Influence of Violent Movies about Crime among Youth and College Students - Essay Example

Influence of violent movies about crime among youth and college Criminal offenses are on the increase in the recent past across the whole globe. Today crime is the major cause for alarm in most countries. The criminal offenses that are committed today are of a wide variety most of which are associated with robberies with violence involving majorly the youths. It is argued that television viewing and other print and, non- print media sources are the major contributors to this effect. This may however not be true as some argue that the information that people give concerning the movie industry is often contradicted the real fact about the movies that are performed by the movie experts across the globe (Sotirovic 125). One of the most controversial debates on the crimes committed in the world today is influenced by movie viewing, and addiction is on gun control among the youths (Spitze 217). The rapid rate of increase in criminal acts is the major reason why almost all countries in the world have to reinforce their internal and external security systems in order to ensure proper security conditions in their countries. Two questions remain to be debated on this issue; first, whether the governments should enact laws to regulate the handling of firearms in each country and secondly, whether the governments or any other formed agency should have the mandate of enforcing these rules and controls the handling of firearms across the globe. Motivated by the same spirit of the need to help straighten the bend that has started appearing in our youths of late, this paper seeks to determine the level of potentiality of the media houses to contribute to the inculcation of this outlawed vice in the young generation, mostly college students. This paper will therefore examine the close relationship between the movie industry and the performing art and the various related arrays of crimes that are performed these days in various parts of the world. More significantly, this analysis will be carried out on the youths of the age between fifteen years and thirty years and come up with recommendations on what is suppose to be done in order to minimize or abolish completely this rising vice around the globe. Despite all these attempts to solve the looming security threats, efforts made by various governments have yielded no mentionable success and security threats remain an issue in pursuit. However, it has been noted that most insecurity issues around the world are committed by the young generation most of whom are college students or those fresh from college. Talk about the suicide bombers, the abductors, kidnappers, rappers, the answer lies with the young man or young girl who wakes up every morning only to fix his or her eyes on the television always with a dozen of movie collections and a bunch of story books in a coach somewhere in the homes. Suppose you were watching, the seven o’clock news one evening after work together with your innocent son or daughter in his or her usual coach and his or her whole bunch of movie collection besides him or her and you see the police notifying the public about him or her at that moment for alleged danger potentiality. What questions will cross your mind? Will you say he or she is not the one the police are talking about? Alternatively, will you rush to the police that very moment and tell them they are mistaken in their identification and have to apologize? Romer argues that our children are endowed with everything they need to practice violence right from the house; he argues that while these young adults may look innocent before our eyes, they secretly learn these criminal acts behind our back and later on go out to practice these vices (Romer et al 97). This has been alleged is the tie between crimes committed by most college students and the movie industry. According to Roberts and Doob, the violent movies are the most alleged sources of online lessons conducted in a manner hard to suspect for such criminal engagements. Most people think that the movies are only sources of entertainment that their youths can just watch in order to be occupied and entertained while at home, a factor which we deem so right and innocent (Roberts and Doob 461). A British local newspaper reported a fascinating story of a young boy, a reggae music fanatic, who shot an old man he found taking a rest under a tree in his compound. After doing this, the boy rode along the road singing his popular reggae hit as if nothing had happened completely. When the young boy was finally arrested for committing the crime, he behaved normally just as if whatever he did was not worth being arrested. The above story suggests a strong relationship between the theatrical performances and the nature of crimes being committed in the world today. As argued by Sotirovic, the trends of crimes and the sophistic and artistically molded manner in which they are carried out is believed to be majorly influenced by the media tactics that are but only learnt from the movies and soap operas that are found on our televisions, other print and non- print media every now and then (Sotirovic 114). Moreover, the fact that we do not control what our young people watch on television when we are away could be the most contributing factor to the rapid development of this in our children. The problem is however bound to increase even further if a research is not carried out on this and a concrete step taken to minimize on this developing trend. Failure to formulate mechanisms to contain this situation may result to brooding and building a society of all kinds of evil people where every man and woman looks forward to committing a serious crime every moment of his or her life. Some people such as Sotirovic have always held the fact that the staunch fanatics of the crime shows are the ones most associated with criminal offenses involving gun handling and improper use of the same (Sotirovic 130). On the other hand, Romer et al argues that the people who are believed to be strict addicts of the crime movies and shows would prefer keeping off from the use of guns since they become desensitized since they see law enforcement only possible only when assisted by firearms. He further offers that the regular viewers of such movies will tend to be scared of the effects of handling the same firearms since they are aware of their consequences (Romer, et al 100). Subsequently, controlling these rising crime rates among the youths calls for an increased focus on prevention programs. Community programs can be tailored to offer youth friendly programs and opportunities that are in essence supportive and sustainable in creating a healthy relationship between the youths and the adults, so that both parties can resume their constructive roles in contributing to community building programs in the community. Works cited Roberts, J.V. and A.N. Doob. "News Media Influences on Public Views of Sentencing." Law and Human Behavior 52 (1990): 451- 478. Print. Romer, D., K.H Jamison and S. Aday. "Television Views and the Cultivation of fear of crime." Journal of Communication 52 (2003): 88- 104. Print. Sotirovic, M. "How individuals Explain Social Problems: The influence of media use." Journal of communication. 53 (2003): 122- 137. Print. Spitze, R.J. "The politics of gun control." New Jersey: Chatham House, 1995.Print Read More