In recent years, the advancement in entertainment technology in the field of and the increasing liberalization of America and its media have led to the creation and marketing of violent forms of entertainment. This includes such technologies movies, TV shows, video games, and news outlets. Today’s youth have easy accessibility to many of these violent forms of entertainment and are increasingly exposed to them at younger ages. The exposure to gore and violence has caused many people to believe that America’s youth are becoming increasing desensitized to violence. This exposure to violence through various media outlets may cause an exponential increase in violent actions of America’s youth and certain harmful effects to those exposed.
The experience of violent events harms youth. The increasing publicity by media sources of violent crimes such as shootings may cause children to question their safety at public locations and events. Shootings near the Empire State building that left nine wounded and one dead and the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting, that left 20 students and six staff members dead affect not only the victims, their families, and their communities but the whole populous of the United States. Such blatantly open and violent acts are now often recorded and show to the public via News channels and other media outlets. They have caused many people, especially youth, to suffer unseen scares such as emotional and cognitive distress. Furthermore, violent events in a majority of Americans cities specifically in areas of lower income families and individuals have rendered 90% of the youth in those regions exposed to violence (Braunstein, M.D. Glenn D). Studies have shown that one fifth of these children suffer from depression. One third of these children even suffer from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) a disorder most common seen in war veterans. Additionally, studies have proven prolonged exposure to
Bibliography: Braunstein, M.D. Glenn D. "Violent Events Have Long-Term Effects on Children." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 24 Sept. 2012. Web. 21 Feb. 2014. . Carey, Benedict. "Shooting in the Dark." The New York Times. The New York Times, 11 Feb. 2013. Web. 18 Feb. 2014. .