Dear Editor,

There is a concern regarding the saturation of people’s mind with socially damaging material perpetuated in the media.

I will say that not everyone is adversely influenced by the content of which I will proceed to speak about, but the impact should, nevertheless, not be dismissed.

When someone wonders why people these days are insensitive to the suffering of others, or would inflict harm on others or themselves, one of the reasons is right under their nose. Every day we are bombarded with a lot of media output that contains content that are void of moral value. For example, there is no shortage of films that depict destruction, rape, graphic deaths, etc. Notwithstanding that film producers need to make a living by producing films, and that films are fictional, the question, nonetheless, becomes: How is it entertaining to watch a person torture someone else to death? Why is it entertaining to see people pepper other human bodies with bullets, or blow up a house with occupants inside?

The issue is not simply that these events are unfolding on-screen, but they are done so in very needless and disturbing graphic detail with almost near-perfect simulation of blood splatter, gore and body parts, which, by all accounts, are not (or should not) be entertaining in real life.

I am not, by any means, attempting to challenge film directors to lessen the graphic content of their films, although doing so would pose no harm and perhaps ratings will be unaffected as a result. It is the adverse effect on the minds of some viewers from seeing violence in movies continuously that is bothersome.

I read recently that two youngsters were interviewed and were asked if the circumstances of a particular violent film (which I will not name) were to become a reality, what they would do. Both responded that they would kill people that they do not like, which is popularly a part of the plot of many films. It is unsure whether the two respondents were being serious, but such responses should not be taken lightly.

It is an irrefutable observation that what is portrayed in the media strongly influences behaviour. Therefore, hopefully, people will exercise discretion with, what they entertain themselves with and that the local film industry does not adopt the normalised Hollywood style of representing on-screen violence as thrilling.

The Writer

blackpencilpoint@gmail.com