects on youngsters. "Television can be a powerful source of imparting violence. Our children see a lot of violence on TV", says Shehan. "It's a growing issue in Sri Lanka, nevertheless, if television decides to show nothing but fairy tales in which they `live happily ever after', well... it's absurd. I'm not saying `yes' to violence on TV, but parents and teachers have a vital role to play, too. I think they should educate children, tell them that what they see on TV is not practical. What really happens is the child gets lost between reality and fiction. TV is an unhealthy influence on children, there's no doubt. They become immune to the horror of violence, accepting what they see on screen as a means of solving problems and begin to identify with these characters and emulate them. Parents, on the other hand, should see to it that their offspring don't watch a blood bath of violence on TV. Although television may not be the only source for aggressive behaviour, it's a powerful contributor. What's happening in schools today is totally inexcusable. Fights that end up in killing and blood shed, should see an end soon. Fighting over marks and lovers??! Schools need to discipline students and concentrate more on morals, values and ethics."
"It's an issue for the children in Sri Lanka," says Chathurika. "They have many sources to see violence and Television is the short cut to violence. It definitely is an issue for Sri Lankan children as well as children around the world. Television plays a major role in dishing out chaos and it's a significant contributor to the crime scene that's growing by the day. Sad to say but certain cartoons and mainly movies are made of sheer vengeance. It affects their mind, big time. Children grasp things faster than we think and since they are not much exposed to the real world, they give into their dreams that are made of chaos and disorder. The destructive things they see as children affect them a lot in the long run. You can't expect them to be sensitive or compassionate. All they see on TV is easy murder after which the slayer goes scot free. It's a pity that kids today prefer guns to other toys. It was different when we were kids. We saw who the real heroes were. War gives children an early permit to meddle with guns at an early age (Children in the North) some have no choice but to work as solders. There's no humanity in their world." |
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