When Is Censorship Appropriate - Term Paper Example

Censorship Censorship is an out of act in this era of freedom, information and expression as it impedes on the society and personal development since information is power. In addition to the idea being awkward, it derails economic growth in countries where it is practiced since it discourages growth and development of businesses in the information sector such as those involving cinemas and films due to the worst censorship experiences. Therefore, censorship is not justified because the manner in which it is has become ridiculous since as opposed to the main objective of combating illegal activities it mainly encourages more undertakings of these activities. Furthermore, due to censorship many people have become more frustrated than ever before as the information to which they have access to, which is so regulated that it is rendered inappropriate in making well-informed decisions. Censorship discourages economic growth by hindering business development; this has a vast negative impact. This is evident when considering the number of the movies that are being banned or scrapped off due to the sole decision of an individual that the contents of the movies are said to be unfit for public viewing. This is not in order in spite of the fact that individuals may at times be dismissive of it terming it as protection (Reichman 66). The role of film classification officers is thus put into question as it is unclear why a committee is left to determine what films are watchable and which are not despite the clear fact that it is the regulators who place the age restrictions quite higher than they should actually, creating a negative impact on the business personalities. Information is power and a population that is empowered is better off than that which is denied information. This impact was seen in Ireland for example in the year 2000 on the film called, ‘The cider house rules,’ a movie which was given an over 18 certificate proclaiming that the information that it presented on abortion and incest was wrong. In issuing such restrictions, they argue that any individual who wants to have access to such a film must first possess an idea of the film contents and the message passed (Caso 172). This may be correct but the younger population should access the message communicated by the film especially with the onset of technological growth coupled with the fact that technology is and will continue to be a major pillar of economic growth. Therefore, many businesses are adversely affected when restrictions in terms of laws and regulations are put in place in such an environment (Lederer and Richard 312). In addition, censorship denies individuals their freedom of expression and access to information, since it is beneficial for one to be able to make well-informed decisions, but it is discouraging when some sectors within the society influence, and place restrictions on individuals to shape the values of the society members in terms of what they should do or not do. It is only possible to make clear and well-informed decisions when the individuals have all the necessary information to make such decisions. This is what censorship denies the population, the chance to make their own independent and well-informed choices by influencing their decisions and choices in a direction of their preference (Lederer and Richard 72). However, the fact that people should be allowed to make their own decisions does not mean the same people will invest their efforts in acts that would go against the norms of the society. The regulations placed have resulted into situations whereby individuals are not able to make critical decisions like those that involve the choice of curriculums in schools. This inability is attributed to inappropriate information that has made it extremely difficult for the school going personalities to be in the position of choosing extra curriculum activities and relevant collegial groups than they were able to before. Therefore, censorship should be discouraged since it even cuts across the development of the critically required disciplines such as arithmetic, English and sciences. This role of such disciplines and the information they possess regarding their development in children is very fundamental. Given their importance in the development and shaping of the future careers and development of such individuals they cannot be excluded (Reichman 168). Censorship encourages bias among the societal stakeholders, and depending on the group within the society from which it originates from, ostracism is likely to result. For example; in Ireland the Catholic Church perpetuates this act and their beliefs including what its views are; this is not right since a society is composed of diverse religions and it is not right to assume that everyone is of the same religion when imposing censorship on information (Lederer and Richard 157). This amounts to a presentation of discrimination towards all those who are not of the catholic religion and it is to a large extent offensive, and this happens in many instances when bans are placed or directed upon showing information regarded as offensive. For instance, most of the bans enacted in countries like that of Ireland entail harsh ratings that are largely based on religion (Caso 307), this act deprives access to information on group discriminations based on ideologies that they are illegal and to an extent denies them the fundamentals of being sold. Therefore, censorship should be discouraged as it is bound to be misinterpreted bringing about differences among society members and may end up resulting into conflicts. Censorship by of certain content by media boards has also proved ineffective as many parents believe the decision of what their children can and cannot watch rests with them. The purpose of the censorship committee is thus defeated as the young viewers they claim to protect could still get the authority to view the material from the parent (Smith 108) who give them access to watch a movie online through their account, which the child could not access using their account due to age restrictions. Such acts make the censorship board measures ineffective and only prove that they are no longer relevant. The society is composed of knowledgeable adults who believe that the right to decide what they and their children should and should not watch rests with them. As children develop, it also becomes more difficult to regulate what they can and cannot watch. They learn how to bypass the measures put by censor committees as well as locations where they can access this material through legal or illegal means (Smith 109). Effective censoring only works briefly and effected for too long makes the state receive protests from its citizens Censorship can become its own enemy when restrictions actually increase the popularity of the illegal material. A book that has been banned in public libraries will generate a lot of publicity as now everyone will be on the lookout for it. This gives the book a lot of free advertising, its name is remembered as everyone in the publishing and book-selling industry is cautioned to be on the lookout for it and society becomes curious to see what is contained in the book that the censorship board does not want them to read (Stark 238). In 1890, Sodoms Ende by Hermann Sudermann was banned in Berlin, Germany, following its ban the writer had a sudden increase in fame as reviews for the book were done in Vienna, America, London and Rome and even as far as being called for interviews and had increased sales of his other works. Some writers have even tried to make their works get banned to increase their infamy and thus boost sales However, censorship is important as it protects individuals from illegal and harmful content; moreover, it is the responsibility of the adults such as the teachers and the parents to censor whatever it is that the children would have access to and those that they should not access at all. Furthermore, government should regulate the content that the public can access and that they are never allowed to access for the reasons of morality and ethical responsibility (Reichman 182).This is directed towards the protection of the vulnerable children and adults from the harmful media and content from the entertainment segment. It is enacted in a form that ensures that different ages are only able to watch a given content hence the segregation is reliant upon age. Censorship is a way to control behavior; this is due to the notion that the behavior of the general population must always take a given dictated opinion. This is what makes most governments put in place such controls to enhance their rules; this is also witnessed in the context of the stipulations by some religions. Therefore, it is partially right as the morals and the action of the society is placed under control but it may at times also be considered to be a backward move. This is because it denies individuals the freedom of expressing themselves and formulating their own opinions regarding issues resulting into a regressive opinionated society (Reichman 88). In conclusion, censorship is not acceptable since it results in the denial of individuals their freedom of accessing information for effective and efficient decision-making and is not welcome in modern day contemporary society. Moreover, it is one of the major causes of discrimination and differences that results in conflicts between those who perceive themselves as being oppressed by the group that censors their contents and the censorship officers and their supporters. This is in addition to the negative effect censorship has towards the economic development of a country especially in its entertainment sector. However, children ought to be brought up in a responsible and healthy manner, hence, censorship that revolves around ensuring that the children are protected from violent games and any other source of information that may shift the perception of the child towards unacceptable behavior is justified to a small degree to maintain morals among children. Works Cited Caso, Frank. Censorship.New York: Facts on File, 2008. Print. Lederer, Laura, and Richard Delgado.The Price we pay: the case against racist speech, hate propaganda, and pornography. New York: Hill and Wang, 2005. Print. Reichman, Henry. Censorship and selection: issues and answers for schools.. Rev. ed. Chicago: American Library Association, 2003. Print. Sarah, Smith. Children, cinema and censorship: from Dracula to Dead end. New York: 2005. Tauris Print. Stark Gary. Banned in Berlin: Literary censorship in imperial Germany, 1871-1918.Washington: 2012. Library of Congress. Read More