Online Debate: Too much blame is placed on the media

4 comments have been posted on this debate. Showing 1 through 4 records.

Posted by taorayn 5 years ago

I believe it is wrong to assume that only mentally disturbed people can be influenced into action by what they see on the television or at movies. The human brain has the capacity to be very strong indeed, but the average mind is susceptible to the smallest bit of encouragement either in the wrong or the right direction. Also it is not as if certain images are scarce it's a bombardment of images and the average consumer is in constant connection with media images, whether they're billboards or songs on the radio or television shows that a person watches nightly or even books, yes media includes books and newspapers too. It's easy to get drawn into pop culture too, even if their are things that aren't necessarily "good" for us or for society in general they appeal to our most basic human instincts. We are all socialized and told what to think at some point and we are socialized by our parents, by our friends, by our teachers, and by media. It's not as simple as just to say "don't think that" and have a person simply not think it it, whatever it is has to be hammered into a person to "not think like that" and that becomes extremely difficult when it maybe only you yourself telling0 your mind "don't think that" but everything and everyone outside of you is saying "do think this". If it was simple to become deprogrammed then many phenomena would not exist. It's subtle brainwashing. And this is not some conspiracy theory it's just fact it applies to many different scenarios.

I mean really if it was so easy to not be manipulated then how would you account for the centuries of slavery in this country, do you suppose that all your great founding fathers were less than brilliant, were stupid weak minded individuals who couldn't tell right from wrong (I mean I'd probably argue it but...anyway) no you wouldn't that's because it only takes a few mentally disturbed strong minded people to manipulate the masses into believing what they believe, acting how they act, and etc.

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Posted by Chuckles 5 years ago

i agree it is not wholly the media's fault, but the media is a variable in the equation. I think the media catches too much blame on this topic, but not enough on topics like presenting politics, government issues evenly and clearly.

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Posted by shlh1514 5 years ago

This debate turned from blaming the media to anorexic people. Stick to the topic.

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Posted by kels1123 5 years ago

I disagree that the images of women aren't a little to blame with the low self esteem amongst young women today. Girls feel seriously inadequate when they see girls that are a size 0 as the image portrayed as beautiful. Now I do agree that we can't blame the media. I blame society for saying this is true and okay. If society didn't want to see images of drunk anorexic girls like Paris Hilton then the media wouldn't show it 24/7. I think society has to stop portraying women that are a size 0 or skeleton like as the image = to beauty, then the media will change as well.

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4 votes have been placed for this debate. Showing 1 through 4 records.

Vote Placed by Derrida 5 years ago

	Debater2008	olle15	Tied
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Vote Placed by Chuckles 5 years ago

	Debater2008	olle15	Tied
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Vote Placed by Jziggy 5 years ago

	Debater2008	olle15	Tied
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Vote Placed by Debater2008 5 years ago

	Debater2008	olle15	Tied
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		Pro	Tied	Con
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Started:	1/9/2008	Category:	Entertainment
Updated:	5 years ago	Status:	Voting Period
Viewed:	555 times	Debate No:	1575

Pro These days too much blame is placed on the media. When a girl is anorexic, people say "it's the pressure of the media." When someone steals something, people say "You can't blame them, with everything they see on TV." This is wrong. The media have a right to show what they want; its the freedom of speech. We don't have to watch it or agree with it. People blame the media for girls turning anorexic as it shows images of thin women. Everyone has an opinion. If they want to portray those thin women as normal, healthy women, that is fine as it is their choice. People act as if they have no control over their own minds; those girls turn anorexic because they allow themselves to believe that's how they need to look. How can people allow themselves to become manipulated, and then complain? People place blame on the media because they cannot stand to blame themselves. Parents send hundreds of complaint letters to the media when their children see something 'inappropriate' such as a sexual reference or a swear word. The fact is that children will hear about things like that, whether they like it or not, and it should be their responsibility to explain it to them, so that they understand what it is all about, and make the right choices. Report this Argument Con olle15 forfeited this round.
Pro My opponent forfeited this round as they did not reply in the time given, therefore I have nothing to write. Report this Argument Con Sorry for not responding the first time it was disrespectful a whole boat load of stuff hit me at once including multiple relatives being in the hospital and this is the first time in a long time I've been able to log on. Any way let's jump in. First of all just because its okayed in the bill of rights doesn't make it any less harmful. The fact that anyone can have a gun is harmful but thats okayed in the bill of rights. And no matter how you cut it you can't control what your kids can or can't look at 24/7. And you admitted it your self some of the stuff on tv is inappropriate and being exposed to stuff like that to early can cause mental problems like sex addictions and being addicted to adult videos. Also you say you would explain anything a child sees to them. Well how would go around explaining an adult rated video to the that they accidentally saw? And if we do like you said and tried to all harmful images from getting through they would end up in a mental bubble unconnected to the outside world. As for the anorexic girls you talked about you proved my point: (People blame the media for girls turning anorexic as it shows images of thin women. Everyone has an opinion. If they want to portray those thin women as normal, healthy women, that is fine as it is their choice. People act as if they have no control over their own minds; those girls turn anorexic because they allow themselves to believe that's how they need to look.) Weather on purpose or not by being a variable in these obviously unstable peoples minds they caused them to make the decision to be skinny. Report this Argument
Pro Don't worry about not replying. <> I highly doubt that simply viewing something can cause an addiction. Let's say someone was exposed to it constantly in real life, then perhaps they would develop an addiction, but people are not so weak that they let the media damage their mental health. <> You would explain to them what was going on, but you would tell them that it is wrong and disgusting to watch or be in those movies. > You're sort of contradicting yourself. You're saying it bad to look at certain things, but you're also saying that it's not good to not look at them. Firstly, you would not be separated form the world simply by not viewing 'harmful' things, especially at a young age. Also, this is not exactly what I said. I said if parents had a big problem with a child viewing a certain thing, they should try to stop them viewing it. << Weather on purpose or not by being a variable in these obviously unstable peoples minds they caused them to make the decision to be skinny.>> Because they allow themselves to become manipulated. They can choose to think 'Oh she is too thin, that is not nice'. However, they don't. They choose to think 'Wow, she's really pretty, I want to be like her.' The bottom line is that we are all responsible for our own actions. We choose whether or not to do something. Perhaps the media does try to influence us, but we don't have to obey to them. It is not fair on the media that people keep blaming their own mistakes on them. Report this Argument Con Debater2008 says that she highly doubts that simply viewing something can cause an addiction. Let's say someone was exposed to it constantly in real life, then perhaps they would develop an addiction, but people are not so weak that they let the media damage their mental health. But that is the point in most cases you are subjected to these harmful images on a daily base's. Which just like you said your self perhaps they could develop an addiction. And thats not even the half of it. In america we even had to make laws keeping actions like smoking out of cartoons because tobacco companies came up with the smart idea to put their products in the actual cartoon instead of just the commercials and statistically speaking tobacco sales more than doubled as this generation grew up. And thats just one example. ( Also adult video addicts get hooked with just one viewing if they didn't they wouldn't go to the second. But I didn't want to start a whole paragraph on it.) (Because they allow themselves to become manipulated. They can choose to think 'Oh she is too thin, that is not nice'. However, they don't. They choose to think 'Wow, she's really pretty, I want to be like her.') In these cases it is rarely if ever that simple. In an emotionally scarred person who just wants to fit in will go for the easiest course of action try and become like the most popular people in the world those on tv. and again I want to mention the fact that people whose minds are not in the best of places might chose the easiest thing to understand they are popular so I'll be them. And may I remind you that over half of the earths population suffer from some mental disease ranging from ADHD to Bipolar disorder and not even half of those are ever diagnosed which makes it easier for the arms of the inferiority complex made by the media to take hold of people. Report this Argument