Is Media To Blame For Kids’ Bad Behavior? – Know Thyself Community Wednesday

TOPIC: Is Mass Media and Entertainment Solely To Blame for Negative Behavior—WHERE’S THE PARENTS?

OVERVIEW: I think that everyone in our community, this nation, and around the world would admit that we are constantly faced with many issues and challenges like never before! As I have said many times the black community especially the inner city is ravaged with economic issues, high levels of unemployment, high levels of dropout rates, the black men and women in the penitentiary system, teenage pregnancy is out of control and much more

We are constantly bombarded with negative messages and images in television, music, movies, news, video games, cartoons, the continued war in the Middle East (which is really Africa), newspapers, magazines, books, just about any form or means of communication that transmits a message. I am and have always been a firm believer that we learn through transmitted images be they positive, negative, or neutral; they have some sort of impact on our lives and retention.

It is a known fact that the first 8 years of a child’s life are the most important in their development…So if a child in our community is not being educated, nurtured, and guided properly during these very delicate years with positive reinforcements, positive images, and positive correction, they are bound to be lost to the system at some point later in life.

We are given the right to choose how we would like to be entertained; the key though, is to not allow the entertainment to become our lifestyle and reality per se!