"Cause and Violent Effect: Media on Our Youth"

Taken from "Cause and Violent Effect: Media and Our Youth".
By Barbara Hattemer

Not everyone reacts the same way to violence. Poorly nurtured children with few inner strengths and without internalized boundaries are more susceptible to its influence than well-nurtured children who have received a strong value system from their parents. Children who are undersupplied with parental love are often angry and chaotic inside. They are drawn to violent films, heavy metal music, and gangster rap because it reflects their inner turmoil. It both reinforces and offers approval for their negative attitudes. The combination of being undersupplied with parental nurture and overstimulated by violent media can be deadly.

In this article, the author explores the affects and infuence on all elements of media including sex, drugs, violence, etc. This one paragaph stood out to me the most. This answers part of my thesis question very well, and gives insight on what kind of people are affected. I agree strongly with the author's statement. People who are absent of boundries/limits that comes from parenting, who are involved in a chaotic or troubled environment, or are generally mentally unstable are drawn to the violent elements in entertainment. Therefore, they are much more suseptible to the media's influence than those who are generally mentally stable, and have a "normal" life and upbringing. Finally, I think that mentally stable people whith strong morals living a "normal" life can enjoy this type of media that includes violence and other themes because they can interpert it as entertainment only, and not always as an example or influence to embrace or follow.