In my paradigm shift paper, I discussed how in the media industry now, the gangster lifestyle is portrayed in a positive light, which is a big influence on teens and young adults, and is a major cause of the acceptance of the violent ways of gangsters. But for my TED talk, I would really like to focus on why violence in the media is so effective at capturing the attention of the youth of America. Why are we as a culture so drawn to the dangerous, violent ways of the gangster?
The answer, I believe is in childhood. These days, everything is child proof, and because of that, children are sheltered. Playgrounds are safe to the point of being boring, kids aren’t allowed to play outside after dark, anything and everything has a childproof lock on it… the list goes on. This, however, seems to me to be more dangerous than letting kids deal with things themselves. The problem with child proofing the world is that kids are no longer allowed to do stupid or dangerous things.
At least he wont grow up to be a thug.
This seems positive, but in actuality, it can be harmful to the mindset of a child, because they learn that there are no consequences in life, that bad things wont happen to them.
So at first exposure a child that is sheltered is eager to deviate from this sheltered world and try anything and everything… because they don’t understand just how real and just how serious the world can be.
The thing with the world of gangsters is that it is a vicious cycle: once you’re in, you don’t really back out. And when violence is portrayed as cool and fun in the media, it’s tempting for young adults to try. It seems rebellious and fun. But if a child grows up never living though the painful consequences of some minor experiences, and if they’re never given the opportunity to do something stupid, then they’re going to get to the real world, and they will make stupid choices, like joining a gang, because they haven’t learned that what seems fun and cool isn’t also dangerous (just like those rusty old monkey bars on the playground).
This is just a thought. But the more I think about it, the more I like it, and I kind of want to take it and run with it, even if it might seem like a stretch at first. I still have to work out all the details, but thus far, that’s the basic general consensus.
I think this would be a great topic for the TED talk and I think everyone has an opinion and voice when it comes to this topic of the media. Some things you may want to consider: Albert Bandura’s psychology experiments with observational learning and the lyrics of rap songs that promote violence and glorify “gangsta” life (ex: Rick Ross…who was formerly a corrections officer). Childhood is a highly sensitive time and I think a sanitary world is a mistake if we want our children to grow up strong and resilient. Sometimes you need to get your arm bitten off by the alligator to learn your lesson.
That’s a really good analysis of why people see the gangster life in a positive light. I always thought that people admired gangsters and violence because it never happens in every day life; it something that makes your daily life exciting. But, you have gone five steps further and identified specifically what the source of the problem is. I can tell this is going to be a great TED talk. Good luck!