Exposure - What are we teaching our children?

**Beautiful Disaster** · 12-09-2011 04:58 PM

I noticed today a comment that someone made and it really struck a chord with me. Here is what she said basically:

"Why is it that when we're watching TV with our children we are so comfortable with displays of violence, yet if even the slightest of love scenes comes on the screen we're instantly uncomfortable and change the channel?"

It got me thinking. Now, I'm not talking about raunchy sex scenes here. And I'm not talking about horribly gruesome violent scenes. You get the drift. Are we unknowingly teaching our children, the future of our world, that violence is expected...part of our lives but that love and affection for one another is uncomfortable and forbidden ??

**BabyGirl** · 12-11-2011 08:06 AM

Good Subject BD,

I have raised kids born in the 70's. 80's and 90's and wanted to share my thoughts and experiences , since you first posted this.
I just haven't found the time. I'm being worked to " death " lol.

I am working 10 days straight from 7 am -4:30 pm, well I can't say straight, I did get off at noon yesterday, so I got a 1/2 day off. Off Friday, so hopefully I'll have time to post my thoughts.

For now I can say Boy have things changed, since I let my first child watch TV.
Back then it was nicknamed a Boob Tube, It had no sex or focus on Breasts, we called it that because kids & people sat around staring at it like it was their first sight of Big Boobs.. lol

**jns** · 12-11-2011 08:48 AM

Originally Posted by Beautiful Disaster

I noticed today a comment that someone made and it really struck a chord with me. Here is what she said basically:

"Why is it that when we're watching TV with our children we are so comfortable with displays of violence, yet if even the slightest of love scenes comes on the screen we're instantly uncomfortable and change the channel?"

It got me thinking. Now, I'm not talking about raunchy sex scenes here. And I'm not talking about horribly gruesome violent scenes. You get the drift. Are we unknowingly teaching our children, the future of our world, that violence is expected...part of our lives but that love and affection for one another is uncomfortable and forbidden ??

Movies and TV have got progressively more violent in their scenes. If you watch old Police Dramas, you can see the difference. The reaction to the violence is visceral and as such, doesn't need much explanation to children. Much of it should probably be X rated under the old rating schemes. However, due to politics, it comes on in prime time every night and sometimes during the news.

Love scenes, on the other hand, often need to be explained to children. Many people are uncomfortable at explaining them to their children. Therefore, they change the channel. Thus the children grow up deprived of an explanation of adult love behavior. Sometimes, maybe oftentimes, they don't see adult love behavior at home. They get to experiment for themselves at a young age to see if the porn scenes that they see on computers and cell phones are the way to loving relationships.

No wonder violence seems to be taking over.

**Aeryn Sun** · 12-11-2011 10:12 AM

In our(American) society, violence is tolerated, and sex usually is not, especially same sex on television.
This Film Is Not Yet Rated is a documentary on Netflix that I recommend. It is not family friendly as it involves some pornographic (or are they?) scenes and discusses how our industry rates movies and what the public finds acceptable.

**kristalyn_04** · 12-11-2011 10:35 AM

Originally Posted by Aeryn Sun

This Film Is Not Yet Rated is a documentary on Netflix that I recommend. It is not family friendly as it involves some pornographic (or are they?) scenes and discusses how our industry rates movies and what the public finds acceptable.

I saw that in my Media Communications class in college. Very interesting indeed. It all fits into how our society views sexuality in general, as something "dirty" and forbidden, although it has slowly gotten less so over the decades.

**maleview** · 12-12-2011 12:15 PM

I don't think there is necessarily more violence or sex, it just depends on the show you are watching. I think the violence in video games has a lot to do with it also. I often wonder if these games are supported by the military as a recruiting device. These games are more of a problem then the violence I see on TV, because the kids are part of the action.